Ed Moy, director of the U.S. Mint, spoke to about 50 students in the Marvin Center Tuesday evening about his career in public service and the economic crisis.

He said, “even experts will take years to figure out what happened” during the financial meltdown.

“It is more complicated problem than partisan blaming,” Moy said. He added, “Something needs to be done sooner than later, or we’ll have a huge problem.”

Moy, who was special assistant to the president and associate director of presidential personnel, also gave insight into the high demands of his past job at the White House, which included working 18-hour days for months and getting only four days of vacation over five years. He stressed that “there is no set career path” for reaching a position as a top-level political appointee.

During his speech, Moy encouraged students to devote some time to working in the public sector and to “do what you’re passionate about.” He said that too many young alumni are obsessed with having their lives planned out.

Moy reminded the students that “life happens.” No amount of planning can guarantee a specific career, especially for anyone interested in the selective field of high-level public service, he said

Greek Alliance founder and president Oliver Gilbert, who helped organize the event, said Moy’s presentation was a “great kick off” for the organization and added that he was “really pleased (Moy) could start with our first event of the semester.”

Moy, who serves on the national Board of Directors for Gilbert’s Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, said he accepted the invitation to come speak at GW because he “loves being with students.” He said it is important to get a “temperature reading” of what especially young people are thinking and the University’s location in D.C. made it easier for him.

Students attending the event said they were especially interested in Moy’s perspective on the current economic situation.

Boseul Jeong, a freshman, said she came to hear a “specialist’s view on the problem” and hoped to learn more about what the problems are.