With over 3,000 alumni, many working in leadership positions in the public and private sectors, the La Follette School is able to maintain many robust relationships with employers across sectors. Service agencies tend to be an especially good fit for our alumni, who have had the chance to practice skills that are needed to excel at a nonpartisan institution like analytical problem solving and compromise.
The La Follette School’s connection with the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau and its director for nearly 50 years, Bob Lang, is a perfect example of the benefits of these strong relationships with employers. Lang is a valued partner of the La Follette School who has been a member of the La Follette School Board of Visitors since 2015. A nonpartisan service agency of the Legislature, the Fiscal Bureau provides fiscal and policy analyses to each of the state’s 132 legislators, prepares revenue and expenditures projections, and serves as staff to the Joint Committee on Finance. Lang has hired dozens of La Follette School master’s degree graduates and is known for his sincere dedication to his staff, which has contributed to the success of the Legislative Fiscal Bureau, and for his ability to work with anyone on either side of the political aisle.
Currently, of the Bureau’s 27 analysts, 12 hold a master’s degree from the La Follette School and one has an undergraduate certificate in public policy from La Follette. “When looking to fill positions at the Bureau, we seek individuals who are committed to working in a nonpartisan, professional environment, are comfortable in team settings, have demonstrated quantitative skills, and who possess communication skills, both verbally and in written work,” says Lang. “The individuals that we have hired from La Follette fill these criteria.”
Over the years, Lang has graciously shared his knowledge and experiences during La Follette School student visits to the Fiscal Bureau. “Our relationship with La Follette has been long-standing, and has proven to be beneficial to the School, the Fiscal Bureau, and the Wisconsin Legislature,” says Lang.
Christa Pugh (MPA ‘14), who works as a program supervisor at the Wisconsin Legislative Fiscal Bureau overseeing the three analysts who make up the education team at the bureau, says her La Follette degree was very helpful in her job search. “La Follette has a great reputation in Wisconsin state government, and many of the hiring managers and interviewers I encountered in my job search were fellow La Follette grads!” she says.
In her current role, Pugh reviews memos, policy issue papers, and budget motions for accuracy, presents information to individual legislators or groups of legislators including in hearings or executive sessions, and responds to legislative questions. “La Follette gave me the background I needed to be successful in my job,” she says. “I learned how to approach a policy question thoughtfully, and how to use quantitative analysis and statistics in an effective way.”
Current MPA student Megan Westerman is in her final year of her master’s program and already has a performance evaluation auditor position lined up at the Wisconsin Legislative Audit Bureau, which supports the Legislature in its oversight of the Wisconsin government, after graduation. Last summer, she worked on the State of Wisconsin Investment Board performance evaluation audit, reviewing their policies to determine SWIB’s level of compliance and where there may be room for improved efficiency.
Westerman believes the advanced skills she learned at La Follette helped her secure the internship as well as her new position. “In the performance evaluation field, you have to be able to break down complicated policies and regulations. This is similar to how La Follette teaches students to parse out the central themes of policy documents.”
Before hearing about the job at LAB, Westerman met with a La Follette alum who works at the bureau and “she convinced me that it would be a great place to work,” says Westerman. “I also think La Follette has a reputation for producing professional and intelligent individuals, which helped me get the internship and job.”
La Follette Connection
The La Follette School offers students hands-on experiences and opportunities to make connections with alumni and other friends of the school who work in important policy roles. La Follette’s strong employer connections help our students find and excel in roles in a variety of organizations. This spring, we will explore some of the many ways that La Follette prepares our students for successful careers through a series of stories highlighting employer relationships and student experiences.