Cross-sector
WAVEMAKERS publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu
THE PEPPERDINE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC POLICY PREPARES WAVEMAKERS: CROSS-SECTOR PUBLIC LEADERS WHO WORK ACROSS DIFFERENCES AND CREATE SUSTAINABLE POLICY SOLUTIONS. PRIVATE SECTOR LEADERS Evelyn Aleman specialized in economics and international relations while at SPP and is the founder and president of Media Image Public Relations. This communication agency provides grassroots public relations services with a public policy perspective. Her work includes public affairs, media relations, government affairs, general- and Hispanic-market outreach, and public relations. For her clients Aleman focuses on issues pertaining to health, education, the environment, asset building, financial empowerment, and small business and community development.
Devon Ciby specialized in economics and international relations at SPP. He currently works at Targeted Victory, a top conservative digital firm focused on winning political elections and solving global corporate challenges through marketing, fundraising, and public affairs work. To Ciby, SPP was the one school with a curriculum that offered the idea that “public policy” was not a euphemism for “big government.” Ciby interned with the political team of former US House Majority Whip Steve Scalise and volunteered in several fundraising and political positions.
EVELYN ALEMAN (MPP ’00)
DEVON CIBY (’16, MPP ’18)
Founder and President, Media Image Public Relations
Fundraising Analyst, Targeted Victory
Michelle Isenhouer Hanlin has 12 years of experience in program management and development, energy policy, and project execution. Hanlin manages Booz Allen Hamilton’s New York Prize Community Microgrid initiative and serves as a program management lead for the Navy’s Resilient Energy Program Office (REPO). Previously, she led Booz Allen’s support for REPO’s smart grid, advanced metering infrastructure, and cyber security implementation for energy control systems. Hanlin also worked in the private sector generating renewable energy projects for EDF Renewable Energy.
Jason Pates attributes his success in the US Presidential Management Fellows program to courses in applied economics and public finance at SPP. The degree paid further dividends in Pates’ work as a management consultant, where SPP’s use of case studies and emphasis on teamwork were great preparation for problem-solving sessions with leadership at the Department of Defense. To Pates, public policy is more than just civil service; a master of public policy degree’s versatility serves well in cross-sector opportunities.
MICHELLE ISENHOUER HANLIN (MPP ’08) Lead Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton
JASON PATES (’95, MPP ’99) Manager, Consulting Services, Cisco Systems
EMPLOYMENT SECTORS
ONE DEGREE: FIVE SPECIALIZATIONS
★★ 41%
Private Sector (government relations, communications, consulting)
★★ 27%
Nonprofit Sector (civic arena, NGOs, foundations, think tanks)
American Policy and Politics
International Relations and National Security
Applied Economic Policy
★★ 20%
Government (local, state, federal, international service)
★★ 11%
Postgraduate (doctoral studies)
Public Policy and Dispute Resolution
State and Local Policy
NONPROFIT SECTOR LEADERS Jeffrey Jones implemented his education from the School of Public Policy in his current position as assistant director of operations and research fellow at the Hoover Institution. The faculty members at SPP encouraged a high level of scholarship and continually challenged him to think and write clear policies. Courses in economics and political philosophy taught Jones to formulate solutions that take into account both the rational and normative nature of policy. The call to possess a leadership mind-set prompted him to look for ways to improve himself, those he works with, and the institution he serves.
Hattie Mitchell founded Crete Academy, an integrated school for children located in South Los Angeles. Her energy and passion for providing an education to all children was established during a visit to Skid Row when she came upon a six-month-old resident. Mitchell believes every person has a chance in life with an education, and she is dedicated to improving education policy. The School of Public Policy aligned with Mitchell’s core values and provided an understanding of the importance of the education system.
JEFFREY JONES (MPP ’02)
Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Crete Academy
HATTIE MITCHELL (MPP ’12)
Assistant Director, Operations/Research Fellow, Hoover Institution
Nicole Neily specialized in economic policy and foreign policy and is currently serving as president of Speech First, a litigationfocused, campus free-speech organization. While at the School of Public Policy, she was a part of the Women in Public Policy, a student organization established to promote the development of women in the academic and professional arenas with an emphasis on ethics and leadership. Previously Neily worked in the nonprofit sectors as president of the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity and executive director and senior fellow at the Independent Women’s Forum and in the private sector as a senior vice president at Dezenhall Resources.
NICOLE NEILY (MPP ’06) President, Speech First
Troy Senik recognized the School of Public Policy implemented viewpoint diversity within politics. He states, “the most valuable contribution that Pepperdine made for me was the intellectual dexterity.” It is the diversity and balance of SPP’s curriculum that Senik asserts is its greatest asset and the strongest factor to his success. One important lesson that Senik would hope to pass on to those seeking a degree in public policy and to enter this industry, is that SPP truly offers a unique learning environment that prepares its students to participate in important policy initiatives among different sectors.
TROY SENIK (MPP ’07) Vice President, Policy and Programs, Manhattan Institute
GOVERNMENT LEADERS Lance Christensen found that studying at the School of Public Policy gave him insight into how public policy impacts local communities and prepared him to make policy changes and improvements in his own community. While interning at a think tank, the skills he learned at SPP furthered his ability to effectively testify before a variety of governmental legislative bodies on pension and other policy issues. In a testimonial video to future policy students, he encourages them to take opportunities at the state and local level to make major decisions that will have an impact in their own surroundings.
Ximena del Carpio discovered a passion for economic development through the diverse curricula she encountered while earning a joint master of public policy and master of business administration degree at Pepperdine. She currently works as a senior economist at the World Bank, an institution that envisions “a world free of poverty,” hoping to make a difference in people’s lives. Reflecting on her career, del Carpio states, “It is empowering to have a broad set of skills that allow one to work in a place that is not only challenging, but also extremely rewarding.”
LANCE CHRISTENSEN (MPP ’04)
XIMENA DEL CARPIO (’98, MPP ’00, MBA ’00)
Chief of Staff, California State Senator John Moorlach
Senior Economist, The World Bank
Hanna Skandera has focused her skills on improving schools and informing educational policy nationwide, having taught education policy at SPP. Serving as secretary of education of New Mexico from 2010 to 2017, Skandera led the transformation of the state’s public schools, increasing their graduation rates and school rankings. Nationally, Skandera serves as a board member of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, as the chair of the advisory council to the George W. Bush Institute’s education reform team, and is a former Pahara-Aspen Fellow. Skandera has also served as a research fellow with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University.
Hans Zieger served three terms in the Washington State house of representatives before he was elected as a state senator in 2016. He believes that political power comes fundamentally from the people. While attending SPP, he found it to have a grounded nature in a theoretical basis along with principles of a free society. With a goal to run for office, Zieger’s education provided a unique and well-rounded master of public policy degree within a program that gave him the tools and skill set needed to be successful in his role as a state legislator.
HANNA SKANDERA (MPP ’00)
HANS ZIEGER (MPP ’09) State Senator, 25th District, Washington State
Former Secretary of Education, New Mexico
To hear more from SPP alumni Wavemakers, visit
publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu/alumni/wavemaker-testimonials To support the next generation of Wavemakers, call Matt Cuttler, director of development, at 310.506.6513 or visit
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publicpolicy.pepperdine.edu/giving