• 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?

> It was easy choice. I enjoyed my undergraduate years at George Washington and wanted to stay in the Washington Metro region for graduate school. I also took an undergrad class at GW in “Intro to Public Administration” to see what it was like. It wasn’t a great class, but it wasn’t too bad either. I liked the idea of “professional government management” in the administrative side of things as opposed to the political side (such as the White House, the Hill, lobbyists, etc.) I was accepted to GW, American and George Mason. Maybe it was the basketball team, but I really loved GW, so I decided to stay there 2 more years to get my MPA. I’m not sure it prepared me for anything, but it did open doors and make things possible.

Any work or internship experience during graduate school?

> I was kind of disappointed that the MPA program didn’t lead directly to an internship in the Federal government or some other place. I did intern for a US Senator while I was getting my MPA, but it wasn’t connected to the MPA program at all. My internship didn’t turn out to be that great an experience, since I already had internship experience on the Hill as an undergraduate.

The closest I came to a real Federal internship was a “Contract Specialist” position at FEMA. I interviewed there. The interview went well. But I did not get selected.

Looking back, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I’m glad I didn’t end up at FEMA. If I’d gotten that job, I might still be there today.

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

> To be honest, they aren’t all that memorable. The program I took at GW was very much geared to a Federal career. As a consequence, some of classes lost their relevance as I gravitated to state and local government.

Classes in ethics, law, finance, public policy, statistics, policy analysis, etc. are all a blur and most of them really don’t stand out. 

I do remember “Urban Public Policy” taught by Dwight Cropp. And “State and Local Government” taught by Jed Kee.

“Regulatory Policy” and all of my classes with Susan Tolchin really stand out. She was an enthusiastic teacher, took a great personal interest in her students and had a great grasp of big issues (international trade, industrial policy, national security, etc.)

The funny thing is, it wasn’t the subject matter that was important - it was the personal qualities of the instructor that stood out.

Two things always stood out. 

1. Professor Tolchin advocated reading the New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal on a regular basis.

2. Professor Tolchin always advocated “follow the data where it takes you” and not to rely on ideology, personality and politics to make decisions for you. 

Those things are still useful today.

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?

> It was a struggle at first. I graduated in 1993 and worked as a Temp in clerical and day labor jobs until the end of the year. I (reluctantly) returned home to SW Florida and took a job as a reporter for a small town daily newspaper. I worked there three years and after some searching found a job as a planner in local government. I’d never heard of planning until I had gone to one too many zoning board meetings in my role as a reporter. When the local planners heard I had an MPA, they encouraged me to apply for one of their entry-level jobs. After a few tries, I finally broke through and was hired by Charlotte County Florida. I worked there for a couple of years – learning the ropes of planning and zoning - handling variances and special permits for billboards, churches, communication towers, incinerators, etc. I left for a new job in Sarasota’s Housing & Community Development office – to work on their “Consolidated Plan.” I left there after a short time, and returned to zoning in Lee County government. I work on all sorts of planned developments. My role is to review applications for shopping malls, residential subdivisions, industrial parks, golf courses, etc. – and give our professional recommendations to the decision makers (such as the County Commissioners) and defend those recommendations in public hearings.

Five years from now I hope to still be working in local government. I’d like the opportunity to work administering a division, a department or even higher up. I’d also like to use my skills as a writer and public speaker in some capacity, or try my hand at teaching government and political communications at the college level.

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

> Planning & Zoning isn’t as exiting or glamorous as it sounds. Actually, it really is ok. You help lots of different kinds of people in your capacity as a public servant. You are also a vital part of the local economy. Your decisions have short- medium- and long-term consequences for good and bad. It is difficult to strike the right balance between private property rights and the public interest. Florida is growing like crazy. In the short term that is a blessing, with lots of jobs, economic activity and revenue for the public sector. In the long term, there are needs such as schools, roads, water, environment and public safety, which need to be reckoned with. 

Every once in a while, you really have an opportunity to prevent bad things from happening at the local level. You also have opportunities to make good things happen at the local level. You sometimes just have to be patient, and seize those opportunities.

The work is challenging and pulls you in many different directions. Citizens have expectations. Elected officials have specific agendas. Applicants have investor-based needs to make their projects profitable. The Administration (your bosses) - they have their own demands. There are legal issues, environmental concerns and so forth. Planning is not for the weak at heart. There is a lot of burnout in this business (on both the public and private-sector side.)

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

> I know I am making a difference in my community. People on all sides – developers, the press, citizens and my fellow employees – recognize what I am doing and appreciate my work, my skills and (hopefully) my honesty and integrity. I now am at the stage where I can help other planners (and others in government) succeed. At times, this job and all public sector jobs are very frustrating. But I believe this is where I belong.

I feel this position gives me an opportunity to use my communication skills, solve problems, work with diverse people, work in the public interest and on issues of consequence.

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

> I’m not sure. I think it is a worthwhile degree. And I don’t think I would have been hired anywhere I wanted to work without it. It is a shame that more people aren’t interested in the public sector. We need more and better people. The best and the brightest seem to gravitate toward money and the private sector. The idealistic seem to go into non-profits. I prefer working on the public’s behalf. And the work we do is very real and concrete, not just paperwork (though there is a lot of it). I think it is honorable to be a servant of the people. I think if you have the right kind of attitude, the MPA is worth the time and effort.