THE SPARK Rekindle your interest in the Order
WHO ARE YOU? What are you reading right now and why? Mainly Dr. Seuss and Good Night Moon because my wife and I just had our first baby. But the best book I read this year was a biography of Teddy Roosevelt, Theodore Rex. He embodied a lot of KA values and I think would have made a great brother.
Michael L. Howell (ALPHA PHI–DUKE ’07) Senior Adviser for Executive Branch Relations, The Heritage Foundation Mike joined The Heritage Foundation in October 2018 from the Department of Homeland Security, Office of the General Counsel, where he was the chief legal point of contact for the department’s 3,000-lawyer office for all congressional oversight and investigations that concerned any of the department’s headquarters or component offices. There he dealt with congressional staff regarding document requests, transcribed interviews and depositions, legislation, and correspondence. He was on Capitol Hill from 2013–2017 as an attorney for both the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the House Oversight Committee. At Heritage, Mike serves as the government relations liaison to the executive branch, where he interacts with several senior officials in the immigration space on matters of policy. He is frequently quoted on matters of immigration and congressional oversight, and also writes on these topics. He is a graduate of Duke University and Emory Law School and an Alexandria, Virginia native. He was initiated by the Alpha Phi Chapter in 2007 where he served as Number II. At the 79th Convention this past summer, Mike served as the KAOEF Leadership Lecturer. 8
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What is your DVD/Streaming queue and why? I’m not big on the major streaming services. For something to make it all the way through Netflix quality control basically means I won’t like it. I spend a lot of my time watching YouTube. I really enjoy watching old presidential debates, independent documentaries, and inspirational videos. What is on your music playlist and why? I’ve never been a big music guy. May have something to do with that when I was a kid I played the saxophone and completely bombed a Christmas Eve church performance. I listen mostly to podcasts and talk radio. We lost a giant this year with Rush Limbaugh, so I guess you can say I’m searching for someone to fill the void. What do you do for leisure/hobbies? One of the great parts about being a new dad is that a whole new world of activities opens up to you. Whether its places you would never go as just an adult, movies, or songs, being a new parent means you get to experience all those childhood memories all over again with your kid. I’m not sure how leisurely that always is, but it’s certainly rewarding.
Best KA memory? I often think about our senior year parents’ weekend. Our time living together was coming to an end and everyone was getting ready to go out into the world and start chasing their dreams. There was something special that made you realize there was permanence to all of this when we had all of our parents down there together to meet everyone. It also surprised me we were able to clean up that well. You work in the thick of D.C., if you had a magic wand, what one thing would you change? Whatever happened in the beginning of the movie Liar, Liar that made Jim Carrey have to tell the truth all the time. I would do that to the whole city of D.C. We could cut out so much noise and start working towards real solutions if folks were just a little more honest. What is most troubling to you right now in the world of politics and governance? That our leaders do not seem to understand the urgency of the moment and that America is not guaranteed. The things that made this country great are now subject to vigorous debate and our rivals are gaining steam. We need to get back to the basics and make sure we have a secure, free, and prosperous Nation to leave to our children. What would you tell a young KA looking to get into politics and policy? To do it. I think our country would be well-served by any brother, regardless of political stripes, who brought KA values to the world of politics and policy. It can be a deeply rewarding career and the Nation needs your help. W W W. K A P PA A L P H AO R D E R .O R G
3/21/22 5:10 PM