Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Dierker.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My story is relatively straightforward. As a Christian and academically-oriented person, I love and want to serve people. My natural inclination is to do so through reading, writing, and analysis of public policy and legal work. I pursued higher education to better position myself to achieve these ends, and was fortunate to connect to a national nonprofit organization with its central mission perfectly aligned with my passion.
I have been with the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure (Aii) for several years and had the privilege of working on energy, infrastructure, and transportation issues that are ultimately helping improve lives and connect people. Aii invests time and energy researching and studying some of the dry but critically important topics that affect us all on a daily basis, then produces educational material from graphics and blogs to detailed research papers to help move the needle on infrastructure issues. Uniquely positioned as a virtual and national nonprofit and think tank, Aii speaks into issues at the local level and national policy issues from every corner of the nation.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The work that Aii does focuses on public policy, but also the real experience and data that arise from people’s everyday lives. Sometimes that means the biggest challenge is understanding and proposing solutions for complex federal programs, legislation, or infrastructure challenges like the Highway Trust Fund. Other times, it is grappling with how best to educate the general public on issues that are of life and death importance, but are so niche that they do not realize it is important to them. One of those would be “damage prevention” or avoiding the pipelines, cables, and wires buried underground when digging. Everyone is required to call 811 before they dig for a landscaping project, basement foundation, or full-scale excavation so that utility companies can mark and protect their subsurface lines. But many people do not know or understand the risk, so they dig without notice and create damage, economic harm, and worse of all, risk death from natural gas explosions or related issues. At Aii, we study both the technical issues and public policy solutions to smooth out the road for others, both literally and figuratively. In a complex and interconnected world, sometimes the greatest obstacles end up being information overload or, ironically, lack of data.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am the Director of Public Policy with the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure. Aii is a national nonprofit research and educational organization. My work centers on researching and communicating problems and solutions in energy, transportation, and related infrastructure topics. I specialize in the economic, administrative, and legal aspects of public policy analysis and Aii generally explores how these lenses intersect. This helps us understand and diagnose technical and policy-generated issues with infrastructure so that we can best educate on and propose solutions that will promote people, promote growth, and encourage higher safety standards and best practices. This is as true on the local level as the national one – we go where the issues are.
Aii is known for its high-quality research and innovative approach to bring stakeholders together to solve problems. While many groups work to influence public policy at a high level or implement technology on the ground, Aii acts as a bridge between parties. We open dialogue with engineers, business leaders, and workers on the front lines and with public officials, regulators, and community leaders to ensure each side knows the problems and solutions facing the other. At Aii, we often find that regulators and regulated parties are out of step with one another. We want to see safety and efficiency improved, so the two sides talking is important. This is also why we undertake serious research into issues and public policies and produce videos, graphics, blogs, and research reports detailing issues, solutions, and general educational material. We are proud to help elevate America’s infrastructure IQ and it is a never-ending task that we are eager to continue day in and day out.
What matters most to you?
People matter the most. Every person is uniquely valuable, and from our perch, the best way to serve them is through quality energy, infrastructure, and transportation solutions. The systems and structures that connect us, facilitate modern life, and enable commerce can often fade into the background. At Aii, we seek to ensure people know and understand how these systems work and why they are important; we seek to understand and communicate challenges and solutions impacting infrastructure; and we seek to elevate sound and rational public policy that best resolves infrastructure issues and puts us all on a path for flourishing.
Contact Info:
- Website: Aii.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiinonprofit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AiiNonProfit
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/AiiNonProfit
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/aiinonprofit
Image Credits
Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure
