Selby Tennent
Chief Operating Officer
CNCT
Back in August, CNCT was thrilled to welcome its Chief Operating Officer and newest full-time staff member, Selby Tennent!
Although she’s just officially starting with CNCT, she’s been around since its early beginnings because, well, she’s married to CNCT’s founder, David. The two started dating six months before CNCT launched.
“Having been on the sidelines for years, it’s really fun to now be ‘in the game.’ CNCT’s mission is something that David and I are so passionate about and it’s very fulfilling to be part of the bipartisan change we want to see in D.C.,” Selby says.
With Selby’s unique perspective of CNCT, she’s gotten to witness the business grow (and struggle) in a variety of ways. In the early days especially, she recounts some of the company’s financial troubles.
“I remember the day I was driving in my car and just heard God say ‘I have asked [David] to do this.’ Since then, I’ve been 100% on board … I know God has called David to do this and has been gracious enough to allow me to be a helper to him in that calling,” Selby says.
In her new role as Chief Operating Officer, Selby helps manage the day-to-day operations of the business – approving content, proofing the newsletter, and creating systems for the team to be able to work efficiently.
Selby comes from POLITICO, where she worked for nearly five years on the business side. By the end of her time there, she was working with clients who were sponsoring products like op-eds or events – preparing her well for her new role at CNCT.
🍝 Something Selby knows about David that others might not… He’s a great cook!
“His homemade pasta sauce is a weekly meal at our house and it’s hard for any jarred sauce to compete (IMO),” Selby says.
Her Backstory
🏠 Hometown: Sylmar, California (near LA)
🎓 College & Majors: Bucknell University (Classics & Ancient Mediterranean Studies, Political Science, and History)
💭 Favorite D.C. Memory: Helping work the White House Correspondents weekend events in 2023 and 2024.
⬇️ Get to know more about Selby ⬇️
Want to meet the Chief Operating Officer at CNCT?
Oh, you should talk to Selby Tennent!
🔗 CNCT with Selby about…
What CNCT can do better
Favorite wines (a Tuscan red) 🍷
Her time as a college athlete
Being a new mom 👶🏻
Selby’s Guide on How to CNCT
One of Selby’s recommendations for making connections in the office is taking a lunch break with colleagues and leaving your laptop closed.
“So many of my favorite memories at POLITICO came from having lunch with my colleagues and genuinely enjoying the conversation rather than half-listening while I answered emails,” she says.
🟣 With those across the aisle…
When it comes to making connections across the aisle, Selby recommends approaching interactions with “genuine curiosity.”
“Everyone’s political opinions are shaped and evolve based on their life experience. I find people’s stories fascinating and love to ask ‘why’ and then truly listen to the answer, not just mentally prepare a rebuttal,” she says.
Navigating Grief & Having Faith
✝️ An important element of Selby’s journey is her faith.
About two and a half years ago, she suddenly and tragically lost her younger brother. The grieving process was incredibly hard, but made worse by the fact that she was far away from family.
“The only way I got through it was to dive deeper into my faith. God was so good to me and my family during that season and He brought a lot of amazing faith-filled people into my life to help me (and David) navigate through something so unimaginably heavy,” Selby says.
❤️ Selby’s Favorites
Coffee Spot: Ebenezer’s
Bar: dLeña ROJA Lounge
Happy Hour: O-Ku or RPM
Lunch Spot: Bonchon
TV Show: New Girl
Movie: Miracle
📚 Selby’s Reading List
Smart Brevity, by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz
The Last Arrow, by Erwin Raphael McManus
The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton
An Athletic Mindset
In college, Selby was a student athlete and played volleyball where she learned the value of grit and servant leadership.
🏐 “Champions find a way, losers find an excuse. If you want to be successful at anything, have grit and be willing to figure it out. There’s always going to be an excuse you can hide behind, resist the easy way out at all costs,” Selby says.
Volleyball isn’t the only extracurricular that’s made Selby the go-getter she is today – she also learned that “the show must go on” in theatre.
🎭 “As a musical theater kid, I learned to roll with mistakes and never let the audience see it on your face that something just went wrong. The same is true for work. Show up with confidence and put the people you’re working with at ease,” she says.
See? You can still professionally develop from places that aren’t behind a desk.
Selby’s District Discoveries
💎 D.C. Hidden Gem: The KC Speakeasy at the Kennedy Center (when it’s open)
🥘 Favorite Dish: Shrimp Scampi at RPM
🍸 Favorite Drink: The Shogun at O-Ku
📝 Best Out-of-Office Workplace: Bartholdi Fountain (when the weather is nice)
Staffer Advice
“Don’t let work or being ‘busy’ or ‘stressed’ become your personality. Work hard at everything you do, but don’t forget that includes intentionally building a life outside of work; one that’s rich with hobbies and community.”
- Selby Tennent