Philip Tom occupies a unique role at the nexus of religious organizations and labor policy, putting groups varying from worker justice leagues to individual houses of worship in touch with one another, and helping them access appropriate government resources. President Barack Obama appointed him to the post of director on April 5, 2010.
The center, formerly known as the Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives, was established as a part of the executive branch under President George W. Bush.
After taking office, President Obama changed the name, distancing the organization from the criticism that plagued its Bush administration predecessor – that it blurred the separation between church and state.
Path to Power
Tom is a relative newcomer to Washington D.C. and its workings, although he says his job as a pastor and working with the Presbyterian Church have prepared him for the kind of work he’s doing.
“Always be a good listener, build good relationships, and be responsive,” said Tom, of the lessons he learned from the pulpit that have translated to his job in the Executive Office of the President.
The balance between personal spirituality and professional policy is an important one, and can define a job like Tom’s. He navigates the issue in his work, he said, by keeping one very inclusive goal in mind, and being open to the needs of different religions and denominations.
“I think we continue to ensure that it is a level playing field,” he said. “ And everyone has access.”
In His Own Words
The Issues
A son of Chinese immigrants, who Tom said worked places that were not protected by labor laws, he considers himself sensitive to the plight of undocumented and immigrant workers.
Since he assumed the office, Tom said he has been approached by coalitions of churches and individual religious bodies that want to resolve worker justice issues, and stays busy trying to ensure they get access to the agencies they need.
At a Glance
Current Position: Director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, Labor Department (since April 2010)
Career History: Associate, Small Church & Community Ministry Office, Presbyterian Church USA (1993-2010); Associate, Urban Ministry Office, Presbyterian Church (2000-2005); Pastor, Immanuel Presbyterian Church(1996-2000); Director, Community Development Corporation Program, Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership (1991-1993)
Hometown: New York City, New York
Alma Mater: Coe College, B.A. Economics, 1971; University of Chicago, M.A. Community Work, 1974; McCormick Seminary, M.Div., 1976
Religion: Presbyterian
DC Office: U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave. Northwest
Washington, DC 20210, 202-693-6030
In a 1995 article Tom wrote for the National Housing Institute, he praised urban housing residents in his community who acted as their own advocates. In the article, Tom voiced his belief that empowering community members to overcome drugs, crimes, and poverty in their own neighborhoods was a more successful tactic than bringing in agents from the outside.
“Too often, staff and members of community, social service, or religious institutions create programs for the neighborhoods they serve without consulting or inviting neighborhood leaders to participate in the decision-making process,” he wrote.
The Network
Tom works directly for Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.
But he is also connected to other offices of White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, headed by Joshua DuBois. Alexia Kelley is his counterpart at HHS, and Mark Linton fills the role at HUD.
Campaign Contributions
No campaign contributions for Tom were recorded in the public campaign finance databases.
Sources:
The Department of Labor
White House Archives, http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/government/fbci/
Steinfels, Peter “Despite a Decade of Controversy, the ‘Faith-Based Initiative’ Endures” New York Times, July 31, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/01/us/01beliefs.html
Tom, Phil “Courageous Leaders” Shelterforce Online, http://www.nhi.org/online/issues/83/transcomm.html