You must have some great references
References certainly aren't a problem. I have made a great number of friends over the years at my current job and I have already spoken to them about personal references.
Finally, as the state capital, there will be a lot of non-profit organizations. Find some you believe in and look them up.
My experience (or at least my intuition) tells me that these jobs usually lack in the $$$ department and while I would LOVE to have a job doing something that actually mattered, I have to put food on the table and a roof over our heads. If something were out there that did that, I'd be all over it.
Greg