A Capitol experience for Schweitzer staffers

HELENA - They grew up as neighbors on Kinshella Road and classmates at Fair-Mont-Egan School, and now Will Hammerquist and Adam DeYoung find themselves with jobs in the Montana Governor's Office.

Both are nearly fresh out of college, and both say they feel fortunate to have been hired by Gov. Brian Schweitzer for positions that have been challenging.

"I feel honored - blessed, really," Hammerquist said of his position as a policy adviser on the governor's staff. "I guess I have the school out in Fair-Mont-Egan to thank."

DeYoung was hired as a policy adviser with the Governor's Office of Economic Opportunity.

Hammerquist said he has known DeYoung since he was 4.

"He was always a grade ahead me and a little bit better at basketball and soccer than me," he said.

DeYoung, 26, said he was not surprised to find that his old friend and neighbor had gotten a job with the governor, given that Hammerquist had "been moving toward politics" for the last few years.

Hammerquist, 25, said his interest in politics and public service has roots in his upbringing in an area with a strong sense of community.

He recalls his father Kirk taking out a loan for a new bike path on Fair-Mont-Egan Road; the community eventually raised $26,000 to cover the loan. That was around the same time that DeYoung's father Ron served on the Fair-Mont-Egan School Board.

"The people in that community are a real close-knit group of people," Hammerquist said.

Soon after graduating from Flathead High School, Hammerquist made a public cause out of preserving Kalispell's Old Steel Bridge at a time when transportation officials were considering plans to remove it and replace it with a modern bridge.

Hammerquist said he felt the old bridge had historic value that should be considered and recognized in some fashion. His campaign, although unsuccessful, got considerable attention.

Hammerquist's interest in politics sharpened when he was a student at Montana State University, working as a lobbyist for the student government during the 2003 legislative session. He became friends with John Bohlinger, the current lieutenant governor who was then a state senator from Billings.

After graduating that year with a degree in political science, Hammerquist did construction work and eventually joined the Schweitzer campaign, running the Billings field office.

He jumped at the chance to apply for a job in the governor's office.

"For sure, it was a great opportunity," said Hammerquist, who in his adviser role focuses mostly on transportation, water and drought issues, working primarily for Lt. Gov. Bohlinger.

Hammerquist said his job covers everything from making coffee to doing research and gathering information for the governor's staff.

"It's basically helping them manage the mountain of information that comes into this office," Hammerquist said.

DeYoung, after graduating from Flathead High School in 1997, went to the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, where he played on the soccer team. He returned home and attended Flathead Valley Community College before going to the University of Montana, where he earned a business administration degree in 2003.

Since then, DeYoung has worked as a business consultant for the Missoula-based Inland Northwest Space Alliance and with a venture capital company.

His father was initially interested in working for the Schweitzer administration as an economic policy adviser. But after deciding that the positions available didn't fit his interests, Ron DeYoung recommended that his son apply for work in the Office of Economic Opportunity.

"I was kind of hoping for the best," DeYoung said. Getting hired was "a bit of a surprise, but mostly I thought I'd be a good addition to the team."

DeYoung said his job has been interesting, involving continuous contacts with business owners or prospective entrepreneurs who are interested in doing business in Montana.

DeYoung lives in Helena with his wife, Kiley (who commutes to Missoula for classes as a nursing student) and their 2-year-old son, Kaden.

Hammerquist lives with his younger sister Julie, a student at Carroll College.

Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com