From left, front, Marc Savine, Tom DeLoe, Neil Ryder; back, Keith Talbert, George Selim, Lance Graef, Ed Williams

Ranging from an international trade policy expert to a criminal investigator with the United States Department of Justice, five alumni returned to Gettysburg College to speak with students about federal service.

"I came back because I feel strongly both about Gettysburg College and working with the federal government," said 1981 graduate Ed Williams, chief counsel for the FBI's Washington Field Office "There's more to life than just a paycheck. You have to feel that what you do is making a difference and does something good for the country."

About 80 students took part in Feb. 13's event, which was cosponsored by the Gettysburg College Center for Career Development and the Partnership for Public Service. Panelists included:

P. Lance Graef, Class of 1964, vice president for business development and Board of Directors member at Nathan Associates, Inc., an economic consulting firm. He led Nathan's trade and investment practice from 1998 to 2006. In both the public and private sectors he has spent 27 years focusing on trade negotiation, trade policy, and economic analysis. He negotiated for the U.S. Trade Representative in Geneva and appeared before the U.S. International Trade Commission. He started his career with the Peace Corps and worked for the Cost of Living Council under current Vice President Dick Cheney. At Gettysburg he majored in political science, played football, and belonged to Sigma Alpha Epsilon.  

R. Thomas DeLoe, Class of 1968, senior public health Advisor with the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  Formerly, he was a director of public health programs for the Pennsylvania Department of Health. He received his Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University in public health policy. He also earned a master's in public administration at North Carolina State University. At Gettysburg College, he majored in political science.

Ed Williams, Class of 1981, chief counsel for the FBI's Washington Field Office.  He served previously in locations including Phoenix, Ariz., where he worked violent crimes cases and appeared on the television show America's Most Wanted.  In 1992, he was promoted to FBI Headquarters where he served in the Legal Counsel Division until 1996 when he became a field supervisor supervising bank fraud cases.  While at Gettysburg, where he majored in political science, Williams played baseball and was co-captain of the football team as well as president of Tau Kappa Epsilon.  He received his law degree from Seton Hall University in 1984, graduating fourth in his class.  His wife, Laura, is also an FBI agent.

Neil Ryder, Class of 1982, director of the Office of Internal Review and Evaluation within the U.S. Department of Justice, Justice Management Division. He is the former director of NASA's Office of Inspector Genera and has worked in inspector general offices in the departments of Justice and Commerce. A business administration major at Gettysburg, he is a certified public accountant and a certified government financial manager.  Prior to joining the federal government in 1991, he was a manager with a regional accounting firm in the Washington, D.C. area.

Keith Talbert, Class of 1985, a criminal investigator with the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.  His caseload ranges from terrorism to organized crime to securities fraud. He previously investigated governmental fraud, waste and abuse for the General Services Administration. He was an investigator for the Department of Defense, a ranger for the National Park Service and a security consultant to former President Richard M. Nixon. Talbert has received the U.S. Attorney's Office's William M. Tendy Award for Commitment to Public Service and a Young Alumni Achievement Award from Gettysburg College, where he majored in history.

Also taking part were:

Marc Savine, chief of the Strategic Planning Unit of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division.  The recipient of law-enforcement honors including the Meritorious Service Medal of Valor for Conduct Above and Beyond the Call of Duty, he has worked with Gettysburg College and other institutions to fill vacancies through the FBI's University Recruitment Program.    

George Selim, policy adviser in the Office for Civil Rights & Civil Liberties at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. He is a member of the Annenberg Speakers Bureau of the Partnership for Public Service, which works to revitalize the federal government by inspiring a new generation to serve.

Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences with approximately 2,600 students. It is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania. The college was founded in 1832.

Posted Feb. 20, 2008

By Jim Hale