Preschool Is for Real

Karl Aro
THE FINAL WORD
NCSL Staff Chair
Karl Aro, NCSL’s new staff chair, has 36 years of experience
as a bill drafter, research analyst and a director
with Maryland’s Department of Legislative Services. He
was born in Brooklyn, raised in New Jersey and earned
a bachelor’s degree in government and politics from Monmouth
University in New Jersey and a master’s in public administration
from the University of Maryland. He has worked in several policy
areas including health, workers’ compensation, environment,
elections, but is best known for his work in redistricting and
reapportionment.
What life lessons have you learned working in a
legislature for 36 years?
What appears to be easy isn’t. It’s difficult to achieve
compromise. It’s hard to communicate clearly. It’s
challenging to get your ideas or the information
needed out there. Nothing is simple.
How has legislative service evolved?
Computerization has changed the landscape dramatically.
The fact that we can do so much more, so much more
quickly has sometimes created unrealistic time expectations.
It still takes a human mind to figure out the best way to draft
a bill, for example, or to analyze a particular problem and to
check the facts.
Where do you look for inspiration?
Music and nature. I can always find something
of value in lyrics. One of the songs that
influenced me early on was John Lennon’s
“Imagine,” but there’s so much good stuff
out there. I’m a big fan of a band called
Twenty One Pilots. I also find inspiration
in the beauty of our natural world by just
reflecting on the wonder of it all.
What advice would you give to new staff?
The greatest asset you have is your credibility. Stay
organized, be honest and make sure your work is on
time and accurate. And if you don’t know an answer,
don’t fake it; there are way too many people out there
who know the answers. Say “I don’t know, but I will find
out” and then find the answer—fast.
What are your priorities as NCSL staff chair?
We need to continue to provide value-added, useful
information and reliable resources, primarily through
electronic media. We have to stay current. But even
though we can do a lot of work through electronic media,
we shouldn’t do it at the cost of face-to-face, personalcontact
opportunities. With so many ways available
to reach legislators—through Facebook or Twitter
or whatever—the challenge becomes distinguishing
ourselves, making sure our members understand that we
are the most reliable source.
What do legislative staff wish lawmakers
understood?
From a nonpartisan staff perspective, that we always
make our best professional effort. We care about the
legislative institution. We want to help lawmakers make
good decisions by giving them the information they
need. We don’t have a dog in the hunt. I just wish they
all understood that as fully as I think they ought. I think
most do. Some don’t.
Jane Carroll Andrade, a contributing editor to the
magazine, conducted this interview.
How would your staff describe
you?
I hope they would describe me as fair,
supportive and caring. I try to be available
to them, and I look for ways to support
that work-life balance everybody’s looking
for. When we’re not in session we allow
people to telework and equip them to do
that. As long as staff are available during the
day and productivity doesn’t suffer, I like to give
them as much flexibility as I can. I think it makes
for much happier and more loyal employees.
Which books are on your nightstand?
“When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops,” by George
Carlin, and “I Am America (And So Can You!),” by
Stephen Colbert. I just finished reading “Hellhound
on His Trail,” by Hampton Sides, about James Earl
Ray and the stalking of Martin Luther King Jr. It’s an
incredible story.
What might surprise people to find out about
you?
I’ve worked in a patio umbrella factory and was an
exterminator. I know how to do a termite job. I come
from a blue-collar background, and know what it’s like,
as they say, to work for a living.
Do you have any final words you’d like to share?
Working for a legislature has been an incredible
experience. Being part of this ongoing pageant of
representative democracy and being able to contribute to
it in some way has been a great privilege.
STATE LEGISLATURES 31 OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015