For a guy who worked the marbled halls of the State Capitol for as long as he did, Sam Blakeslee is still quite passionate about the cause. We’re not talking the fist-pounding, shouting match type of passion. We’re talking the deep purpose, inspirational, let’s-find-new-solutions-to-old-problems-and-while-we’re-at-it-let’s-get-the-younger-folks-involved passion.
For the past two years he has worked to do just that.
Last week Blakeslee stepped away from the big desk with the ‘Sam Blakeslee, Founding Director, Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy’ nameplate, talked about the Pope, being a better friend and what it’s like to work with some of the brightest young minds in the nation.
What personal quality do you like most?
Passion: In a world plagued by mediocrity and excuses, I admire people who feel and act with genuine passion. By passion I don’t mean the fiery display of emotion; rather I refer to that sense of deep purpose and conviction that motivates individuals to care and act. Whether it’s passion for music, science, literature, business, or politics, I find it inspiring and uplifting to be around people that are passionate about something outside themselves. The individuals who are best equipped to tackle the hardest problems or overcome the most trying circumstances invariably exhibit high levels of sustained passion. It is a rare and essential attribute for which there is no substitute.
Which personal quality are you working on?
Candidly, stepping away from politics has been a blessing as it has allowed me to appreciate the importance of friends and personal connections. In hindsight, I’m not sure I was as good a friend as I could have been due to the crazy 24/7 nature of life in the legislature. I’m working on being a better friend.
Which living person do you most admire?
I’d have to say Pope Francis. I admire his humble approach to leading, his ability to bring people together to find consensus on difficult and sensitive issues and his profound compassion for others. I like to think of him as a maverick of sorts – by not allowing tradition or the status quo expectation of ‘this is how we’ve always done it’ prescribe his decisions, he has defied expectations. Rather than conforming to the culture of the institution, as most often do, he is transforming the culture. That is no easy task and I’d say he’s doing a lot of good.
What do you most admire in other people?
Optimism: It’s so easy to become cynical or pessimistic about the dysfunction we often encounter in politics, or any complex enterprise for that matter. I love it when I encounter people with a spring in their step and a core belief that they can make something magical happen in their world.
You’ve got a diverse job history: construction, research scientist, financial planner, and policymaker, what made you want to work with students?
Well, you could probably guess from my previous answers that I really enjoy their optimism and passion. I’m convinced that society has yet to tap into the enormous intellectual and emotional capital that is present in the higher-education community. Although universities are a wonderful setting for holding classes and conferring degrees, they’re also a remarkable repository of intellectual horsepower and creativity. Students are capable of bringing untainted, new insight into how to approach longstanding problems. I have found the Cal Poly ‘learn by doing’ philosophy produces students that are incredibly talented and have an eagerness to roll up their sleeves, work hard, and learn by doing.
Other than working to find a way to fit “Sam Blakeslee, Founding Director, Institute for Advanced Technology and Public Policy” on a business card, what does the organization do?
It is a little bit of a tongue twister isn’t it? At IATPP, our goal is to apply advanced technology to solve real world policy problems. We forge relationships and partnerships to build multidisciplinary teams of leaders in public policy, academia, and the private sector to craft practical, near-term solutions. Different from many organizations working within the ‘think tank’ space who work diligently to understand or define problems, we work to create and build the necessary solutions to solve them. We pull together the policy makers, technology shakers, and academic experts to build prototypes, write software and deploy pilot projects to prove up new solutions to old problems. We’re a new start up organization but are proud of the momentum we have built to secure start up funding and launch three core projects in education, open government and energy.