Alumnus Addresses Federal Issues Related to Energy, Environment, and Privacy
As a public policy attorney, Fred Eames ’86 addresses complex federal issues related to energy, the environment, and privacy. To this day, Eames appreciates what he learned at Allegheny College.
“I learned so much at Allegheny. It really was a tremendous educational experience,” he says. “Understanding history and having a grasp of the English language is important in so many walks of life, but it certainly is important in politics, policy, and the law.”
After graduating with his bachelor’s degree in English and history, Eames joined a congressional campaign as press secretary for an incumbent candidate in Pennsylvania. He then served as the press secretary for several members of the Ohio Senate and joined the Ohio state Senate President’s campaign for Congress, where he spent the next 10 years.
On Capitol Hill, Eames worked as a legislative aide and served as counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce. At night he attended George Washington University to earn his law degree and has been in private practice since 1998.
Eames is currently a partner at the international law firm Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP in Washington, D.C. He primarily works on public policy issues involving energy, environment, privacy, and technology.
Over the last 15 years, he has worked on carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS). Through CCUS, companies capture carbon dioxide from industrial processes before emitting it into the atmosphere. The carbon dioxide is stored underground, sometimes in depleted oil formations, to produce “carbon negative” oil. Alternatively, when it is not stored underground, it can be used to create valuable products like cement or algae.
Eames advises current students to recognize their role as future leaders.
“You will soon be responsible for how the world works; that responsibility is always with you,” Eames says. “Take a broad approach to determine what interests you before graduating. Bring yourself a wide variety of perspectives because you’re going to need it.”