Join Fels Distinguished Fellow Joseph Pierce for an Executive Leadership Dialogue with special guest Melanie McCottry, Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President, External Affairs and Communications for the Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW).
About Melanie McCottry:
Between class and the networking reception on Friday, we are hosting an EMPA Alumni Career panel on "Leveraging Your Capstone for Your Career." Our panelists include (photos in clockwise order):
Joseph Milo ‘22
Manager of Chemistry, Radwaste, and Environmental at PSEG
Dennis Mahoney ‘23
Director of Integrated Partnerships at Food for the Hungry
Dana Kayser ‘21
Data and Evaluation Manager at the City of Philadelphia
Kelsea Gustavson ‘21
Consultant at North Highland
In the latest installment of the “What’s That?” series, Penn Today looks at Fox-Fels Hall, commonly referred to as the Fels Mansion. It’s the former home of Samuel Simeon Fels, a philanthropist and civic leader who donated it to Penn in the 1950s to house the Fels Institute of Government. “It’s a bustling place where we want the ideas that are underneath good government to form,” says John Lapinski of the School of Arts and Sciences.
Read the full article at Penn Today >
The Fels Institute of Government announces increased scholarships for our admissions partners. Admissions partner fellows, alumni, and staff will now receive guaranteed scholarships of $15,000 to pursue Master of Public Administration (MPA) and Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA) degrees and continue to receive waived application fees.
Joseph Pierce is a seasoned government relations and political professional with over 15 years of experience. He currently serves as the state director for US Senator John Fetterman after being his statewide political director on his campaign in 2022. Previously, he served as director of government relations and advocacy for the Pennsylvania-based nonprofit, Mental Health Partnerships.
Congratulations to Fels alumna Cherelle Parker ’16 on her historic election as the 100th mayor of Philadelphia. Her victory is a milestone achievement, as she will become the city’s first woman to assume this position.
Sulaiman W. Rahman is a visionary leader and CEO at DiverseForce, a human capital solutions firm that specializes in helping organizations to recruit, retain, engage, and develop top diverse talent. With decades of community building experience, in 2007 Rahman founded UPPN, now known as BBEx Network, which has become one of the Greater Philadelphia area's largest and most respected professional networks, with over 20,000 subscribers representing diverse talent pipelines from early career to C-suite.
Michael Hikari Cecire is a security and defense researcher at the RAND Corporation, specializing in national security, defense, and international affairs. He brings extensive experience advising senior government leaders and conducting policy research across foreign policy, international security, and economic development.
Between class and the networking reception on Friday, we are hosting an EMPA Alumni Career panel on "Leveraging your Fels MPA & Network to Advance Your Career." Learn more about the panelists below.
James C. Harris is a federal law enforcement professional with over 20 years of experience. He is the special agent in charge for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Baltimore, Maryland. He is responsible for leading over 160 special agents, criminal analysts, and support staff. James has direct oversight of all investigative and enforcement operations targeting transnational criminal organizations that exploit America’s legitimate travel, trade, and financial infrastructure for illicit purposes.
