Of the 50 La Follette School 2021 Master of Public Affairs (MPA) and Master of International Public Affairs (MIPA) graduates, 14 accepted state government positions, 13 are employed in non-profits, and seven are pursuing PhDs. Others are making an impact in local government, the private sector, and federal government offices. Read more »
Theola Carter (MA ’91) has been named one of Wisconsin’s most influential Black leaders by Madison365. Carter is Dane County’s manager of policy and program improvement and an adjunct professor of intercultural communications and principles of management. She previously worked at the State of Wisconsin as a housing bureau director and unemployment division program manager. Carter is also a La Follette School Board of Visitors member.
Sara Barry (MPA ’01) has been named the new Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Deputy Secretary. Barry previously served the last 15 years as the Chief of Staff to several state senators, including most recently Sen. Brad Pfaff, providing guidance and leadership on numerous environmental policy and regulatory issues. She also served as the Director of Government Affairs for Clean Wisconsin and was Executive Director at Customers First Coalition, a nonprofit organization dedicated to responsible energy policy.
Erick Shamberger (MPA ’02) currently serves as the sustainability director of Milwaukee’s Environmental Collaboration Office. In a recent evaluation by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Milwaukee ranked 53rd of the cities evaluated by the scorecard. Shamberger discussed the evaluation on Wisconsin Public Radio. He also participated in the La Follette Forum: Climate Policy in Fall 2021.
Lamont Smith (MPA ’07) was named one of Wisconsin’s 48 Most Influential Black Leaders in Madison365’s 2021 list. As The Nature Conservancy in Wisconsin’s Milwaukee Program Manager, he helps build partnerships to improve urban environmental sustainability and strengthen community resiliency. Previously, Smith worked as a senior analyst with the Greater Milwaukee Foundation.