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From the White House to Borough Council: Brandon Ledford Makes Local Government Matter

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 15:02:59 +0000

From the White House to Borough Council: Brandon Ledford Makes Local Government Matter Andrew J Schappert Wed, 06/11/2025 - 11:02

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Brandon W. Ledford doesn’t do things halfway. By day, he’s the senior vice president and general manager of MGT, a public-sector consulting firm that helps state and local governments tackle everything from cybersecurity to compensation fairness.

Brandon Ledford: ‘You can have a much bigger impact locally … It doesn’t take, literally, acts of Congress to get things done.’ Photo provided.

By night—well, evenings and weekends—he puts his 2011 Schar School of Policy and Government master of public policy (MPP) degree into practice as vice president of the Borough Council in Dormont, Pennsylvania, a community of 8,000 bordering Pittsburgh.

As it happens, the borough manager, John Stinner, is also a Schar School graduate. (See Stinner’s story on this page.) The two did not know each other at �鶹��Ƶ.

“When he said we had the same degree, I thought he meant an MPP, not necessarily an MPP from George �鶹��Ƶ,” Stinner said.

For Ledford, being a councilmember is personal.

At age 9, Ledford was diagnosed with the African form of Burkitt’s lymphoma, an incredibly rare and aggressive cancer. He was the third known case in the United States—and the first to survive.

But survival came with consequences. His mother, forced to miss work to care for him, lost her job. That was just as the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was being passed, and a pro bono attorney helped her fight for reinstatement.

“We were on public assistance because of medical bills,” Ledford said. “So, growing up, I got to see government protecting folks in their neediest, and I wanted to dedicate my life to this.”

While earning an MPP degree with concentrations in science and technology policy at George �鶹��Ƶ, he interned for a semester at the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy, a perfect fit.

After graduating with his degree, Ledford, 41, spent years in federal government consulting, working for Deloitte U.S., Booz Allen, and now MGT. But he never lost his belief in the power of local government.

In Dormont, as a councilperson (there are seven) and chair of the public safety, building and code enforcement committee, he’s championed initiatives such as a façade grant program to revitalize the town’s business district and, particularly, a robust family leave policy for borough employees.

“You can have a much bigger impact locally,” he said. “The time from idea to implementation is way shorter. It doesn’t take, literally, acts of Congress to get things done.”

Ledford has lived and worked in the highest levels of government. But in a town where he knows his neighbors and can see change happen firsthand, he’s found where he can make the biggest difference.

“It started with wanting to be involved in politics,” he said. “But when we had our first daughter, I really liked the community we were in. I thought, ‘We can do great things here.’”

The Schar School is working to assist those considering careers in government, nonprofit, and government-adjacent organizations by offering application fee waivers, discount pricing, flexible and customizable courses, and other programs. Find out more about “upskill” and retooling certificate and degree programs at this webpage.

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Change in Plans: Federal Workers, Government Students Find Opportunities in Local Government

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 16:10:14 +0000

Change in Plans: Federal Workers, Government Students Find Opportunities in Local Government Andrew J Schappert Wed, 03/26/2025 - 12:10

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First of a series

Federal workers who have lost their jobs and graduating government students would do well to consider state and local government positions. That’s the assessment of John P. Stinner, a 2009 graduate of �鶹��Ƶ's master of public policy program.

John P. Stinner: ‘If you’re really looking to make a difference, you can make a difference every day in local government.’ Photo provided

Stinner is now the borough manager of Dormont, a municipality of some 8,000 residents bordering Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

For Stinner, 46, working in local government wasn’t part of the plan. With a master’s degree from Schar School of Policy and Government and considerable, career-oriented experience on Capitol Hill and in international development, the registered Independent imagined his career unfolding in Washington, D.C., or abroad.

But when life led him to Pittsburgh, he discovered something surprising: the immense opportunity and fulfillment of working at the local level.

“I thought it wasn’t sexy. I thought it wasn’t interesting,” Stinner said. “I came to find out that it’s an incredibly engaging job.”

Now Stinner, the borough manager, is a passionate advocate for careers in local government. He believes that many professionals and students of government overlook these positions despite their impact, stability, and competitive compensation.

“There’s a huge need right now in my industry,” said Stinner, who became Dormont’s manager six months ago. “Public service just doesn’t get the same [application] numbers it used to.”

Local government jobs offer attractive salaries, pensions, and excellent benefits, he said. “It’s a six-figure job with great benefits. I have better health insurance than anyone I’ve ever met.”

Stinner’s journey into local government began unexpectedly. After moving to Pittsburgh due to his wife’s career, he found himself exploring new opportunities. A connection at a University of Pittsburgh think tank led him to work in municipal management, and the rest is history.

“If you had asked me as an undergrad [at the University of Wyoming] if I’d be working in local government, I would have told you you’re crazy,” he said.

But as it happened, the skills he developed in international development translated seamlessly into his work with local communities. From economic development to budgeting, transportation to collective bargaining, his leadership role touches a variety of critical issues.

Stinner recalled that a classmate from George �鶹��Ƶ landed a position in nuclear nonproliferation policy in Washington, “really big, high-level stuff,” he said. Impressive, yes, but a mentor put things in perspective when he asked, “How many times do you think your friend will actually affect public policy in their career? We affect public policy every day.”

“And I see that as a very rewarding part of my job,” Stinner said. “If you’re really looking to make a difference, you can make a difference every day in local government.”

As for compensation, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) recently signed an executive order making the local officials’ pay equivalent to that of positions in the state government. He also signed an order to bring fired federal workers to Pennsylvania to fill some 5,600 openings in state and local roles.

Additionally, he said, “There’s a ‘gray tsunami’ of all the Baby Boomer retirees, and early Gen Xers are starting to retire as well. We just don’t have the ranks coming in behind to fill those jobs.

“Engage with local government. See what’s available,” he said. “There’s so much work to be done.”

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Schar School News for March 2025

Six Months After Earning His Degree, MPP Grad Anthony Amos Wins His First Election

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 15:33:15 +0000

Six Months After Earning His Degree, MPP Grad Anthony Amos Wins His First Election Andrew J Schappert Wed, 12/11/2024 - 10:33

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Anthony Amos: ‘A lot of my policy positions were based on topics I researched while I was in college.‘ Photo by Ayman Rashid/Creative Services

It did not take long after graduating �鶹��Ƶ with a 2024 master of public policy (MPP) degree for Anthony Amos to fulfill a longtime dream: win an election that gives him the opportunity to help those around him.

In November, Amos won a seat on the Fairfax City Council after a well-crafted, heart-felt campaign that he said was partially inspired by what he learned at George �鶹��Ƶ’s Schar School of Policy and Government’s MPP program.

Amos joins six other councilmembers on a board led by fellow Schar School graduate, Mayor Catherine Read, who earned her BA in government and politics from George �鶹��Ƶ in 1984. As it happens, the university’s Fairfax Campus is in Fairfax City.

Serving the public, especially as an elected official, “has always been a dream of mine,” said Amos.

He ran as an Independent, eschewing the traditional opportunities afforded by aligning with a political party.

“I wanted to keep things focused on local issues,” he said of that decision. “We were seeing a lot more of the federal talking points and policies trickling down to the local level where a city council doesn't really decide on those issues, ever.”

Anthony Amos, left, receives his Jack Wood Town and Gown Award from George �鶹��Ƶ President Gregory Washington. Photo by Creative Services.

In fact, he said, “You have people who try to manipulate the system and use [controversial] federal issues to control local government. Local government is where you’re supposed to be most connected with the community. If you lose that, that's just bad.”

Amos credits his time at George �鶹��Ƶ, whose Fairfax Campus is in Fairfax City, and his undergraduate degree from the University of Hawaii West Oahu with helping him form and express his political ambitions.

“Anthony was a highly motivated, high-energy participant in my course,” said Professor of Public Policy David Hart, who taught Amos’s U.S. Institutions and Policy Process course. “He asked great questions and engaged thoughtfully with his colleagues as well as me.”

“A lot of my policy positions were based on topics I researched while I was in college, such as public financing for different construction projects,” he said. “Land use items, data centers in the energy grid, smart-use items for public transit, things like that … What I appreciate about George �鶹��Ƶ is that the professors didn't skip over the local aspects of government.”

Amos works as a legislative aid for longtime Springfield District Supervisor Pat Herrity, the sole Republican on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. It’s a position that offers opportunities to see policy in action.

Last spring as he was preparing to graduate, Amos won the Jack Wood Award for Town-Gown Relations from the university’s Office of Government and Community Relations. The award for the student category recognizes the winner’s leadership in fostering relationships between the university and the community.

Now that he has graduated, Amos continues his relationship with his alma mater in several ways. He contributes to a program benefiting the ARTS By George! scholarships in the College of Visual and Performing Arts and he remains a member in good standing in the Bridge at �鶹��Ƶ club which works to foster civic dialogue on campus. He added that he is continuously working on ways to unite George �鶹��Ƶ with the city he now represents.

City council seats sometimes lead to larger roles for elected officials. Does Amos have higher ambitions now that his first election is in the books?

“I want to do a good job first and make sure that I'm built for this,” he said. “I managed to survive the campaign but let me let me get in there and not screw up too terribly, and then we’ll see.”

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Schar School News for December 2024

Marine Corps Congressional Fellowship

After Earning a Master of Public Policy Degree, Marine Captain Staton Is Headed to Congress

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 11 Nov 2024 15:49:58 +0000

After Earning a Master of Public Policy Degree, Marine Captain Staton Is Headed to Congress Andrew J Schappert Mon, 11/11/2024 - 10:49

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Since 2018, the Schar School of Policy and Government at �鶹��Ƶ has welcomed a cohort of United States Marine Corps officers to campus as Master of Public Policy (MPP) students. The officers chosen for the prestigious Marine Corps Congressional Fellowship Program will complete their fellowships by working for elected representatives on Capitol Hill. Captain Naquan Staton is among the 2024 cohort.

Captain Naquan Staton has a very simple reason for applying to the Marine Corps Congressional Fellowship Program. As a financial management officer, the Charlottesville native sees firsthand how the congressional legislative process directly affects military strategic planning for resource allocation. In short, he wants to be able to do his job more strategically and successfully.

“As Congress passes authorizing and spending bills, I—at the receiving end—have to continually forecast how such activities will impact military operations and requirements,” he said. “When I learned that the Marine Corps had a program that allowed its members to gain firsthand experience in the legislative process, I was eager to apply.”

Captain Naquan Staton: ‘It's an honor to undergo such an essential preparation process at George �鶹��Ƶ.’ Photos provided.

After more than 17 years in the Marine Corps, Staton is back at college for the third time. He earned a BS in business administration from Regent University in 2017 and an MBA from Baylor University in 2021. Now he’s at George �鶹��Ƶ’s Schar School studying for a master of public policy degree. He said he appreciates the school’s support to the Marines cohort.

“Beginning with the application process until now, my second semester, the admissions staff, the advisors, the professors, and even the school's dean have provided us with strong academic support, preparing us for our time on Capitol Hill next year,” he said. “It's an honor to undergo such an essential preparation process at George �鶹��Ƶ.”

The MPP program has so far delivered what Staton was hoping for when he applied. In particular, the course taught by Adjunct Professor Andrew Pavord called National Budgeting Process fit right in his professional wheelhouse.

“He is an oracle for all things budget,” Staton said. “He did more than teach the students about the federal budgeting process—he went deep into its history, explaining cause and effect from yesterday to today.”

Pavord is an example of the accomplished practitioners who make up much of the adjunct and affiliated Schar School faculty. In addition to teaching at George �鶹��Ƶ, Pavord, a former executive at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, is CEO at Federal Consulting Alliance, a Virginia-based, veteran-owned consultancy. He and others on the faculty bring their experience into the Schar School classrooms and provide an extra dimension of learning.

Naquan Staton was promoted in 2022 to captain in a ceremony at Marine Corps Recruit Depo in San Diego.

Knowing more about how public policy is developed and deployed is important to Staton who said the appropriations process is the segment of public policy that interests him the most.

“Most policy problems that Congress attempts to solve are solved with money and by appropriation,” he said. “Policy initiatives often come with a price tag, which demands congressional consensus before arriving at the president's desk. So many policy proposals and great ideas flow through Congress. Still, the appropriations pie is only so large, and it's fascinating to see which ideas actually take flight.”

Next year, as he serves on Capitol Hill, Staton will be able to see how the fabled “sausage is made” by legislators and their staffs, and by the end of his Hill tour, he hopes to be well-versed in the congressional culture and understand the key areas of policy, politics, and process.

“It's one thing to have a fundamental understanding of how a bill becomes a law, but until you have been in the kitchen, it's difficult to truly appreciate how the ingredients come together,” he said.

With a regime change in Washington arriving in January, things could be less than normal in official Washington for the Marine Corps fellows, but Staton isn’t concerned.

“I believe every Marine's best attribute is composure under chaos,” he said. “We are taught to be flexible, fast, and to constantly consider all risks to the mission. Being somewhat aware of how high-tempo the halls of Congress are, I'm confident any Marine Fellows will thrive.”

More than 4,700 of George �鶹��Ƶ’s more than 40,000 students are military or veteran-connected. The university is designated a Military Friendly ^TM institution and has been rated as a top college for veterans by U.S. News and World Report. In fall 2024, the university’s incoming freshman transfer cohort was 20 percent military connected, and the incoming graduate cohort was 19 percent military connected. See this webpage to learn about the Military, Veterans, and Families Initiative at George �鶹��Ƶ.

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Schar School News for November 2024

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Marine Corps Fellow Captain Desiree Peterson: Studying to Improve Military Processes

Andrew J Schappert — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 13:21:09 +0000

Marine Corps Fellow Captain Desiree Peterson: Studying to Improve Military Processes Andrew J Schappert Fri, 11/08/2024 - 08:21

Since 2018, the Schar School of Policy and Government at �鶹��Ƶ has welcomed a cohort of United States Marine Corps officers to campus as Master of Public Policy students. The officers chosen for the prestigious Marine Corps Congressional Fellowship Program will complete their fellowships by working for elected representatives on Capitol Hill. Captain Desiree A. Peterson is a member of this year’s cohort.

Marine Corps Captain Desiree A. Peterson’s military and academic journey has led her from undergraduate studies at the United States Naval Academy, where the communications officer earned her BS in Honors English in 2019, to George �鶹��Ƶ’s Schar School where a Master of Public Policy degree awaits. After she dons her cap and gown next year, the Paterson, New Jersey, native will head to the halls of Congress.

Peterson’s path is not only about personal growth but about gaining the insight needed to bring tangible improvements to the Marine Corps, she said. In fact, her drive to join the Congressional Fellowship Program grew from her curiosity about the inner workings of policy and how it impacts the processes within the Marine Corps.

“I wanted to gain a more comprehensive understanding of policymaking to bring back insights that could improve Marine Corps processes,” Peterson said. “The fellowship offers a unique chance to see the legislative process from the inside, which I believe is essential for enhancing our effectiveness as a force.”

Captains and Marine Corps Congressional Fellows Desiree A. Peterson, left, and Elizabeth Hosie at the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Virginia. Photo provided.

Equally, she views this as a pathway to becoming a more well-rounded leader, balancing her technical expertise with equally crucial skills of communication and policy understanding.

“As someone who has worked in a highly technical field, it remains important to me to maintain balance and continue to pursue to develop both technical skills and the ability to communicate complex material effectively,” she said.

Her ultimate goal is not just to understand policy but to use it to shape and optimize processes within the military. As officers advance in their careers, she said, understanding the “why” behind decisions can dramatically influence operations within the Corps.

By comprehending how processes—like the authorization and appropriations that influence military spending—directly impact the way the Marines are trained and equipped, Peterson sees a chance to act as a bridge, capable of explaining decisions and their impact to those under her leadership.

“It is my goal to better understand the legislative processes that inform the design of our force, but also to integrate myself within a cohort of scholars, leaders, and staff and members of Congress who possess the latitude to not only understand, but influence, the way we prepare for and respond to future national security concerns,” she said.

One of her favorite classes has been Technology, Culture, and Commerce, taught by Adjunct Professor Mark Langevin, an expert in global commerce and policy.

“This course expanded my understanding of how Congress intersects with evolving industries and technology, as well as the broader cultural impacts of technological change,” Peterson said. “This intersection is especially relevant to my background, highlighting the challenges the military faces in rapidly adapting to new technological landscapes.”

In addition to her professors and fellow classmates, Peterson has received academic encouragement from previous Schar School Marine Corps fellows.

“I am deeply grateful for the mentorship I've received throughout my journey to join this program,” she said. “Marines who previously completed this fellowship have shared invaluable insights that shaped my understanding of the experience, providing a realistic view of what it entails and helping me determine if it would be the right fit.”

Her upcoming service on Capitol Hill is a far cry from her typical duties in uniform, but Peterson is ready for the transition.

“Military training has prepared me to stay mission-focused and resilient, qualities that will be crucial when navigating the complexity and pace of Congress,” she said. “My hope is that this experience [at the Schar School] will provide the opportunity for me to represent the Marine Corps in a small capacity so that we can connect the needs of the service with the realities of the legislative process to foster better understanding and outcomes.”

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Mark Langevin

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From Cockpits to Capitol Hill: Marine Corps Officer Charts New Course in Public Policy

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 06 Nov 2024 12:11:38 +0000

From Cockpits to Capitol Hill: Marine Corps Officer Charts New Course in Public Policy Andrew J Schappert Wed, 11/06/2024 - 07:11

Each year since 2018, the Schar School of Policy and Government at �鶹��Ƶ has welcomed a cohort of United States Marine Corps officers to campus as Master of Public Policy students. The officers chosen for the prestigious Marine Corps Congressional Fellowship program complete their fellowships by working for elected representatives on Capitol Hill. Major Anthony Matacotta is a member of this year’s cohort.

Major Anthony Matacotta with daughter Talia: ‘I am interested in public policy because I want to enrich my understanding of what I have sworn to defend.’ Photo provided.

Major Anthony Matacotta is more familiar with the cockpits of KC-130J Super Hercules, a four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft, than he is with navigating the marble halls of Congress. But the Marietta, Georgia, native and Marine Corps aviator is looking forward to gaining “a better appreciation for what Congress does and glean some insight into how legislating is really accomplished,” he said. “What’s that quote from Hamilton? ‘I want to be in the room where it happens.’”

Matacotta was excited to continue his academic education after earning a BS in political science from the United States Naval Academy in 2013.

“The Marine Corps emphasizes the idea of being a lifelong learner through professional military education and personal enrichment and I have always wanted to seek higher education,” he said. “So, the chance to earn a masters degree and represent the Marine Corps in a Congressional office struck me as an incredible opportunity.”

Returning to a college campus after nearly a decade, he said, he found himself in classrooms with students from a vast array of professional experiences and backgrounds.

“The diversity of thought amongst everyone at George �鶹��Ƶ fuels energized discourse and innovation,” he said. “I have learned so much from my classmates.”

Matacotta praises all the courses and faculty at George �鶹��Ƶ.

“My favorite course so far has been statistics with [Associate Professor] Jessica Terman,” he said. “In a time where information abounds, but good information remains scarce, Dr. Terman’s course gave us the tools to extract truth from the noise.”

Matacotta was drawn to the Schar School’s public policy program as a way to build on his commitment to public service developed during his military career.

“As Marines, we swear an oath to defend the constitution,” he said. “I am interested in public policy because I want to enrich my understanding of what I have sworn to defend. Public policy is how the ideals of that Constitution are applied to address contemporary social, economic, and political issues.”

Once the fellows earn their Schar School MPP degrees and serve their term on Capitol Hill, they return to uniformed duty. After that, they may reenlist or return to civilian life. Whatever the future holds for Matacotta, “I hope to apply the knowledge and insights I gain at George �鶹��Ƶ both during and after my military career,” he said.

“I am consistently impressed by the caliber of the students in the Marine cohort,” said Noah Jacobson, an adjunct professor of politics and government who has taught the cohort for the last five years. “They are driven and thoughtful, always eager to learn more. They play a key role as part of an invaluable program.”

“There is a lot of policy that reaches out and touches the military and I hope to use what I learn at George �鶹��Ƶ to help translate it to my Marines and the service writ large,” Matacotta said. “After the military, I believe a better understanding of public policy will make me a better-informed citizen, able to effectively participate in government.”

More than 4,700 of George �鶹��Ƶ’s more than 40,000 students are military or veteran-connected. The university is designated a Military Friendly ^TM institution and has been rated as a top college for veterans by U.S. News and World Report. In fall 2024, the university’s incoming freshman transfer cohort was 20% military connected, and the incoming graduate cohort was 19% military connected. See this webpage to learn about the Military, Veterans, and Families Initiative at George �鶹��Ƶ.

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Passion for International Development Drives Double Alum

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 28 Oct 2024 12:36:49 +0000

Passion for International Development Drives Double Alum Andrew J Schappert Mon, 10/28/2024 - 08:36

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From a young age, Annie Tulann always had her sights on �鶹��Ƶ. As a resident of Arlington, Virginia, she was familiar with the school and its reputation.

“I remember thinking early on when I was younger, ‘I am going to go to George �鶹��Ƶ,’ which seems funny looking back now,” she said. “But it was a great school—close to D.C., close to my family, and really diverse. I just knew I’d feel comfortable there.”

‘I’m thrilled that I got my MPP. It’s really set me on the right path forward and it’s become such a huge stepping stone for my career.’

After graduating in 2014 with a degree in biology, Tulann realized that she no longer wanted to pursue a career in medicine. Instead, she joined the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and began working as a program assistant. Within two years, she moved to a new position in the Office of Afghanistan Affairs and the Office of Pakistan Affairs, where she assisted on gender issues, education, water sanitation, and hygiene, traveling to each country multiple times.

In 2018, while still working full time in the Afghanistan and Pakistan offices, Tulann enrolled in the Master of Public Policy program at the Schar School of Policy and Government. At first, she felt nervous entering the program given her science background.

“I didn’t take any development classes or any of that like my peers did,” she said.

Attending orientation and hearing other students talk about their experience helped quell her nerves. A consultation with Jill Deering, senior assistant dean for student and academic affairs at the Schar School, eased any remaining jitters.

“She just made it so comforting for me and made sure that I would have everything that I need,” Tulann said. “It was such a validating experience in the sense of like, you will be OK and you will get through and you will do what you need to do.”

Once classes began, the connection between her coursework and her job was immediate.

“Every single class I had completely correlated to the work that I was doing,” she said. “I took a terrorism class and I was working in Afghanistan and Pakistan, which really worked out well for me, and I started understanding issues deeply.”

When COVID-19 hit in 2020, Tulann was recruited to work on the agency’s COVID-19 task force to make sure rules and regulations were in place.

“At the time I was taking an emergency preparedness class, so every single thing that I was doing was completely aligned,” she said.

In 2021, Tulann graduated with her master’s degree and transitioned from the Office of the Administrator working directly with Administrator Samantha Power to the Executive Secretariat as a program analyst. In her position, she daily navigates through multiple high-stakes projects and works with the agency’s multiple bureaus to ensure that Power has everything she needs.

“I work with the bureaus to make sure that she’s well prepared,” she said.

Tulann’s position affords her the extraordinary chance to attend most of the agency front office and administrator meetings. She has been in rooms with presidents, prime ministers, CEOs, and celebrities.

“It’s a really great opportunity that not everybody in the agency gets to experience,” she said. “I learn directly from the administrator but also from other leaders around the world.”

Earning her MPP, while difficult, was worth it and one of the greatest experiences she’s had, Tulann says.

“I’m thrilled that I got my MPP,” she said. “It’s really set me on the right path forward and it’s become such a huge stepping stone for my career.”

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Schar School News for October 2024

Schar School Alumni and Student Spotlight

Rona Jobe, MPP ’13, Named Rising Star by National Association of Women Business Owners

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 20:19:22 +0000

Rona Jobe, MPP ’13, Named Rising Star by National Association of Women Business Owners Andrew J Schappert Tue, 06/25/2024 - 16:19

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Rona Jobe, a 2013 graduate of the Schar School of Policy and Government’s Master of Public Policy Program at �鶹��Ƶ, has been presented the Deborah Farnell Rising Star Award by the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), a nonprofit organization advocating for more than 10.6 million women entrepreneurs and business owners around the country.

Rona Jobe: The Master of Public Policy program ‘helped me understand the intersection of policy and business practices.’ Photo provided

“The award recognizes entrepreneurs who excel at strategy, operations, finances, problem solving, innovating, overcoming adversity, and giving back to her community,” NAWBO said in the announcement.

Jobe is the CEO of LVL-Up Strategies, a consulting firm based in Arlington, Virginia, that works to help women-owned enterprises reach the next level of success. As a first-generation immigrant from the Philippines and the wife of a U.S. Foreign Service employee, her company employs U.S. military spouses and Foreign Service spouses while partnering with minority-owned businesses. It helps that she’s fluent in Tagalog, Kapampangan, and Brazilian Portuguese.

While at the Schar School, Jobe worked as a management consultant with a focus on policy implementation. Her work involved technology, data governance, and assisting health practitioners in transitioning to electronic records.

With such a varied client portfolio of widely varied goals and needs, LVL-Up Strategies needs to be tactical and calculated in how they achieve success for their clientele. That’s where the Master of Public Policy degree comes in, she said.

“The program helped me understand the intersection of policy and business practices,” she said. “It gave me a deep understanding of how policies impact business practices. Courses in tech-based policy, statistics, and survey methodologies were instrumental in developing goal-oriented metrics.”

The program also taught her how to “guide and manage projects effectively, even without being the expert in every detail,” which she said is a crucial skill as a consultant. “And the practical project management advice from professors was invaluable in shaping business strategies,” she said.

As for the Rising Star award, Rona said, “This award is a validation that we, foreign service and military spouses, have the support of fellow women leaders as we pursue our own career and business and personal development.”

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Schar School News for June 2024

Award-Winning Restaurateur and Alumna Rose Previte to Address Schar School Graduates

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 15 Apr 2024 13:57:23 +0000

Award-Winning Restaurateur and Alumna Rose Previte to Address Schar School Graduates Andrew J Schappert Mon, 04/15/2024 - 09:57

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Rose Previte: ‘One thing I always appreciated about �鶹��Ƶ in my graduate studies was the diversity of the classroom.‘ Photo by Jennifer Chase

Rose Previte, the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s Restaurateur of the Year, is the keynote speaker for the Schar School of Policy and Government’s 2024 Degree Celebration taking place Friday, May 10, at �鶹��Ƶ’s EagleBank Arena in Fairfax, Virginia.

The sea of green caps and gowns at the arena will be a familiar one to Previte: In 2007, she graduated from the Schar School with a Master of Public Policy degree that she credits for her early success in opening her first restaurant in 2014, Washington, D.C.,’s famed Compass Rose, a perennial entry on major “best restaurants” lists.

Since then, her No White Plates company includes, in addition to Compass Rose, the Michelin-starred, fire-based cuisine of Maydān, the Middle East-themed Medina, and the Eastern Mediterranean Kirby Club in the Mosaic District of Fairfax, Virginia, as well as Go There Wines, which brings to market wines created by women and underrepresented winemakers.

For Previte (it rhymes with “edit”), all of her businesses tell stories through food and wine, reflecting her Ohio upbringing and her marriage to former NPR anchor and reporter David Greene. Her Lebanese mother ran a catering company while her Sicilian father sold Italian sausage sandwiches at street fairs and festivals. She traveled with her husband to some 30 countries during his radio career, where she sampled the wares of street and stall vendors, not realizing those tasty memories would be the eventual menu of Compass Rose.

Her first cookbook, Maydān: Recipes from Lebanon and Beyond (Abrams Books, 2023), which debuted in November, is an extension of that storytelling. ”It’s all the home recipes from the last 10 years as well as recipes from the restaurants,” she said. “The base of it actually is all the stuff I grew up eating with my mom and my family.”

Her arrival to Washington after completing undergraduate studies at Ohio Northern University in 2003 came with the determination to change what she could in the public realm.

“I was there for the [George W.] Bush years and we had the Iraq war, and Afghanistan was on everybody’s minds, and Bush was very unpopular. And here I am moving to D.C. from very conservative Ohio and I want to, like, fight ‘the man.’”

To win that figurative fight, she needed to know how. A degree in public policy made sense, so she enrolled for graduate courses at the Schar School.

“One thing I always appreciated about �鶹��Ƶ in my graduate studies was the diversity of the classroom,” she said. “I ended up appreciating the range of opinions in every classroom, which I don’t think is common at other schools in the area where there’s so much leaning one way or another.

“And the fact that we had super liberals, military officers, people in nonprofit—it was just such a range of people in the room. That was just such a cool experience, with the conversations, the debates, the group projects—no one thought the same way, and to me, that's what school is for, right?

“As the world's become more polarized, that's probably more important than it ever has been.”

The engaging classroom experience led to real-life public policy work. While at �鶹��Ƶ, she traveled to New Orleans to assist on an independent study on how the city could recover after Hurricane Katrina. She also interned for D.C. City Council member Jack Evans, who was leading the effort to fund a new Major League Baseball stadium for the Washington Nationals.

After completing her �鶹��Ƶ degree, Previte earned a fellowship that allowed her to work for the Arlington County manager for a year. From there she relocated to New York City and worked for the speaker of the city council before moving to Russia with her husband, who became NPR’s Moscow correspondent.

The somewhat peculiar idea of a famed restaurateur earning a master’s degree in public policy isn’t lost on her.

“I get asked this a lot when I’m invited on panels,” she said. “But ask yourself, what are the challenges of opening a business? Being a first-time, young, female business owner in D.C. was excruciatingly hard.”

Obtaining a liquor license, for instance. Neighbors, many of whom happened to be Washington lawyers and bold face names, “they were very—I’m trying to think of a nice word—persnickety, if you will, about who was coming into the neighborhood in 2014. And they did not want Compass Rose there.”

She fought “the man.” And won.

“I always tell everybody how helpful it was to have a policy degree at that point because I had to navigate the bureaucracy of D.C. permits: Liquor license hearings in front of the ABC Board. I had to go in front of the community and to city council hearings and things like that.”

The Schar School degree and her real-world experience came in handy when it was time to obtain the building permits and the business license, she says.

“I didn't have enough money to hire someone to get my permits for me,” she said. “I had to go down to City Hall all of the time. I did all that by hand, which a lot of people don't do, and I actually kind of enjoyed it because I got to see the policy in action.

“After working for the City Council and after working in my fellowship in Arlington County, I got to be on the other side of it. And I was like, ‘I know why you guys made this law. And actually, I don't agree.’ And now here I am on the other side of the laws that I helped write.

“So that was an interesting experience.”

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Graduation

Schar School News for April 2024