Jeff Marootian’s path through public service has bridged the local and the national. From managing bike lanes in D.C. to overseeing billions in federal clean energy investments, his work has consistently centered on making government a driver of sustainability and progress.
Marootian first came to Washington as a student at George Washington University, eventually rising through the ranks of public service in both the Obama and Biden administrations. As Assistant Secretary for Administration and Chief Sustainability Officer at the U.S. Department of Transportation under President Obama, he advanced sustainability within federal infrastructure planning.
He honed his hands-on leadership skills as Director of the D.C. Department of Transportation from 2017 to 2021, during which he piloted micromobility programs, electrified part of the city’s bus fleet, modernized roads, and oversaw the reconstruction of the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge.
Being a problem solver and helping solve other people’s problems to me is the way forward in building a career in politics and government.
That record earned him key roles in the Biden-Harris administration: first as a transition team member, then Special Assistant to the President, and ultimately Acting Assistant Secretary at the Department of Energy.
Now, as president and CEO of UL Standards and Engagement, Marootian brings his policy expertise to a global stage, leading efforts to shape the safety and sustainability standards behind emerging technologies.
In our conversation, Marootian reflects on lessons from his time in government, the challenges of risk-taking in public systems, and why he still believes in the promise of public service.
Q: You’ve held a wide array of jobs in the public sector, how did you decide to pursue this path?
A: I’ve always been driven by a strong sense of leadership and a deep responsibility to use my skills to improve the systems that shape people’s lives. From the start, I knew that I wanted to make a real and measurable difference, especially in places where I saw entrenched inequity in government and social systems. And that sense of purpose has been my North Star throughout every step of my career. Like many people in D.C. I got my start with an internship on Capitol Hill, but I gravitated quickly towards local government where I ended up spending the bulk of my career. I was drawn to the immediacy of local government, being able to solve problems in real time and see the impact directly in people’s lives. Most of the roles I’ve taken on since then have grown out of relationships that I’ve built along the way. I always like to think that public service is about showing up for people and staying connected to them. Being a problem solver and helping solve other people’s problems to me is the way forward in building a career in politics and government.
Q: Can you give us an idea of what a typical day working in a high level position such as at the White House is like?
A: There’s definitely no such thing as a typical day at the White House or in a cabinet level agency, and that’s part of what makes it so intense and also so meaningful. The days start early and they end late. They’re shaped by competing urgencies, everything from memos and briefings to decision points on unexpected crises. On any given day, one of those things may dominate, so you’re constantly toggling between long-term strategy and then split second decision making. There can be an incredible adrenaline rush when something bubbles up that requires immediate attention. That said, the most unpredictable job I’ve ever done was actually in local government and it was running the Washington, D.C. Department of Transportation just given the high profile public nature of that role and much of the urgency around the decisions that I was making at the time.
Q: Reflecting on your career, what are you most proud of?
A: I’m very proud of the work that I’ve been able to contribute to advancing infrastructure and sustainability both at the local and national levels. In Washington, D.C. , I was responsible for the renovation and reconstruction of a cherished asset, the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. I worked at the U.S. Department of Energy during the Biden administration to advance a number of significant clean energy projects across the country that have had a real impact on people’s lives and have helped to create jobs and opportunity across the country. Wherever I’ve worked, building systems that serve the public is what I am proudest of.
Q: An exploration of work in the public sector wouldn’t be complete without touching on the challenges and failures one might encounter along the way.
A: I’ve found that in public service, failure doesn’t always come as one big moment. It’s often more the slow realization that a project or initiative didn’t land the way that you expected it to. Yet our government systems generally are not always forgiving of those who take bold risks that fall short, so I learned early on that the antidote is transparency and collaboration from the start. As a result, I lead with inclusion and stay adaptable. I embrace iteration as a strength course correction. When something isn’t working, it is not a weakness as far as I’m concerned, it’s how you build durable and effective solutions.
Q: Does that lack of forgiveness for risk-takers disincentivize public servants from thinking outside the box and coming up with alternative ways of doing things? Certainly a common complaint about government is the bureaucracy and red tape that can be associated with getting anything done. How do you navigate that while still innovating?
A: I’ve found that it’s really important to build relationships, to be transparent about your intentions in order to ensure that there are people who are there with you when you are trying a new initiative, trying a new program, and in the event that it doesn’t work, that you’re able to just clearly communicate what didn’t work, why it didn’t work, and what you learned from it.
Q: At a time when the tone of national politics can feel more divisive than constructive, and when public trust in institutions seems increasingly fragile, how do you encourage young people to still see public service as a worthwhile and inspiring path?
A: What I’d say is that public service is more than just the federal government. There are a number of opportunities for folks to get involved in service to the community, and there will always be good opportunities for people to enter into a public service career. I am encouraged by programs that are designed to bring people to Washington that give people exposure at all levels of government service. I think more and more those are the kinds of programs that are important to continue.
Q: What are the rewards of being in the public sector and why would you encourage young people to get into it?
A: Well, there are countless ways to build meaningful public careers through advocacy, education, healthcare, social services, and the military. And to me, public service is not limited to just government. My sister is a public school teacher, and I see her work as every bit as vital to our society. The best advice that I can give is to find mentors, to build coalitions and bring others along with you. Representation as a community is important, but it’s not enough. We need leadership, and that takes a community mindset, and for me, public service has been rewarding to see changes that I am able to affect materialize in the real world and improve people’s life experience.
