Candidates' statements
2020 Alumni Board Self-Nominations
Graduate Candidates
William Dorotinsky, MPP ‘86
Washington, DC
World Bank, Government Lead
I bring extensive, high-level experience in U.S. domestic policy and international development. Work experience includes: U.S. Office of Management and Budget (public finance, health policy, Clinton Health Care Reform Task Force); deputy CFO for the District of Columbia during its mid-’90’s financial stress; U.S. Treasury (overseas posts advising Hungary, Argentina, Croatia on public finance); International Monetary Fund (public finance and financial management support to countries); and The World Bank (public finance, governance support). I’ve held technical and managerial positions in each institution. Policy experience includes national and subnational public finance and financial management, health policy and finance, public sector governance, economic policy and economic development, public investment management, and public sector performance, among others. Recent work is on security and development, with publication of Securing Development: Public Finance and the Security Sector. (See LinkedIn profile for more achievements.) After many years of benefiting from my Michigan education, I would relish the opportunity to give back to the school and support the next generation of leaders.
Cali Ellis, MPP ‘01, PhD ‘15
Olympia, Washington
Evergreen State College, Professor
I received my MPP in 2001 and used my Ford School skills working for Attorney General and the Governor Jennifer Granholm. I returned for my PhD in political science and public policy and am now a professor of Public Administration in Washington State. I began in 1999, before we were even named the Ford School, and have seen many positive changes through two different types of training. My experience in the school, in state government, and now as a professor training others in public administration and public policy brings unique experience to the board. I love the Ford School and it has provided the foundation of my entire professional and academic careers. I previously served on the Alumni Board, so I have a sense of what the commitment entails.
Naomi Goldberg, MPP ‘08
Ann Arbor, MI
Movement Advancement Project, Policy Research Director
For the past three years, I’ve served on the Ford School Alumni Board, and I’m currently the Vice Chair for the board working closely with other board members and staff. I have engaged with students through my participation on panels and in events here in Ann Arbor, conducting mock interviews, and calling prospective students. I have worked with the board’s development committee to engage alumni in the recent alumni giving challenge to support students’ immediate needs. And over the past three years, I’ve had three Ford School students intern with me at my organization, an LGBTQ think tank. I am an enthusiastic ‘yes’ person who seeks opportunities to support Ford School students, staff, and alumni. I am excited about the ways in which I and the board can create stronger communities amongst students and alumni, especially during the pandemic.
Veronica Gonzales Stuva, MPP ‘13
Washington, DC
Stuva Consulting Services LLC, Founder and Consultant
I have worked on development issues developing economies for more than ten years including projects related to small and medium enterprises, financial markets, and natural disasters. Currently, I own and operate an independent consulting firm, providing technical support to organizations like IFC and IADB on projects that aim to strengthen public and private sector institutions in Latin America. As an international alumna and current member of the Board, I am proud of the talented and diverse faculty and student body that comprise the Ford School’s undergraduate and graduate programs. I am keenly aware that in today’s social climate, the Ford School has a unique opportunity, and in my opinion, responsibility, to recruit students and thought leaders from different nationalities and backgrounds to work on globally relevant issues, as well as domestic ones. I am running for a second term at the Board to continue bringing insight on how to make the Ford School more inviting to international students and Ford School students more desirable to organizations working in the fields of international policy and development.
Trevis Harrold, MPP ‘17
Washington, DC
U.S. Department of State, Foreign Service Officer
I am a Foreign Service Officer specializing in political topics for the U.S. Department of State. Previously, I have held diplomatic assignments at the U.S. Embassy Kingston, the U.S. Embassy Pristina, the U.S. Embassy Mexico City, and the Office of Bilateral Trade.
In the private sector, I've worked as a Government Affairs Specialist for the Dow Chemical Company, a Fortune 100 company based out of Michigan. During that time, I covered tax and health issues for the office. I also interned within the government affairs division at DTE Energy.
I hope to be a resource and sounding board for foreign policy topics and projects on the board. With the Ford School recently opening their Weiser Diplomacy Center, it is pivotal that Ford students receive practical, professional opportunities to prepare them for their chosen career field. I want to promote and increase the visibility of the Ford School and to strengthen the school's alumni network. I hope to create mentor relationships with students and assist the school with student recruitment, career services, and alumni relations activities.
Jessica Kaplan, MPP/MBA ‘19
Boston, MA
Cambridge Associates, Investment Director
I would be honored to serve on the Alumni Board of The Ford School and believe I would be a valuable member with a differentiated perspective. I was a dual master’s degree student (MBA/MPA) at Michigan and I work in Endowment Management - a niche area of investing whereby I advise Universities and Foundations’ Boards of Trustees on the management of their investment portfolios. I had an incredibly formative experience at The Ford School and I have been an active and engaged alum since my graduation. I would be honored to serve on the Alumni Board, to help the next generation of Fordies navigate the working world and help to give back to a place that has provided me with such an enriching experience. Thank you for your consideration.
Lorraine LeFerriere, MPP ‘71
Hinesville, GA
FountainWorks, Clinical Psychologist
Being a part of the first public policy class at U of M in 1969 began a cultural shift from growing up in a military family with conservative values, to one of informed liberalism and activism in Ann Arbor. As I witnessed the success of the Black Action Movement in 1970 to “rescind the fee increase,” I was learning from IPPS professors how to conduct a cost benefit analysis of the value of saving a human life. While serving as the Assistant Director of IPPS in 1972-73, helping graduate students launch their own careers, I realized I needed more education. In 1979, I completed my doctorate in Clinical Psychology at MSU, and practiced for 35 years in various public and private agencies throughout Michigan. In 2013, I became an independent sub-contractor with the VA, in a new program using civilian psychologists to conduct evaluations for veterans with mental health disabilities. Continuing this work the last 5 years in Georgia has involved recording the experiences of more than 2,000 veterans’ challenges and difficulties during their military services. My seminal work is currently designing and advocating implementation of a model of Therapeutic Assessment for Veterans that would facilitate recovery rather than perpetuate a disability assessment process that exacerbates psychological injuries and contributes to the rising numbers of suicides. As an Alumni Board member, I would bring my expertise in mental health public policy and share it with the next generation of students.
Preston Parish, MPP ‘18
Helena, MT
Montana Budget & Policy Center, State-Tribal Policy Analyst
In my current role, I focus on the impacts on tribal communities of state budget and policy decisions. Since joining my organization in July 2018, I have helped advance a policy agenda that centers the voices and priorities of tribal leaders. My work aims to build power in tribal communities, increase state investments in Indian Country, and uphold tribal sovereignty. Because of my work, the Victory Fund recognized me in 2019 as one of ten emerging LGBTQ+ policy makers nationwide. My expertise and experience in state-tribal policy would be a value-add to the board. In my two years at Ford, Indian Country was absent from policy conversations, despite the sovereign status of tribal nations and the number of tribal nations in Michigan. As a school of public policy, FSPP would benefit from having a curriculum that recognizes the role that tribal nations play in the ecosystem of governments and policymakers. As a board member, I would push FSPP to be more relevant and inclusive, and this is just one way that I would do that.
Cortney Sanders, MPP ‘17
Washington, DC
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
As a Policy Analyst with the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities State Fiscal Policy (SFP) division, I focus on state fiscal policy through a racial equity lens. Since joining the Center as a State Policy Fellow, I research a range of state fiscal policy issues, including K-12 and early childhood education funding, juvenile justice reform and reinvestment, legal fines and fees, and broader fiscal policies to help raise state revenue. I also provide technical support to our State Priorities Partnership to build partners’ capacity to conduct research and analysis through an equitable lens. I am featured in international and national media for my research on race, taxes, and economics. I have over 9 years of experience in racial equity and inclusion. As a board member I will advance antiracism with programmatic outreach. Additionally, help raise money and execute grant initiatives to: 1) Center and advance a culture that dismantles anti-blackness, 2) Advance equity and inclusion within the Alumni Board, and 3) Increase diversity and financial support for the Ford School student and alumni population.
Ian Swedish, MPP/MBA ‘10
Philadelphia, PA
CCS Fundraising, Corporate Vice President
I am running for my second and final term as a board member to continue the work started in support of alumni fundraising strategy and student internship and career opportunities. I have been honored to serve on the board the past few years supporting Dean Barr and school leadership. I am an active member. I chair the fundraising committee, serve on the elections committee, participate in student informational interviews, and recruit admitted students to enroll. Most importantly, I have developed a strong relationship with the Ford School’s development team. In my role as a Corporate Vice President with CCS, I lead fundraising consulting partnerships with nonprofits across education, healthcare and human services both domestically and internationally. My expertise in fundraising will be an asset to the board and the school as philanthropy plays an increasingly critical role as we navigate the social equity and COVID-19 crises. I also want to use my network’s client relationships to expand a pipeline of internship and job opportunities for students. Thanks for entrusting me to serve one more term.
Ivy Tran, MPP/MA ‘18
Detroit, MI
Fathead LLC, Chief Operating Officer
I started my career as a Transfer Pricing consultant as Deloitte and then moved into industry as the Director of Strategic Planning for Fathead. I then moved into the role of Chief Operating Officer at Fathead. I've gained significant project management, strategic planning, and various industry experiences in technology and supply chain. My area of expertise includes science and technology and it's interactions within the business world. Based on my experience and given my current role, I am at the forefront of technology where I am investigating how technological innovation, often influenced by various policies, can have an impact in the business world. I can bring this insight to the Alumni board and help devise a strategy that prepares the students. In addition, I also have significant experience with mentoring students, employment recruiting, and establishing internships. As a first generation student, I want to serve on the Alumni Board to hopefully create/design a pipeline that impacts these students as well as others who lack experience navigating the business world.
Undergraduate Candidates
Caroline Andridge, BA ‘14
Washington, DC
Macfadden PAE, U.S. policy specialist with USAID
I have worked in food security and global health with USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, Office of Food for Peace, Oxfam America, Oxfam India, CHAI South Africa, CFR, and MCC. My experience cuts across USG, think tanks, and non-profit organizations and gives me insight into development and policy work from diverse perspectives, motives, and cultures, allowing me to uniquely support career services for Ford students and alumni. My graduate experience at Notre Dame provides another University reference for engagement that can inform Ford School outreach and activities. The Ford School community was integral to my own professional and personal development and I have enjoyed reconnecting with the School as an Alumni-in-Residence and through Alumni Office Hours. Ford prepared me well for my professional career path, but career services for BAs fell short of those offered to MAs. I am excited to help keep the Ford School community engaged and support Fordies to find careers that use their exemplary skills to make our world a better place.
Julia Friedman, BA ‘10
Washington, DC
Committee on Ways and Means, Trade Counsel
My career spans service in all three branches of government, including both chambers of Congress, with a focus on international trade policy. I have had the honor of traveling the world representing the U.S. government as a trade negotiator during my time working at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. I currently serve the Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means as trade counsel, including being a lead negotiator for House Democrats on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. I could provide expertise and assistance to students wanting to pursue international affairs, international economic policy, government careers, non-traditional law careers, management, legislative procedure, and more. In addition, I can reflect on my time working in the White House and on Capitol Hill to assist students. I also am organized, feel comfortable running meetings, planning and executing events, and have a network of policy makers and experts that we could call upon for programming. I would like to play a larger role in the Ford School community and give back to a school that provided the springboard to my career.