A career committed to advocacy

After fifteen years working with the US Congress, alumnus Darrell Rico Doss made a career move. While in DC, Doss served as legislative counsel, acting legislative director, tax-investment counsel, and counsel for members of the house and Senate. He also served as the Congressional Black Caucus’s policy director under Chairwoman Joyce Beatty.

Doss, who graduated from Oregon Law in 1995 with a concentration in tax and business, serves as director of federal affairs, managing General Motors’ (GM) financial services and advocacy portfolio and supporting the automaker’s global diversity group and partnership with various outside groups such as AFSA, the BRT, and the Congressional Black Caucus. 

In this interview, Doss talks about his career path and recent move from Capitol Hill to GM. 

 

As you look back on your time in DC, what is one of the greatest accomplishments?

One of my biggest accomplishments on Capitol Hill was dealing with the financial crisis of 2007–08. As a staffer, I organized two briefings on derivatives to help staff and members of Congress understand what was going on with the stock markets, why the markets were crashing, and why the housing market was collapsing or had collapsed. I did that on my own in September and October of 2008, and there were two votes. Those were the votes that some people say saved America. It was a very patchy time for our country because the markets were crashing, and people didn't know what to do. Congress passed the bill in 2008, and I was a part of that.

You worked with some iconic people in DC—Rep Dwight Evans, Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee just to name a few. What are some of the lessons you've learned along the way? 

What I've learned from members of Congress is that they're people too. They have families, but they care about their constituents. I’ve been abroad a number of times, and in many countries, people aspire to be like America and to emulate some of the great things that we have. And we shouldn’t lose sight of that. The members for whom I've worked, whom you mentioned, have taken it all seriously. Let that be known members of Congress work their tails off.

 

In addition, what I’d add is that while living and working in Washington, DC, I’m just another person from Chicago with a law degree, attitude, and ambitions. But in 2015–16, when my career took me to Japan to work in the Japanese government, I was representing America with all of its views, values, and characteristics. It was a change in location and also an opportunity to see myself from the perspective of others. I will also add that I had a similar experience studying Mandarin Chinese in Taiwan in 2015 but for only a short stint. And to that end, I would implore future lawyers, or for that matter any student, to go abroad as early as possible. 

What do you look forward to in your new role? 

I work for a great company that has made safety and zero emissions part of its ethos. In addition to that, it is striving hard for diversity. I have seen them trying to do things fairly, working with Historically Black Universities, working with the Congressional Black Caucus, the Hispanic Caucus, the Asian Caucus, etc. It is a big company that has the right values, and I’m proud to work for them. Regardless of the car you drive, the company should try to do the right thing and sell you a safe car at a fair price and promote people from within while also promoting good corporate values. That's what we need. We need more companies that are doing the right thing. 

In what ways did your time at the UO open new doors and opportunities to you? 

Oregon Law proved to be beyond my expectations. I chose Oregon because of a recruiter at a law school fair; she was so genuine. I had planned to do civil rights defense, but I took a liking to tax because of my professor. Oregon also had a lot of international students, and I ended up being friends with them and learning about their culture. That’s how I learned French and then ended up going to Paris. Speaking French allowed me to teach for one year as a French teacher, as I prepared to take the bar in Maryland. I went on to learn Japanese and was a fellow for The Maureen and Mike Mansfield Foundation in Tokyo, Japan for a year. Ultimately, being a tax lawyer helped me get my footing in DC. 

As you look forward to this next part of your career, what do you hope to leave as a legacy?

I came from Ida B. Wells housing projects in Chicago. It's a housing development, or as residents call it, “the Projects.” A lot of the things that I have done over my education and career, I didn't even know about or oftentimes didn't even know I could do them. But opportunities presented themselves. Now, I strive to make things better for the little boy or girl who doesn’t see opportunities. If I haven't made the world better for the people with whom I grew up or who are from similar backgrounds, none of the work matters. 

-By Rayna Jackson, BA ’04 (romance languages), UO Alumni Association Communications Director


 

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