Brad Riley

What I do:
I provide analysis, dialogue, and problem-solving on emerging public administration challenges and facilitate collaboration between the federal, state, tribal, territorial, and local levels of government.

How I ended up working there:
Director Jane Fountain, an Academy Fellow, recruited interested SPP students for internship opportunities at the Academy. I had previously taken two courses with her and decided to couple my internship with an independent study on Intergovernmental Relations. My coursework and Internship turned into a full-time job offer.

The best part of my job:
The Academy has nearly 1000 Fellows comprised of former Cabinet Secretaries, Mayors, members of Congress, City Councilors, and academic scholars who lend their experiences and expertise to inform my work. As a researcher working on intergovernmental relationship building, the Fellows have become integral mentors, colleagues, and friends as we solve complex governance challenges together.

A recent exciting work experience:
I am working with a group of 15 Academy Fellows from the Standing Panel on Intergovernmental Systems to identify intergovernmental dimensions of homelessness. I was recently appointed to the IMPACT team, which is our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiative, and I am currently researching the intersections of racial equity and preemptive doctrine in the Bi-State Region of Kansas City which has two city councils, mayors, county
governments, State Congresses, and Governors.

How the School of Public Policy prepared me for my career:
Every assignment at SPP prepared me for my career but none more than the 1-page memos. I cannot stress to students enough the value of condensing complex social problems into a single page. Yes, it’s hard; and it takes serious wordsmithing to get everything onto one page and read fluently, but if you master this now, you’ll do just fine in public administration. Also, there is an ever-present push to address climate, disaster resilience, and water resource management in public administration right now. At least once a week, I hear a government official mention concepts I learned in class with Professor Charlie Schweik. Take a class with him! Not only is he brilliantly cool, but he also has his finger on the pulse of public administration.

Advice to students considering a degree in public policy:
Every industry on Earth needs policy professionals. That means a job in public affairs or administration is waiting for you to research and write policies that are meaningful to you and give your career purpose. Also, nearly every public position in the United States is remote, and the UMass SPP reputation is stellar. You can do what you love without traditional workforce barriers anywhere in North America or abroad.

Future plans:
I believe in paying it forward, so I will continue to mentor SPP students on lessons learned and directions to navigate the labyrinth of organizations that advocate for policies they care about. I want to stay with the National Academy of Public Administration for the foreseeable future, but I’d love to teach an interactive class at SPP on Intergovernmental Relations.

Posted April 2023