Jacksonville attorney Michael Stanski is a regional finalist for the White House Fellowship program.
Established in 1964 by President Lyndon Johnson, the purpose of the program is to provide those selected with firsthand experience in governing the nation and a sense of personal involvement in the leadership of society, according to the program’s website.
Fellows typically spend a year as full-time, paid special assistants, working alongside senior White House staff, cabinet secretaries and other top-ranking government officials.
They also participate in an education program including roundtable discussions with leaders from the private and public sectors and trips to study U.S. policy in action domestically and internationally.
“I applied because I come from a public service background,” Stanski said.
He’s a former Army National Guard helicopter pilot who was deployed to the Middle East and currently serves with the Judge Advocate General Corps.
About 1,000 people applied this year for the fellowships. He is one of about 100 finalists and he hopes to be one of the candidates that will be appointed.
“I felt this was a good time to apply to empower my career and the community,” said Stanski, founding partner of the Law Offices of Michael Stanski.
Regional finalists will be interviewed remotely in June. The field will be narrowed to about 30 applicants who will be interviewed by staff from the White House Fellowship Foundation to select 11-20 appointees.