• How did you select your graduate school and how did it prepare you for your career?
• Work or internship experience during graduate school
• What was the most important or useful course you took in the MPA/MPP?
• Were you a Presidential Management Intern?
• What has been your career path since graduating? What do you want to be doing in 5 years?
• What is the most exciting and/or interesting aspect of your current job?
• Do you feel your MPA/MPP is helping you to “make a difference?” How?
• What advice, if any, would you give to an undergraduate thinking about going for an MPA/MPP?

How did you select your graduate school and how did it prepare you for your career?

> As a state government employee, I wanted to be able to manage scarce resources in the most efficient manner. I also knew that to move up the career ladder I would need to have more education. The mission of the School of Public Administration at Kentucky State University is to serve Kentucky State Government employees. Since I live in Frankfort, where the school is located, it was the best choice for me. The school’s courses gave me a broad knowledge of public administration. This was important in my case, because my undergraduate degree was a B.S. in Business Administration.

Any work or internship experience during graduate school?

> While attending graduate school, I serve as a Principal Assistant to the Secretary of the Cabinet for Human Resources. Most of my duties dealt with working with legislators to get bills through the General Assembly and developing a budget for the Cabinet.

What was the most important or useful course you took in the MPA/MPP?

> I found the most useful courses as those in the Personnel area. Managing people, in my opinion, is the most difficult aspect of public administration. I drew heavily on what I learned in the MPA program at the Kentucky State program.

Were you a Presidential Management Intern?

> No.

What has been your career path since graduating? What do you want to be doing in 5 years?

> Following graduation I served in various administrative and management positions in state government. The most rewarding post was serving as Director of the Family Resource/Youth Services Centers, which are a part of the landmark 1990 Kentucky Education Reform Act. The centers were created to link schools with private, public and civic organizations in communities in an effort to remove barriers to academic achievement in the classroom. I am proud to say that after 12 years of implementation of the program, the centers are a vital part of communities all across Kentucky.

What is the most exciting and/or interesting aspect of your current job?

> I am currently retired from Kentucky State Government. My last position was Manager of the Employee Services Branch in the Cabinet for Families and Children, where I managed a staff of 12 to carry out the payroll, insurance, employee recognition, workers’ compensation, benefits, and other employee service aspects of Personnel. We instituted major changes in the way we administered the tasks of the office, and the most interesting aspect of my job was attempting to motivate those who were reluctant to make those changes.

Do you feel your MPA/MPP is helping you to “make a difference?” How?

> Yes, definitely! I hope I left behind (before I retired) employees who were more focused on providing the very best customer service to the Cabinet employees. 

What advice, if any, would you give to an undergraduate thinking about going for an MPA/MPP?

> My advice would be to go for it! I don’t know of any MPA graduate that has not been able to advance in their career.