By Felicia Kalkman, PCM ’19
This fall I interned at the American Gaming Association, better known as AGA, a trade association representing the casino industry in the United States.
I grew up in Henderson, Nevada, a small town less than thirty minutes from the lights and glamor of Las Vegas. From attending the “Straight A Luncheon” at Green Valley Ranch Resort, Spa & Casino in middle school to having my senior prom on the Las Vegas Strip, casinos have always been a large part of my life.
This internship brought me back to my roots, exploring the casino industry in a unique way while also completing reading that helped explain the links between D.C. politics and the casino industry.
I started at AGA as a general intern with a focus in the communications and government relations division.
Every Friday, I worked on the first draft of the AGA government relations team newsletter, “Your Week in Washington.” The newsletter includes information about upcoming Congressional hearings, a recap of policy news from the prior week and a roundup of national news on the casino business for AGA members.
For the communications team, I helped with individual and morning press clips. I’m now in charge of sending out the morning clips sent to all our AGA followers and subscribers.
I also wrote press advisories, helped manage the AGA Twitter account and organized a list of thousands of casinos by congressional district.
Interning at AGA has prepared me for the professional world and helped me discover my passion. After working in local government and on Capitol Hill, I’ve discovered that I enjoy working in the private sector at a trade association.