When it comes to airline travel, Warner Session doesn’t have too many pet peeves. That is, unless the person seated in front of him decides to lean their seat back.
“I always get what I call the leaners,” Session says, laughing. Really, who can blame him? There’s a lot that can go wrong with transportation and Session has heard it all as chairman of the board for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority. An attorney by trade, Session joined the board in 2011 and considers his role a labor of love as MWAA helps to oversee not only projects at Dulles International and Reagan National airports, but also the Dulles Toll Road and the ongoing expansion of Metro’s Silver Line.
You were raised in California. How did you end up in Greater Washington? After I graduated Stanford, I came back east to go to law school at Georgetown. I had no intention of staying, but here I am 40 years later. I started in the political arena, working for the D.C. Council.
Where did you go after politics? I started my own practice, now Session Law Firm. I always had an entrepreneurial instinct and having worked on the Hill, I made an incredible amount of contacts.
What’s been the focus of your practice? I’ve worked with a lot of federal agencies on their small business programs. I like seeing businesses grow and working with them as they enter the federal arena and all the challenges that comes with trying to do business with the government. I still have a government contracting focus, but I do represent medium- and large-sized companies as well.
How would you describe yourself as a boss? I’m an easy boss. I delegate. It’s pretty easy because I have just one full-time employee.
What advice would you give to someone looking to get into politics or law? Do it. Even though politics is sometimes bad, it’s good to be part of the process. Policies influence our lives in every way.
Click here to read the rest of the interview written by Emily Van Zandt over at the Washington Business Journal