This past spring, the La Follette School launched Elevating Equity in Policymaking and hosted two outstanding alumni. Theola Carter (MA ’91) and Frances Huntley-Cooper (MA ’94) shared brief information about their careers in public service and answered questions from students.
Graduate student Carte’cia Lawrence (MPA) moderated the hour-long events, which grew out of a schoolwide conversation last summer about diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a La Follette School project assistant, Lawrence helped organize and promote the events.
“As evidence of intolerance and hate-based violence continues to flood our news feed, these discussions provide opportunities for our students to connect with those working to make the world a more equitable place for all,” said Director and Professor Susan Webb Yackee.
Carter, a member of the School’s Board of Visitors (BOV), is manager of policy and program improvement with Dane County’s Tamara D. Grigsby Office of Equity and Inclusion. Huntley-Cooper has served the Dane County community through her volunteer work and leadership roles, most notably as the first and only black elected mayor in Wisconsin.
Fellow BOV member Roger Ervin also spoke with students about his career as a policy analyst for the U.S. House of Representatives, a senior advisor at the U.S. Department of State, secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Revenue, and president of Blumont Inc. Ervin, who is teaching Public Leadership (PA 278) this fall, also discussed Strategic Management in the Public Sector—What it Means for the Future of Government.
“Our Board of Visitors members represent wide-ranging careers and experiences, and they are eager to share their knowledge and expertise with our students,” said Yackee. “I am excited to see the Elevating Equity and career events our staff has planned for this summer and the next academic year.”