An Interview with Mitchell Dallas
Research associate, washington, dc, us
Edelman Global Advisory recently caught up with Mitchell Dallas on his professional experience, helpful career advice, and proudest moments from his career. See our interview below and keep up with Mitchell on LinkedIn.
EGA: What excites you most about your role at EGA?
MD: The thing I love the most about EGA is how much you learn in the course of one day. Everyone here, from senior to junior staff, have all kinds of knowledge and expertise in so many fields and specialties, and it’s truly exciting to work with and learn from them.
EGA: What would you say is your personal area of expertise?
MD: In both academic and work background, I have focused on international affairs, which translates into lots of experience in writing and open-source research. I am currently trying to translate these skills into a more well-rounded government affairs skillset. As part of this, I am trying to really build my project management and support skills to better support the amazing teams we have here.
EGA: If you could give yourself one piece of advice at the start of your career, what would it be?
MD: Get comfortable saying yes! It sounds simple, but learning to say yes to projects and teams is how you build your skillset and get exposed to greater opportunities.
EGA: What past work project or accomplishment are you the proudest of and why?
MD: My absolute favorite has been rebuilding the business development SharePoint for our teams to use. It has been a real labor of love over the past year alongside Bill Coughlan, and watching team members use it to save time or get inspiration in their workflows has been a real treat.
EGA: What would you do if you weren’t doing this?
MD: Probably something medical or fire related! Almost everybody in my family was a wildland firefighter at some point in their lives. I was also an EMT and campus EMS responder in college and loved it, but decided to stick with international affairs once I saw the salary scales for most fire and EMS organizations.
EGA: If you could invite 3 people (living or dead) to a dinner party, who would you choose and why?
MD: This is going to be such a strange combination, but Winston Churchill, Anthony Bourdain, and Colin Jost from SNL. All three have a biting and witty sense of humor that would make for an entertaining night.
EGA: How do you like to spend your time outside of work? Do you have any special hobbies or interests?
MD: I am an avid reader and a big fan of standup comedy. I have always wanted to do some standup comedy myself but have not yet gathered the courage to put myself on stage for an open mic night!
About Mitchell Dallas
Mitchell Dallas is a Research Associate on EGA’s Business Development Team. Prior to joining EGA, Mitchell worked as a contractor at various private sector firms as well as think tanks, conducting research on security threats ranging from conflict and stabilization in the Middle East to emerging disruptive technologies. He also has extensive experience in open-source investigation and research methodologies.
Mitchell is currently a Master of Arts Candidate at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs where he is finishing a Master of Arts in International Affairs degree with an emphasis on Middle East security. Mitchell attended undergrad at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he graduated with a degree in Global Security and Intelligence Studies and minors in International Relations and Middle East Studies. He has a limited working proficiency in Arabic.
