On Oct. 6, the School of Public Policy (SPP) celebrated its longstanding relationship with the U.S. Government Office of Accountability (GAO) at a virtual event with GAO leadership and SPP alumni. The celebration was also a part of a greater effort for students to learn about building exciting and impactful careers at GAO.
SPP welcomed the Comptroller General of the United States and head of the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the Honorable Gene L. Dodaro. Dodaro explained how GAO's recommendations substantially impact the policymaking process as over three-fourths of GAO's recommendations are implemented in four years.
GAO, an independent and non-partisan agency, is involved in almost every area that the federal government works. Their primary responsibilities are to assist Congress in policy making and provide oversight on the executive agency's activities.
"GAO Day celebrates and informs about the really powerful and important partnership the School of Public Policy has with GAO," said David Mussington, professor of the practice at SPP and director of CPPPE. who led the first discussion. Through this partnership, GAO employs a large number of SPP alumni who have built interesting interdisciplinary careers throughout the agency.
The first panel included guests:
- Alfredo Gomez, Director of Natural Resources and Environment;
- Nikki Clowers, Managing Director of Health Care;
- Jackie Nowicki, MPP ‘99, Director of Workforce, Income Security team; and
- Valerie Melvin, Managing Director of the Information Technology and Cybersecurity team.
Valerie Melvin, who earned both her bachelor and master's degrees from UMD, spoke to how her UMD coursework prepared her for her fulfilling career at GAO. "I still remember some of the projects that I participated in at Maryland, and they were critical to give me the comfort to work in such an important team environment at GAO," Melvin said.
Additionally, the former SPP students spoke about how the diversity of coursework at UMD prepared them to work in many different departments and teams at the agency. Through this partnership and coursework, these former SPP students were ready to enter a workforce where they would participate in meaningful work that would directly impact public policy on the national level, including health care, education, national security, the environment, and even the current COVID-19 Pandemic.
Jackie Nowicki, another SPP alumni, spoke to how her team's research on lead and school drinking water led to direct policy change. "Largely as a result of that shared work, Congress passed and implemented a new grant program that helped schools fund testing for lead in their drinking water," stated Nowicki.
The last of the two panels featured a group of SPP alumni discussing what led them to pursue careers in the federal government at GAO:
- Jonathan Ferguson, MPP ‘13, Analyst
- Laurie Chin, MPP ‘17, Senior Analyst
- Tonnye Conner-White, MPP ‘02, Homeland Security and Justice Assistant Director
- Shakira O'Neil, MPP ‘02, Training Administrator - Manager of Operations Training
- Sara Younes, MPP ‘19, Analyst
Conner-White, who works in Homeland Security and Justice as the assistant director, spoke to how her research at SPP and internships introduced her to GAO, which has been a very fulfilling career.
"My introduction truly to GAO was in part was to the program at the University of Maryland. It piqued my interest, and I went there from applying for the spring of my second year,” Conner-White said. "I came about [GAO] through a couple of think tank internships between my first and second year, as well as a decent amount of research for classes."
The culture and work environment are also significant benefits of working at GAO, panelists said. They pointed out how GAO has consistently received high marks on its diversity and inclusion effort to hire and support employees throughout the agency. Employees are kept and give opportunities at all levels. Through SPP and GAO's relationship, students are prepared to apply to work in an office that has a meaningful impact on the world in a positive and professional environment.
"I was introduced to GAO through some peers at Maryland, and I quickly learned why GAO ranked so highly as a favorable place to work," said O'Neil, "I've had a lot of wonderful experiences, but not at the sacrifice of my family and personal time."