A connection made through the UR Alumni Professional Network led to a new job for Emily Ward, a 2004 graduate. She’d worked for a federal contractor in Richmond that had gone through a furlough, and she wanted to be prepared.

Ward attended several UR networking sessions through the Alumni Professional Network, which offers a mix of online and in-person programs for Spiders. One in October focused on jobs in government and public service. The moderator-led program brought together alumni from across the country for a Zoom call.

“It was a one-hour speed networking event. The rooms switched over every 12 minutes,” said Ward.

She met one-on-one in a breakout session with Karen Laughlin, CEO of LMO, an advertising agency in Arlington, Virginia, and a 1995 alum with a degree in business administration. “We hit it off,” said Ward.

“I enjoy meeting other Spiders and hearing their stories,” said Laughlin. “As a business owner, there are often alumni at other businesses that have partnership potential.” She was impressed by Ward and found her a good listener.

Ward, who graduated from UR with a major in political science and a minor in business, had worked as a policy analyst for UNOS and the National Marrow Donor Program and was thinking of transitioning to lobbying.

Laughlin told her she had just the person for her to meet. After the call, Laughlin introduced her to fellow 1995 alum Tripp Perrin, president of Lindl Government Affairs, a Richmond-based lobbying firm that represents a wide array of industries. Ward met Perrin via Zoom.

“Lobbying is typically about relationships that are built over a long period of time, and so it's sort of hard to break into as a second career,” said Perrin, who majored in leadership studies at UR. “But interestingly, I kind of did it as a second career — I left politics and got back into it, so I understood what it was like to look for something new.”

When the firm needed to hire, Perrin reached out.

Ward joined Lindl Government Affairs in December as an account director. She now walks the marble hallways of the Virginia State Capitol, working with her colleagues to influence legislation on behalf of the firm’s clients. When the General Assembly is in session, that means 12 to 14-hour days.

“I really like my team,” Ward said. “It’s intense — an opportunity to grow every day.”

“She’s someone who really wanted to dig into policy and get to understand the issues, and she’s certainly done that,” Perrin said.