Alumni Profiles
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Andrea Roberts '06 |
As Deputy Budget Director of Program Evaluation for the City of Philadelphia, Andrea is responsible for monitoring department performance, composing and editing reports to the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (PICA) and City Council, and analyzing legislation to determine possible City budget impacts. In this role, she has the benefit of learning about each department's strengths and discovering opportunities for improved public service.
Originally from Houston, Andrea graduated from Vassar College in 1996 with a BA in Political Science, followed by several years working with nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups in Washington, DC, Houston, Texas, and Philadelphia. After graduating from Fels in 2006, she worked with Public Financial Management Group, where she learned proven methods for maximizing the effectiveness and efficiency of public organizations and municipalities.
Before Fels, Andrea knew she was capable of finding solutions to complex problems, having done a lot of seat-of-the-pants decision-making and managing with nonprofits. However, she was looking for proven approaches to management that helped others become effective managers and problem-solvers. For this reason, the emphasis on evidence-based results at Fels really appealed to her. She also wanted to challenge herself to move into a new area of public service, such as economic development or public finance, and found that the instruction and encouragement of her faculty and peers at Fels made this career path a viable option.