As deputy majority whip in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, Ryan MacKenzie (MBA 2010) has followed a path of community service and political involvement, transforming the business experience he received at HBS into an opportunity to bring new ideas and new ways of solving problems to government.

In this video, MacKenzie talks about his goals as a civic leader.

“My family instilled in me a strong value of community service and political involvement. And so, when the opportunity came to run for state representative in Pennsylvania, I felt compelled to step up and be the one who could lead change in our community. I also felt that the business experience that I received at Harvard Business School gave me a unique perspective and an opportunity to bring new thoughts and new ideas, new ways to solve problems, to government. And I have been successful in accomplishing some of those things early in my career, so I found it very rewarding and look to continue that work.

“One of the things I really enjoy about being a state representative is that you have the opportunity to deal with a lot of different areas. So in the House, I focus on things relating to business and commerce, energy, and also community involvement. And as a deputy majority whip, you have the opportunity to take a leadership role and actually work with all of your colleagues to make sure that they have the information they need to make the best decisions possible on legislation and then also advocate for certain positions. So it is a great opportunity to step up within your own caucus, but also an opportunity to get to know more of your colleagues and what interests drive them.

“For me, making a difference and leadership was not only influencing and benefiting other people, but also my community at large. So when I look at things and my job and everything I do, I always try to make sure that I am accomplishing those two things: benefiting individuals and making sure that their lives are going to be better because of my work, but also benefiting the community at large.”

(Published September 2015)

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