Batavia High grad's work on Obama campaign impresses parents
Dr. Jack and Gail Hinterlong of Batavia will watch Washington D.C. regale a new president with special pride Tuesday. Their daughter, Katie Hinterlong will be right there behind the scenes.
So will they.
Katie Hinterlong, 23, has been playing a key role behind the Obama campaign scenes for some time. And, now, her new role on the Presidential Inaugural Committee will give her proud parents a close-up view of a historic moment.
The excited Hinterlongs will be in Washington where they will attend the swearing in ceremony, Oprah's taping at the Kennedy Center and the Illinois /Hawaii Ball.
"There's a good chance that president-elect Obama will be spending some time there," Jack Hinterlong said. "We're hoping to get the chance to see him."
Katie's mom's advice had always been to work hard, do a good job and you'll reap the rewards. The 2003 graduate of Batavia High School apparently took those words to heart.
After graduating from Carthage College where she distinguished herself in leadership roles, she landed a fellowship in Lt. Governor's Pat Quinn's office. She worked hard and her superiors took notice. When the campaign team for Barack Obama contacted the office for a scheduler, Katie got the recommendation.
Working out of the Chicago office, Katie was responsible for the daunting task of scheduling the media. She also was part of the event planning team for the Grant Park rally, a job that resulted in a perk for her parents.
"She got us passes to go to the rally and we ended up being right upfront," said Jack. "I looked behind me and saw Oprah and Jesse Jackson and I couldn't believe that we were in front of them. It was just a sea of flags waving. It was quite a sight."
Like their daughter, the Batavia couple is intrigued by the nation's new president.
"President-elect Obama seemed to have the same charisma as Jack Kennedy," said Jack. "He promises change and that brought so many young people to the campaign. He also kept those kids connected using technology, the e-mails and the text messages, that was an important part of the campaign."
They left the Grant Park rally impressed.
"There were over 100,000 people there and there were no problems, " said Jack. "Everyone just left quietly."
After the rally, Katie took a new job as assistant to Emmett Beliveau, the head of the Presidential Inauguration Committee. She moved to Washington, D.C. where she has been in charge of HR, scheduling and communications and been involved in a historic project.
"She worked up the concept for the Inauguration coin and worked with artist to produce it," a proud Gail Hinterlong said.
Katie will be attending the MTV Ball and she'll be wearing a gown that she has previously worn. That makes her father happy.
"When you are the father of girls, you make a major investment in prom dresses and gowns that get worn one time," said Jack. "I think I have thousands of dollars in prom dresses in the basement."
Katie asked her mom to send the dress but Gail doesn't want to take any chances.
"I'm going to carry on my dress and Katie's and Jack can carry on the tuxedo he rented," she said. "If something happens to our luggage, at least we'll be able to dress for the ball."
Katie doesn't know what the next step on the career ladder will be but she is excited to be part of this historic event.
"It has been quite a journey so far and I am looking forward to the future and all that it holds," she wrote to her parents.
The Hinterlongs are thrilled to be a part of it all. They know that Katie has put in 14-hour days and weekends to get to this point. They also know that their daughter is having a once in a lifetime experience that she will remember forever.
So will they.