A Conference on Making Government Work

Date & Time Nov 24 2025 All day

Department Graduate Program Graduate Career Development

Audience Restricted to SPIA graduate students

Conference Agenda - Thursday, April 11 and Friday, April 12

Thursday, April 11

4:30-4:45 PM	Welcome Karen L. McGuinness, MPA 85*, Associate Dean for Graduate Education, Woodrow Wilson School
4:45-5:45 PM	Opening Remarks Michael Huerta, MPA 80,* Former Administrator of the FAA
6:00 PM	Proceed to Reception/Dinner
6:15 PM	Reception at Palmer House
7:00-9:00 PM	Dinner at Palmer House with Students and Speakers
10:00 PM	Guests Proceed to Hotel

Friday, April 12

8:00-9:00 AM	Registration and Networking Breakfast
9:00-9:15 AM	Introduction to the Day Steven Strauss, Lecturer and John L. Weinberg/Goldman Sachs & Co. Visiting Professor, Woodrow Wilson School
9:15-10:30 AM	**Session I: Making Urban Government Work – What is the role of Innovation and Technology? Moderator: Jennifer Widner, Professor of Politics & International Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School Nigel Jacob, Co-founder Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics Gabriella Gómez-Mont, Founder and Director, Experimentalista Stacey Matlen, Senior Mobility Strategist at City of Detroit Office of Mobility Innovation Micah Lasher**, Head of Policy and Communications at Sidewalk Labs
10:30-10:45 AM	Networking Break
10:45AM-Noon	**Session II: Making Government Work – Bloomberg Associates Summary: Bloomberg Associations represents a bold new approach to making government work better combining elements of management consulting with philanthropy. In this session we will discuss some of their existing work, clients and methodologies. Moderator: Ernesto Freire, Chief of Staff, Bloomberg Associates Troy Schulte, City Manager City of Kansas City, MO Brian Kelsey, Chief Strategy Officer, Nashville Mayor's Office Richard Cox**, Chief Operating Officer, City of Atlanta, GA
Noon-1:30 PM	*Session III:* Lunch Roundtable Discussions Public Sector Consulting Ernesto Freire, Chief of Staff, Bloomberg Associates Alumni table: Lisa McNeilly, MPA94* Katie Hammer, MPA11* Adam Petkun, MPA10* Planning for the City of Tomorrow: Gabriella Gómez-Mont Stacey Matlen Carl Weisbrod Santiago Garces What do startup and early stage investors do? Tony Clancy Stonly Baptiste Ben Berkowitz Jessica Lawrence Quinn Philanthropy and the Not-for-Profit Sector: Maureen Conway Faiza Issa
1:30-1:45 PM	Return to Plenary Room
1:45-3:00 PM	**Session IV: Making Government Work: A Practitioner Perspective Moderator: Patricia Kirkland, Assistant Professor of Politics and Public Affairs, Woodrow Wilson School Carl Weisbrod, Senior Advisor, HR&A Advisors, Board Member MTA, Former Chairman NYC Planning Commission, Former President of Trinity Church Real Estate, Founding President NYC Economic Corporation Anthony Shorris*, MPA 79, Former First Deputy Mayor of NYC and Weinberg/Goldman Sachs Visiting Professor, Woodrow Wilson School Roy Kojo Jawara "Jay" Williams, President, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving
3:00-3:15 PM	Networking Break
3:15-4:30 PM	**Session V: Alumni Panel Moderator: Barbara Hampton, Director of Graduate Career Services and Alumni Relations, Woodrow Wilson School Alisia Gill*, MPA 96, Chief People Officer at NYC Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications Katie Hammer, MPA 11, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, City of Detroit Lisa McNeilly, MPA 94, Director of Sustainability, City of Baltimore Midori Valdivia, MPA-URP 08*, Chief of Staff to MTA President, Metropolitan Transportation Agency
4:30-4:45 PM	Closing Remarks Jeffrey Oakman, MPA 03*, Associate Director of Finance and Administration, Graduate Program Office, Office of Graduate Career Services, Woodrow Wilson School
4:45-5:45 PM	Reception