Delaware Association for Public Administration DAPA Brown-Bag Lunch with Panel of UD Alums
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On Monday, October 11, 2010, DAPA, in conjunction with the University of Delaware’s School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy and its MPA Program, hosted a Brown-Bag Lunch in the Perkins Student Center on the University’s main campus. Several alumni spoke to graduate and undergraduate students about their own careers in public service, providing insight and tips. Students from DAPA member Douglas Tuttle’s internship class attended and were eager to learn about the broad opportunities in the public administration field. DAPA President Julia O’Hanlon provided opening remarks before introducing the panel of five alumni.
Leah Jones, a 2001 MPA graduate, credited the Legislative Fellows Program and the amount of experience obtained through working with government officials. While discussing the role and practices of a Fellow and the interactions that pertain to the daily compromising that happens in Dover, Jones said, “There are no books to help you understand how everything comes together.” She stated that the biggest surprise of her career thus far was how after graduation she ended up taking a part-time job with the hope of quickly advancing her position.
Up next was American Heart Association & American Stroke Association lobbyist Jon Kirch. He’s a 2007 MPA graduate and the Regional Government Relations Director for the organization. He gave the students a few valuable tips. “You have to put yourself in the right position and make sure you’re visible, attending things that are optional; this will differentiate you from the other students.” Kirch, who also was selected to participate in the Legislative Fellows Program, said that his biggest surprise was the broad range of disagreements that occur in Dover, even some dealing with the American Heart Association. He jokingly added, “You’d think everybody would be [in favor of] healthy hearts!”
Mandy Tolino, the panel’s only MA graduate (2009), discussed some of the challenges that go along with her unique role as the City of Wilmington’s Urban Forestry Administrator. “Being able to read plans brought in by contractors and speak their language was something that I had to learn to prove myself,” she said. Tolino stated that what did make her current occupation slightly easier was that she was able to actually write her own job description while interning with the city as a student. She explains that her biggest surprise was figuring out that it’s not solely about what you know, but with whom you interact and your experience working with the government. Her advice for the students was, “Take risks! Take advantage of internships and don’t let opportunities pass you by.”
Andy Haines is a 2002 MPA graduate and is now the Township Manager of Hatfield Township, Pa. He said the key to working in government is understanding “the elected mind.” He commended the Legislative Fellows Program for helping him experience working with council members who sometimes have divergent opinions. He encouraged the students by saying, “Don’t lose track [of the fact] that everyone starts somewhere.” Haines elaborated on some of the challenges that come with his position. “Every community has unique socioeconomic conditions among its residential and business community. Infrastructure conditions and geographical proximity greatly impact each municipality. In today’s economic climate, maintaining quality services the community expects without raising taxes or fees while maintaining efficiencies presents a challenge for all governments.”
Nicole Quinn, a 2007 MPA grad, is the Preparedness Director for the state’s Division of Public Health. She says that having a field of interest when beginning one’s MPA program is important. “You have to know what you want and move forward; don’t be too narrow and don’t be too broad,” she explains. Nicole focused on hot topics during her MPA work and said that she used this research to develop her own interests. During her time in the MPA Program, she worked as a legislative liaison with the Delaware Department of Education. Nicole states, “Working for DOE allowed me to understand the unique position that state governments are in when it comes to policy development.” Her biggest tip to the students was about networking. “Understanding that there is a network of professionals that can help you achieve your goals is really important. The relationships I built at IPA are lifelong, both personally and professionally.”
Many first-year MPA students attended the event because it had been coordinated with Tuttle’s internship class. Though they were a bit shy during the Q&A session, students used the opportunity afterwards for networking and individual questions. Students gave unanimous feedback that this event should be held again next year and that it was very informative (and the free food didn’t hurt). Hearing that MPA alumni have so greatly benefited from the program and about their experiences with internships and courses was very encouraging to the first-year students, and it was wonderful that the panelists were able to take time to come back to campus to speak to the students. Hearing from former students who are now successful public policy professionals is always very positive, and we hope to have as much success with this event in the years to come.
Thanks to Corinne O’Connor for writing the article and Mark Deshon for taking the photos.