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Government Careers

Our alumni have worked at all levels of government, including in Brazil. We have a long line of alumni in national intelligence and the military. Barry Zulauf, with a career in intelligence, for example, has joined the Alumni Board. When he returns to campus for meetings, he offers his time to current students who might be interested in working for the federal government more broadly. He also works with recent graduates who have a particular interest in intelligence.

Tyler YapleTyler Yaple
Class of 2014
Government Affairs & External Engagement
Columbus, Ohio

Director, Government Affairs & External Engagement, JobsOhio (Ohio's economic development corporation)

Advice: "Challenge yourself to listen to and develop relationships with people who hold opposing views - if you identify as politically 'conservative,' get to know 'progressives,' and vice versa. I promise, you'll have more in common than you'd expect. If you want to have a career in or around government, you'll need a robust and diverse set of relationships. Some of my best friends and closest professional allies hold opposing political views.

Get some hands-on experience! Don't be afraid to intern or begin a career in or around government - understand that you'll have to work your way up, but getting involved as early as possible is helpful. I highly recommend the LSC Fellowship if you're interested in state government in Ohio. ."

Amanda BaldwinAmanda (Stevens) Baldwin
Class of 2004
Deputy Chief of Staff, US House of Representatives
Washington, DC

After graduation I moved to Washington DC working in the Senate, and now the US House of Representatives where I serve as a Deputy Chief of Staff for a member from Texas. I live on Capitol Hill with my husband and two children.

Advice? Be flexible, coachable, and dependable. And clean up social media before graduation!

Juliet Dupuy Gardner
Class of 1991
Attorney, Office of Inspector General
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, DC

Advice: I would tell current college students to take multiple classes where they can practice their communication skills - writing in particular - and to constantly seek feedback from professors to hone those skills. I would tell them to study abroad if they can - I believe experiencing other cultures is extremely valuable. I'd encourage them to do volunteer work in the Springfield community. And I'd suggest that they attend at least one campus sporting event or lecture/arts production every semester - Â鶹´«Ã½ brings some pretty cool people to campus, and Â鶹´«Ã½ students are talented athletes, artists & musicians - it's good to support them. Finally, I'd tell them to have fun!

Bob and Kathy IrvinBob Irvin
Class of 1978
Local Government Management
Lake Bluff, Illinois

Bob had a career in local government management for over 41 years, serving as chief administrative officer for over 36 years. He held city manager positions in the Missouri cities of Cameron and Kirksville, and the village manager/administrator positions in the Illinois cities of Lincolnshire and Mettawa, both Chicago suburbs. Bob served as President of the Illinois City/County Management Association and President of the Missouri City Management Association. Bob has a Political Science degree from Â鶹´«Ã½ University and a MPA from the University of Dayton. He was awarded the Robert B. Morris Lifetime Achievement Award from the Illinois City/County Management Association.

Professional Experience

  • Village Administrator, Mettawa, Illinois – July, 2013 to May, 2021
  • Village Manager, Lincolnshire, Illinois - October, 1993 to June, 2012
  • City Manager, Kirksville, Missouri - August, 1990 to October, 1993
  • City Manager, Cameron, Missouri - July, 1984 to August, 1990
  • Assistant to the Village Manager, Winnetka, Illinois - August, 1982 to July, 1984
  • Administrative Assistant to the Village Manager, Winnetka, Illinois - October, 1980 to
  • August, 1982
  • Administrative Assistant/Planner, Miami Valley Regional Planning Commission, Dayton,
  • Ohio - August, 1979 to October, 1980

Education

  • BA - Political Science - Â鶹´«Ã½ University, 1978
  • MPA - Public Administration - University of Dayton, 1979

Professional Affiliations

  • International City/County Management Association – Life Member
  • Illinois City/County Management Association - Member

Other Achievements

  • President, Illinois City/County Management Association, 2010-2011
  • President-Elect, Illinois City/County Management Association, 2009-2010
  • Vice President, Illinois City/County Management Association – 2008-09
  • Secretary/Treasurer, Illinois City/County Management Association - 2007-08
  • Board Member, Illinois City/County Management Association - 2004-2005 and 2006-07
  • President, Metropolitan Managers Association - 2004-2005
  • Treasurer, Northwest Municipal Conference - 2003-2005
  • President, Missouri City Management Association - 1992-1993
  • President, Mid-America Regional Council Insurance Trust - 1989-1990
  • President, Cameron Rotary Club - 1989-1990

Tim Krein
Class of 1979
Military Intelligence Officer

By way of background, I joined the United States Air Force shortly after graduating and spent 30 years (both active and reserve) as a military intelligence officer. In 2006, I left IBM (where I ended up after business school at Northwestern) to become an innovation advisor to the newly formed Office of the Director of National Intelligence (retiring at the beginning of 2020).

Along the way I worked at a variety of national security organizations - DIA, FBI, CIA, USN. Leveraging this background, I also spent five years as an adjunct faculty member teaching a US National Security course for Northwestern University’s School of Continuing Studies (Masters in Public Policy and Administration).
 
Advice: During my junior year at Witt I studied business and international relations at the University of Copenhagen. It was this overseas experience that kindled my interest in international affairs and national security…and it ended up turning into a career.

Tim KurylaTim Kuryla
Class of 1964
Kentucky Division of Water, Policy Analysis
Lexington, Kentucky

My minor was Speech (Debate was a credit course). I did 4 years of Debate.

Beginning my junior year, my major was merged into History. My minor (Speech in Dep of Drama and Speech) was merged into English. Many years later, Political Science became again its own department. That belied the 1963 reorganization. My conjecture at the time: Mergers were done to remove people from hiring power.

My December 1970 MA in Political Science is from the University of Kentucky. I began in January 1966. I was drafted in August 1966. At the time, I worked for the Legislative Research Commission. I had finished my research and started writing the LRC study on the Powers of the Fiscal Court.

I returned to UK in August 1968. I liked place in 1966. I did not as much in 1968 because I was not  a behaviorist. But I received in Basic Combat Training my UK Full Standing Letter. So I had to be accepted back. I salvaged what I could from the courses so I could get my MA; for example, I took two extra courses in lieu of writing a research paper.

Because a place could change extensively in two years, I would not know what to tell aspiring political science majors, especially on going back to do graduate work after being few years out. If Â鶹´«Ã½ was behaviorist when I began in Political Science, I would have majored in something else, such as Philosophy. My first of my 3 philosophy courses was second semester Junior Year. I had a 4.0 GPA in Philosophy.

Since I returned in 1968 from the Army, I have lived in Lexington, Kentucky. But, except for a local research company and for night auditing at a motel during hard times, I worked in Frankfort., mostly for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I commuted from Lexington. I worked as Legislative staff for the 1979 Southern Legislative Conference. In the early 1970s, I was in Community College at Kentucky State University in Frankfort. My longest stint was with the Kentucky Division of Water from January 1980 until I retired in August 2003. At that research place in 1970 & 1971, I worked on the Kentucky State Solid Waste and Framework Water Plans. Little did I realize back then, I would have later a career in Environmental Protection.

In the beginning for Water, I followed proposed legislation, and wrote proposed regulation and legislation. From 1981 onward, I coordinated Water’s review of Applications for Federal Assistance and of environment documents. My idea of travel was walking among our buildings or driving to other executive branch agencies, or to the Legislative Research Commission in the Capitol. In appreciation of my coordinating and writing responses for those reviews, upon my retirement, the Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection commissioned me as an Admiral in the Great Fleet of the Commonwealth. Not many of those commissions were awarded. Regarding the Intergovernmental Reviews (Applications for Federal Assistance), a Kentucky Area Development District person involved in shepherding local government applications, said that I was strict [in asking for useful information] but thorough in my responses. Regarding the environment responses, a State Environmental Review Officer said that Water gave you an answer you could use.

In the Army, I was sent to an infantry company in West Germany. This was February 1967. Within a week, I was sent to Unit Level Clerk School. Upon my return end of March 1967, I began April 1967 as Company Clerk of Company A, 2nd Battalion of 54th Infantry (Mechanized) of the 4th Armored Division. I went from Private E-2 to Specialist Five E-5 by the time I was rotated back to the States for discharge. Annual Inspections are a given in the Army. We had one in May 1968. It was a serious inspection on how I as Company Clerk did my work. We were the most improved Orderly Room in the Battalion! For that, I was awarded a Fourth Armored Division Certificate of Achievement. Not many of those were awarded. It did not hurt that I took from Kurt Fickert Conversation German in addition to 2nd Year German. As Company Clerk, I fielded local as well as Army telephone calls, a lot of the former in German. Plus I could go places where only German was spoken and menus printed in German.

Since fellow classmate and Political Science Major (as Acting President) Bill Steinbrink announced at the 2005 64-65-66 + 74-75-76 re-union the Melvin Henry Arthur Laatsch Political Science Faculty Scholarship, I have contributed annually to it. I hope you have benefited from the MHAL fund. Somewhere on the closed to vehicles part of Woodlawn, is a stone marker with my name. I should mention that in the Class of 1964 there were two of us who were both Political Science Majors and Speech Minors: John McLaughlin and I. John had a career with the CIA; I had one in Kentucky environmental protection.

A bit of WU trivia: In the late 1980s a nearby state government colleague who worked for the Environmental Quality Commission was Scott Richards. We were not seated that far away. He was in telephone conversation with his sister Cindy. She mentioned that she had a good interview in the WU English Department. Scott pronounced that I graduated from there and I was very well connected! When Scott got off the phone, I said wait a minute! Just because in June 1960 when he was Assistant Registrar Bill Kinnison preregistered me; and because in 1973 or so when I had a luncheon appointment in the University Union with Bob Buchy of Alum Affairs to talk shop, Bill upon seeing me with Bob decides to join us; does not mean I am that well connected. Bill was President at the time. Just after Bill joined us, I noticed Karl Peterson entering the dining area; so I asked him to join us.

I would call my Phi Mu Delta fraternity (PS1963) brother Bob Ness and the Nobel Lynn (1964) very well connected. Bob has served on the board. Obviously donates well. The Ness family name greets people in what was a new building.

On one visit to campus to say hi to Pam Reisner, I walked past Cindy’s office to say hello. Otherwise, if I am traveling through, I visit the people I know in Alum and Development. Thus, I regularly drop by every year or so. Pam was my sister’s Mary’s math graduate student at MSU. When Pam told Mary that she was doing the math workshop at Â鶹´«Ã½, Sis told Pam that I visited regularly the Campus. That is how I became friends with Pam.

I will close with a Laatschism: What does government? Government does for the many deemed necessary by the many but affordable by only the few.

Myron MasonMyron Mason
Class of 2010
Maryland State Department of Education
Baltimore, Maryland

I am Myron A. Mason and I graduated from Â鶹´«Ã½ University in summer of 2010. I currently work for the Maryland State Department of Education as an Administrator II and I live in Baltimore City, MD.

Advice: For current poli-sci majors, I would tell them to pursue a master's degree after they finished their undergraduate studies. It not only helps to expand your knowledge, but greatly increases the odds of finding a career after college. Degrees I recommend include Masters of Public Administration, Public Policy, Public Affairs, or International Relations. My other advice is this, do not be discouraged if you are not doing as well as you would like. Everyone grows differently and what matters when it comes to academic study is balance and understanding the material as best as you can.

Gustavo Ramos
Class of 1999
Brazilian Federal Public Service
Brasilia, Brazil

Career: Member of the Brazilian Federal Public Service career of Public Policy and Governmental Management Specialist. Has worked in various public organizations in his country such as the Presidency of the Republic, Ministry of Culture and Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. Doctorate in Sociology of Latin America (University of Brasilia), Master´s in Politics of Development of Latin American and the Caribean (London School of Economics and Political Science). Mains research subjects: Brazilian - US relations; social dialogue and civil society participation in public policy making; Social dimension of regional integration.

Advice: Â鶹´«Ã½ provided an extremely rich environment for learning and research. Besides regular classes in various departments, participation in activitivies such as Model United Nations, international clubs and seminars, I have dedicated a significant amount of time conducting research at Thomas Library, where I also had the opportunity of working partially and admiring library tools and environment. I would strongly recommend fellow Poli Sci students to get as much as possible acquainted of the public policy making process as I see good government and dedicated public service as solutions to most major domestic and international problems and challenges.

Steve ThompsonSteve Thompson
Class of 2006
Local Government Administration
Springfield, Ohio

Advice: What would you tell current students if you could? Take advantage of every opportunity to learn or gain experience. Apply for internships, job shadow, talk to professors, do as much as you can. The more skills and knowledge you can gain before applying for jobs will help set you apart from others.

Barry ZulaufBarry Zulauf
Class of 1979
Intelligence Professional
Vienna, Virginia

  • Intelligence Professional my whole adult life, plus U.S. Naval Officer 1991-2013.
  • I got a Ph.D. from Indiana University.
  • I live in Vienna, Virginia and work in Bethesda, Maryland or McLean, Virginia.
  • Currently the Director of National Intelligence's representative at CIA Center for the Study of Intelligence

Advice: I encourage Tigers to consider a career in Federal Service, particularly in the national security realm. There may be more money to be made in the law, or the corporate world, but it is hard to beat the job satisfaction of helping to make the country safer.

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