Me scoping out sites for an event venue on the Capitol Grounds

Author: Hank Herzfeld | Majors: History, Political Science | Semester: Summer 2023

My name is Hank Herzfeld. I’m a History and Political Science major with minors in German, Legal Studies, and Medieval and Renaissance Studies from Benton, AR, and this summer, I had the opportunity to intern for two months at the Washington D.C. office of the Markham Group. Markham is an event management firm that specializes in directing operations for events as a third party, especially for events connected to advocacy, government, reform, and generally progressive topics. Just this summer our D.C. office has been directly involved in over fifteen large-scale events including two bus tours, a national women’s conference in Rwanda (Women Deliver), several events at the White House, and two events which were attended by President Biden. We also lead an event series by the United States Chamber of Commerce that provides hiring fairs to veterans on military bases across the country called Hiring our Heroes. I have personally worked on a good portion of these events, not on-site for most of them, but auxiliary and logistics assistance, making sure equipment and supplies are in the right places at the right time, packing “event boxes” with all the necessary day-of items and quality-checking innumerable graphics and pieces of equipment. Along with these event-based activities, I have been involved in the planning of future events: scouting venues and sites, putting together vision boards for merchandise and advertisements, and planning transportation and logistics. The interns are also largely responsible for the storage and stowing of event supplies after the end of the event, so if you need someone to drive a U-Haul through Washington D.C., I’m your guy.

Markham was started in Arkansas by a few members of former President Clinton’s campaign staff, so I was fortunate to have had a connection to one of the partners just to hear about the internship. I was scouting out options in Washington D.C., and this was really one of the only non-government positions I had applied for, but it’s a paid internship and it’s something I felt could really improve my event planning and operating skills (which it definitely has). I didn’t just want to work in D.C., but I wanted to do something that would have a tangible impact and benefit Arkansans and having worked on some events and on a team with some Arkansans, I have definitely felt like I’ve met that goal. Event management is an extremely fast-paced environment with lots of moving parts, cancellations, and last-second emergency deadlines. You have to be able to juggle lots of plates, and it can be exceptionally stressful at times. Thankfully, being in this atmosphere for two months has given me a feel for how it all works and how the members of Markham’s team stay on top of deadlines and all the chaos that goes on in event management.

I also had the chance to work with three other interns, all from Northeastern states, and their insights and interests are going to take them far. That connection, as well as having a good insight into the overall operations of the company, have given me a look into what it takes to run a successful business that does good for lots of people. Getting to connect with former President Obama’s Director of Operations (our CEO), several people who worked on Hillary Clinton’s campaign, and a diplomat have shown how interconnected this world of government and advocacy is.

Interns Marshall and Sarina with me after setting up the National Partnership for Women and Families (NPWF) gala on The Wharf

Next up, I would like to work in government to some capacity, either directly or indirectly. I plan to try and spend next summer in D.C. or Little Rock, either working directly under a member of Congress, on a committee, on a political campaign, or in government relations. I believe tying together experience from the private sector’s interest groups and direct involvement in government will best position me to pursue a career in politics.