Caption of last picture: Author(left) with Jim Sakolosy (center) and Robert Mussler(right)
Reconnecting with Old Friends and Shared Purpose
By C. Naseer Ahmad
Washington, DC
This year, as I reconnected with old colleagues and reflected on the paths that shaped my career, I found myself thinking back to my early days at the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A recent invitation from my longtime friend and former coworker, Robert (Bob) Mussler, to attend Georgetown University Law Center’s Founders Circle alumni luncheon brought many of those memories flooding back — memories of friendship, shared purpose, and a generation’s passion for cleaner air and a better future.
More than fifty years ago, on my first day at the EPA’s Mobile Source Enforcement Division, I walked down a long hallway past rows of desks to the office of Jim Sakolosky. Space was limited, so Jim kindly offered to share his office and placed my desk beside his. Soon after, he introduced me to my new colleagues — including the second person I met that day, Bob Mussler, and later, Tom Wolfe.
What stands out most from those early days was the spirit of the people around me. The office was filled with dedicated young engineers — many of whom attended law school at night after long days of work. They were deeply committed to the mission set forth by Congress in the Clean Air Act, and that sense of purpose inspired us all.
From the very beginning, I formed a strong bond with both Jim and Bob. I fondly remember breakfast with Bob at the McDonald’s on Riverdale Road before church, lunch at his parents’ home, and Friday night dinners with our colleague Robert Maxie. So, when Bob recently invited me to join him at Georgetown’s Founders Circle luncheon, I accepted with great joy.
Over the years, Bob, Tom, and I have continued to meet — often over lunch at a Pakistani restaurant. Our favorite spot is Aatish on the Hill, near the Capitol Building in Washington DC. Bob has developed such a fondness for Pakistani cuisine that he even cooks Qeema with Kashmiri Mirch (ground beef with green peppers) at home.
Although I’m not a lawyer, I did wonder if I might feel out of place among so many attorneys. But the luncheon was warm and welcoming — and I was grateful I went.
As often happens at such gatherings, I found myself thinking not only of those present but also of those no longer with us — especially Jim Sakolosky. Jim graduated from Georgetown Law in 1973. Before joining the EPA, he worked on NASA’s Apollo Program, and after leaving, I would later work on the Space Shuttle Program — a connection that always felt special. Jim passed away in 2020, but his memory was very much alive that day. Bob and I traveled to Elizabeth City, North Carolina, for his funeral.
After leaving the EPA, Jim practiced law in Lynchburg, Virginia, often handling environmental cases. In Bryant v. Colonial Pipeline Company (1987), for example, he represented plaintiffs in a case involving the disposal of sludge under the federal cleanup law CERCLA. While in Lynchburg, Jim and his wife, Dixie, also hosted a young student from Karachi, Pakistan, who became like family to them.
Bob’s career took him from the EPA to the newly formed Department of Energy, where he became one of the early negotiators for nuclear waste policy. A 2024 study by Columbia University’s Center for Global EnergyPolicy quotes Bob on the importance of consent-based approaches to nuclear waste siting:
“Perhaps the lessons learned from both the Yucca Mountain and Negotiator experiences is that ‘consent-based’ means essential coordination occurs from the very beginning between the relevant local, state, and congressional representatives without any expressed objection.”
That focus on cooperation and informed consent was exactly the kind of thoughtful, consensus-building work Bob practiced at the EPA.
Milestones like the 50th anniversary of graduation remind us how fortunate we are to reconnect — and how much we owe to those who didn’t make it this far, but whose friendship and influence continue to shape us.
Toward the end of the luncheon, several attendees shared memories of their law school days and careers. Among them was Joan Claybrook, former NHTSA Administrator and tireless advocate for vehicle safety. Listening to her, I was reminded of Dr Ayub Ommaya, who served as Chief Medical Advisor at DOT/NHTSA in the 1980s and was a strong voice for preventing brain injuries in car crashes. I last saw him in 1995 at Dubai Airport — he was headed to Pakistan, and I was returning to Cairo, where I was working at the time. My dear friend Mowahid Shah introduced me to Dr Ommaya.
Each reflection that day spoke to the power of purpose and perseverance. Bob didn’t speak, but his accomplishments — from the EPA to the Department of Energy — speak for themselves. Jim wasn’t there, yet his work continues to echo through the lives he touched.
Some people talk about their work; for others, their work speaks for them. That was true of both Bob and Jim.
In the end, the luncheon wasn’t just about looking back on professional milestones. It was about honoring enduring friendships, shared struggles, and the ideals that guided our work. Sitting among old and new faces, I was reminded that the real legacy of our efforts lies not only in the programs we built, but in the people whose lives we touched along the way.
