Climate change was the environmental issue rising to the top of the White House's agenda at the time, which led to Sutton taking a position at the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) as the U.S. EPA Liaison.

She rose to be Assistant Director of FCCSET, which is now called the National Science and Technology Council, coordinating more than 2,000 federal scientists in research programs focusing on climate change, high performance computing and communications, biotechnology and advanced materials (later nanotechnology).

Vickie Sutton started her tenure-track career in fall 1999 at Texas Tech University School of Law.

[10] In 2005, Vickie Sutton served as the first Chief Counsel (2005-2007) for the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) of U.S. Department of Transportation.

In 2007, Sutton returned to her academic position at Texas Tech University and in 2013, she served as Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Development.

[15] Vickie Sutton was awarded the Paul Whitfield Horn Professorship, the highest honor that can be bestowed on a faculty member of Texas Tech University, for international and national recognition of her scholarly work.

[16] In 2010, President Obama cited her research in a Press Release of an Executive Order to review a regulatory program that has an effect on policymaking.