In the season 14 finale of the EJB Talks podcast, Stuart Shapiro, Dean of the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers University, sat down with alumnus, lecturer, and Advisory Board member Bob Sommer (GSNB ’84) to discuss the evolving landscape of public advocacy and the education of future civic leaders.
Sommer, a former Eagleton Fellow who transitioned from an undergraduate accounting background into a career in public policy, detailed his professional trajectory from a congressional campaign to senior roles in government and lobbying. Notably, his early career included a tenure at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the Reagan administration, a path catalyzed by a pivotal encounter with the late New Jersey Governor and then-Congressman Jim Florio.
During the interview, Sommer addressed the often-misunderstood nature of professional influence in state and federal governance, framing it as a constitutional bedrock.
“Lobbying is a fundamental part of the American system,” Sommer emphasized, noting how the mechanics of modern advocacy have continuously shifted alongside tightening state and federal regulations and rapid technological disruptions.
Now passing his decades of public affairs experience to students at the Bloustein School, Sommer highlighted his highly practical pedagogical approach. He stressed that effective advocacy relies less on rhetorical rigidness and more on the empathetic capacity to thoroughly understand an opponent’s perspective in order to articulate one’s own position more effectively.
Sommer concluded the session by calling on higher education institutions to step up their role in preparing civic leaders, emphasizing that a polarized political climate demands a new, highly skilled generation of advocates equipped to navigate complex legislative and regulatory systems.
