Andy Staton: What You See Is What You Get
When it comes to politics, they say, “It’s not what you know, but whom you know.” Well, that’s not quite true with Rehoboth Beach resident Andy Staton. He’s got both bases covered, hobnobbing with the right people while staying up-to-date on everything Rehoboth and everything Delaware.
Andy majored in political science/pre-law at Longwood College in Farmville, VA. It’s no surprise to those of us who know him that he was also president of the Student Union, president of the Poli-Sci club and winner of the “Excellence in Leadership” and “Student of the Year” awards. All this and he’s not even out of college yet!
Andy was accepted into law school in ‘96, but decided to take a year off to find out what was going on beyond his small Virginia campus. One fateful day he dropped in at the office of a Virginia State Senate candidate, and next thing you know Andy’s his campaign manager. Though the candidate ended up losing (by just 400 votes), Andy caught the attention of State Representative William C. Mims, who invited him to serve as his legislative aide. The 23 year-old accepted.
Staton’s job was to chat-up everybody from the dogcatcher’s association to the tobacco lobbyists, all of whom wanted to influence the Delegate’s voting. Representative Mims became the Attorney General of Virginia and urged Andy to forgo law school in favor of a career in politics. Mims presently sits on the Virginia Supreme Court. Andy went on to earn his Master’s degree in business management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
He landed a job at Booz Allen Hamilton, the well-connected defense consulting firm in McLean, Virginia, and was fortunate to work under retired Navy Vice-Admiral Mike McConnell. McConnell had served as Director of National Intelligence under Bush and Clinton, and was now the Senior Vice President of the firm. McConnell was so moved by Andy’s enthusiasm that he nicknamed him “The Mayor.”
All the while, there was more going on in Andy’s life than learning the ins-and-outs of politics. First, at 27, he decided it was time to stop suppressing his gay feelings. He moved to Washington, D.C. with “my eyes wide open to a community of people I wasn’t even aware of.” He settled into his own condo at Logan Circle and loved it. Of course, he frequented the bars, partied, and did pretty much what we all do at that age, but he never lost sight of the need to network and build connections with his co-workers, gay, and otherwise.
At Annie’s Paramount (a hotspot in 17th Street’s “Glitter Ghetto”), Andy was lucky enough to network himself right into an introduction to the happily retired Peter Karsner. That was about 11 years ago, and the relationship between the two men continues to grow. They moved to Rehoboth Beach in 2003, and Andy’s affection for Peter is evident: “He has had a tremendous and wonderful impact on my life. He helped me grow up.”
The other issue Staton had to deal with was his weight. Before he started at Booz Allen, he tipped the scales at a very zaftig but inconvenient 320 pounds. A co-worker suggested that Andy try some moderate exercise. “It was time to stop blaming everybody else for my size,” he admits. “It was time to take responsibility.” Fast-forward to now: He is a recognized triathlete, having gone from breathless walks to “that damned elliptical machine,” to the ING Miami Marathon, The Marine Corps Marathon, and the Rehoboth Beach Marathon. He has raced in Iron Man Triathlons in Arizona, Zurich, Dubai, and Australia, and was profiled in an inspiring article in Men’s Health magazine. Andy continues to motivate others (including yours truly, by the way) to exercise for fitness and health.
He distinguished himself in real estate when he and a partner opened Beach to Bay Real Estate, selling it as an ongoing business in 2009. He is now Chairman of the Delaware Real Estate Commission, and proud to have been chosen by 1500 of his peers for the title of Sussex County Realtor of the Year.
Back to politics. Andy successfully managed House Majority Leader Pete Schwartzkopf’s 2010 re-election campaign, and around the same time he was accepted as a Fellow in Leadership Delaware. He is also honored to have been appointed to the politically influential Delaware Financial Advisory Council.
By the time you read this, it will be no secret that he is actively pursuing candidacy for the State Senate. I pushed him for details, and though he declined to elaborate, he assured me that everybody would know about it very soon. He has learned his craft well.
I know this is starting to read like a resume, but all these things actually tie-in together. Andy’s achievements were sparked, at least in part, by his remarkable transformation from extreme obesity to Iron Man Triathlete. “If I can do that, I can do anything,” he says. “Knowing the impact my weight loss has had, I want to transfer that energy to other things.”
He’s proud that Delaware finally passed the long-awaited Civil Union legislation, and has no intention of living his life any other way than he is right now: “What you see is what you get.”
With that in mind, who knows—Andy Staton might one day bring a breath of fresh air to the Delaware political arena.
Bob Yesbek is a Rehoboth Beach resident. Email Bob Yesbek