Alan Miller (MPP/JD ’74) spent February at the Rockefeller Bellagio Center in Italy, a wonderful experience with eleven other residents from all over the world. He is writing a memoir about his experiences working on protecting the ozone layer and climate change.
Steven Edwards (MPP ’76) is retired, on permanent summer vacation, and loving life. After nine years in the public sector he went back to school and 11 years later emerged as a board certified anesthesiologist. He recently completed a 30–year career in medicine made much better by an education from the Ford School for the management/leadership parts of the job. Now the real fun begins...travel, reading, seeing old friends, and if lucky, a first–time return to Ann Arbor, whence it all began!
John Mucha (MPP ’79) was honored by Michigan Lawyers Weekly as a “Leader in the Law” for 2018. Only 30 such awards are bestowed each year.
Lisa Marie Harris (MPP ’91) delivered the keynote address at the 2018 Municipal Bond Women’s Forum on October 18 in San Francisco. Following her graduation from IPPS she pursued a career in government finance. She currently serves as director of finance for the San Diego County Water Authority.
Susan McLaughlin (MPP/MBA ’93) recently accepted the role as director for treasury markets in the Markets Group at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. In her new position Susan oversees monetary policy analysis and operations in the Treasury market; she is also responsible for auctioning off all of the U.S. national debt as a fiscal agent for the Treasury.
Andrew Kleine (MPP ’94) wrote City on the Line: How Baltimore Transformed its Budget to Beat the Great Recession and Deliver Outcomes, which was published in September by Rowman & Littlefield. Andrew served as Baltimore’s budget director for 10 years, until the end of 2017. The book, “part memoir, manifesto, and manual,” details his experience implementing outcome budgeting and other management innovations.
Lauren Larson (MPP ’98) was recently named director of the Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) for the state of Colorado. Lauren’s new responsibilities include developing the governor’s budget, doing program evaluation and research, and providing state revenue projections.
Brad Weltman (MPP ’99) left IAB and is headed to Facebook, where he will be the director of policy—privacy engagement.
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Walter Braunohler (MPP ’02) was promoted into the Senior Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State this past August. Walter and his family will be heading to the U.S. Embassy in Kiev, Ukraine on assignment in 2020.
Josh Fischel (MPP ’07) and his wife welcomed Cabot Earnest Fischel on March 29. Josh also started a new job last fall, teaching English at Acton–Boxborough Regional High School, a half–hour outside Boston. It is his first time teaching that age group since just before he came to the Ford School, but he enjoys them and his commute, which is now an hour shorter than it was before. He and his wife celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary this year.
In August 2018, Patrice (Harduar) Gopo (MPP/MBA ’07) released her debut book, All the Colors We Will See: Reflections on Barriers, Brokenness, and Finding Our Way — an essay collection about race, immigration, and belonging. Barnes & Noble named the book a Fall 2018 Discover Great New Writers selection and The Charlotte Observer listed it among the best memoirs of the summer.
Andreas Hatzigeorgiou (MPP ’08) was appointed CEO of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce and officially started his role in October 2018.
Marissa Rollens (MPP ’08) was recently promoted to the “02” rank in the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service. Marissa joined the foreign service in 2008 and currently serves as public affairs officer at the U.S. Embassy in Kigali, Rwanda.
Jeremy Borovitz (BA ’09) and his wife, Rebecca Blady, welcomed a daughter, Hinda, on July 4, 2018.
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Hadi Harp (BA ’09) recently expanded his Los Angeles–based law practice with a new office in downtown Detroit. Hadi provides practical legal services to businesses, entrepreneurs, and creatives in the areas of business, real estate, and tax law.
Michelle Sandals (BA ’09) and Nathan Sandals (BA ’09) welcomed a baby girl, Madeline Sasha Sandals, on December 6, 2017.
Neil Sardana (MPP/MPH ’09) was hired as an organizing representative of the Sierra Club to transition Georgia to clean renewable energy from coal power and invest in green jobs.
Matt Johnson (MPP ’10) started a new venture called The Impossible Company. After leaving the Pentagon, Matt started consulting with large organizations and saw first–hand the tragic impact of widespread disengagement in the American workforce. He started a culture change agency to do something about it: www.theimpossiblecompany.com.
Colin Lewis–Beck (MPP/MA ’10) finished his PhD in statistics at Iowa State University and started a position as a visiting assistant professor of statistics at the University of Iowa.
Olushola Samuel (BA ’10) and Kelley Stokes–Samuel were married in July 2018. They both work at the University of Michigan, where Olushola is an administrator for endocrinology in the health system and Kelley works as a major gifts officer in the Office of Development.
Carolyn Cox (BA ’11) and Ian Gray married in Stanley, VA on September 8, 2018 surrounded by family and friends, including many Fordies. They were introduced by Brian Wanglin (BA ’11) in 2012. Carolyn was also recently promoted to senior program manager at Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
Dilara Kadriye Üskup (BA ’11) graduated in 2018 from the University of Chicago with a PhD in political science and a PhD in theology.
Charles Clark (MPP/MBA ’12) became a deputy district ranger for the U.S. Forest Service for the Santa Catalina District of the Coronado National Forest in Tucson, AZ. The leadership position includes collateral duties such as horseback riding and corralling rattlesnakes.
Brendan Egan (MPP ’12), his wife Cori, and their two sons, Charlie and Paul, welcomed Margaret (Maggie) Egan to the world on March 27, 2018 in Memphis, TN. Brendan continues to work as senior director of operations for Relay Graduate School of Education.
Ryan Pretzer (MPP ’12) joined the not–for–profit government consultancy firm LMI in August as the strategic communications lead for its national security programs and operations. Special thanks to Michael Yates (MPP/MBA ’13), who alerted him to the opportunity!
Rick Scott (MPA ’12) was recently appointed deputy director in the City of San Jose’s Department of Transportation. In this role, he oversees over 300 staff members responsible for maintenance of the city’s transportation infrastructure.
Haven Allen (MPP ’13) was honored by Crain’s Business Chicago as part of its 2018 “40 under 40” class.
Andrew Bracken (MPP ’13) married Rachel Johansen on October 13, 2018 in Albuquerque, NM. Paula Osborn(MPP/MA ’15), who introduced Andrew and Rachel, and Jimmy Schneidewind(MPP/MBA ’15) were in the bridal party.
Y. Tina Wei Smith (MPP ’13) and her husband Kevin welcomed their second child, Adelina Mei Smith.
Maya Menlo (BA ’15) graduated from Yale Law School in May and promptly made her way back to “the Mitten.” She was recently admitted to the Michigan bar, and is a Liman Public Interest Fellow at the Washtenaw County Office of the Public Defender. Maya, her partner, and their new rescue dog live in Ypsilanti.
Tommy Hoyt (BA ’16) enrolled in Northwestern Law School’s class of 2021
In Memoriam
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Andrew Moxam (MPP ’78) passed away on November 9, 2018 in Laurel Maryland, at the age of 66. Born in Flint, Michigan, Andy graduated from the University of Michigan–Flint then earned his master’s degree from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.
He had a distinguished 40–year career in federal government. He was accepted in the first class of Presidential Management Interns in Washington, D.C., in 1977. He entered the Senior Executive Service in 1990 and served as Comptroller for both the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Census Bureau. He also served as Acting Chief Financial Officer in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Andy retired in 2016.
He chaired the Alumni Board for the University of Michigan’s Gerald R. Ford School for Public Policy during our very successful fundraising campaign to construct a home for the school, Joan and Sanford Weill Hall. “Andy was a great guy with a wickedly funny sense of humor,” says Jennifer Niggemeier, director of graduate career services and alumni relations. “He stayed connected to the Ford School in many ways, supporting students and helping the school he loved. We’re so grateful to him. He will be missed.”
Below is a formatted version of this article from State & Hill, the magazine of the Ford School. View the entire Winter 2019 State & Hill.