Manager, Long-Term Care and Seniors, Ontario Office of the Treasury Board
Graduate Program in Public Policy, Administration & Law, Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law (MPPAL) 2017

Tell prospective students a bit about the work you do.

I work in the Office of the Treasury Board to support the development and implementation of the government's fiscal plan, ensure the sound stewardship and investment of public funds, provide expert advice to decision-makers on government programs and initiatives, and provide analytical support to Treasury Board/Management Board of Cabinet. My day-to-day includes briefing and providing recommendations to political and bureaucratic decision-makers on Treasury Board/Management Board of Cabinet submissions provided by the Ministry of Long-Term Care and the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility. It also includes supporting the government's fiscal cycle through contributions to published documents like the Budget, the Fall Economic Statement, and Public Accounts.

Tell prospective students a bit about how your studies at York helped you to get where you are today.

My studies in the School of Public Policy and Administration are the main reason I am where I am today. In the first year of the Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law (MPPAL) program, I was engaged as a participant in the IPAC & CAPPA 2016 National Annual Public Administration Case Competition at the University of Ottawa. My involvement with the coaches and my team taught me the merits of clear, concise, and effective policy advisement; more specifically, addressing the cause rather than the symptoms in any given issue.

From then on, I was enticed to do more. I acted as the first year class representative in the Graduate Student's Association of Public Policy Administration and Law (GSAPPAL) and moved on to become the President in my second year, participated in the 2016 Annual CAPPA Conference in Quebec, and undertook an additional Graduate Diploma in Justice System Administration. All these opportunities led to the development of a stronger network with my peers, faculty, and industry professionals through the events that we would both host and participate in. They also led to my receipt of the 2017 Ian Greene Book Prize for Academic Achievement and Contribution.

Although the program seemed to place an emphasis on its Law, Administration and Ethics module, the two other modules (Public Management and Finance, and Public Policy and Analysis) were the most beneficial to me. I am using the material taught in the Research Methods, Public Finance, and Program Evaluation courses at work every day. It was refreshing to not only gain a strong theoretical foundation in these subject areas, but also to have highly relevant practical insights relayed to us from the faculty.