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An Oval Office Education
At first glance, the names Bill Clinton, Jim Hunt '64 (LLBJD) and John Bruce "J.B." Buxton '92 seem like a collection of "which one of these is not like the other" games—a couple of heavyweight names and a gopher. But Buxton wasn't fetching coffee for the president and North Carolina governor when the three gathered in October 1999 at the annual meeting of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in Washington, D.C. Hunt is the founding chair of the board and Clinton was the featured speaker. Buxton aided in planning the event—and helped write the president's speech. "It was the highlight of the year," Buxton said. That event, and helping create Clinton's education budget, were Buxton's most memorable moments from his year as one of 16 White House Fellows, a program to foster leadership and public service. "The idea is to bring people in from around the country, young leaders, [to give them a] first-hand look at how the country is governed," Buxton said. "We take on roles in high-level positions. It is a leadership development experience." Buxton, 30, served as an adviser on the president's domestic policy council, focusing on issues related to education. In addition to working on the education budget, he organized presidential events, provided advice on general policy matters and worked on legislation with Congress. Also as a Fellow, Buxton traveled throughout the United States and Africa as part of an education program intended to enhance the Fellows' work assignment at the White House. "We met with international and national leaders throughout the year," Buxton said. "We were looking at current issues and challenges in those areas and how they were tackling those issues." After graduating from Princeton with a master's degree in public affairs in 1999, Buxton wanted to help Erskine Bowles '67, former White House chief of staff under Clinton, run for North Carolina governor. But when Bowles decided to forego the race, Buxton decided to explore the White House Fellows program. "I wanted to stay involved with education, and [the Fellows program] looked like the perfect opportunity to have a great one-year experience to improve my skills and understanding of how to improve education." He joins a high-profile list of some 500 individuals—including former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Colin Powell, author and historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, former Clinton cabinet member Henry Cisneros and William Roper, dean of UNC's School of Public Health—who have taken part in the program since Lyndon B. Johnson established it in 1964. Johnson and others involved in its inception, including former UNC President William Friday '48 (LLB), wanted the program to draw individuals of promise to Washington for one year of personal involvement in the process of government. Buxton's public service panache comes easily to him. As a Morehead Scholar at Carolina, he taught one summer in South Africa, and as a member of the Campus Y, his work focused on issues of race, particularly the South African Scholarship Committee. After graduation from Carolina, he taught English at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts. He also has served in several policy and research capacities, including positions at the Public School Forum, where he was director of policy and research and coordinator of special programs for the N.C. Teaching Fellows. But as a White House Fellow, Buxton said furthering his interests in race and poverty issues was more difficult. "It was much harder and a purer political environment," he said. "An important aspect of federal policy is ultimately about how the federal government can assist states in supporting and educating those students who have challenges." Now back in North Carolina, Buxton is the new legislative director for the N.C. State Board of Education. In that position, he is the only registered lobbyist for the board, which oversees more than 1 million children enrolled in the state's public schools. "I'm most excited about dealing with all the issues—about putting together an agenda that is the best for all those kids, especially for those who have the farthest to go, and working for that on my personal time, too." Buxton, who also likes to spend his personal time playing with two young children of his own, said his experience in Washington should help him in his new role in North Carolina. "Most of what I got was an understanding of what the real challenges are that schools and states are facing—a state-level understanding," he said. "It's been a tremendous experience in politics and educated me about all the things that are most effective that can help bolster what I do in North Carolina." Buxton and his wife, Hunter Brown Buxton '91, live in Raleigh. Both grew up in Concord—although he was in New Hampshire and she was in North Carolina—and met in Chapel Hill. "I'll definitely be around politics and public issues for a long time—it's what I'm passionate about," he said. "I'll be in North Carolina for the duration. It's what I'm interested in and where I can make the most impact." —Worth Civils
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