MPA Students & Alumni Making Impacts in their Communities & Advancing their Careers

Students and alumni of the University of Montana's Department of Public Administration and Policy continue to further their careers in public service and make positive impacts on their communities. Here are a few highlights of their accomplishments from Spring of 2022: 

Angela Bridegam
Organization: Go Run Missoula

After working decades in the field of domestic and sexual violence, Angela Bridegam returned to school at the University of Montana to pursue nonprofit administration and her master’s in public administration. While in graduate school, Bridegam created a business plan for Girls Run Missoula (GRM), to give young girls the skills and confidence to avoid adverse experiences throughout their lives. With support from the Small Business Development Center, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic Bridegam completed a pilot program and then fully launched GRM in 2020.

GRM saw 200% growth in participation numbers between the second and third seasons and again between the third and fourth seasons and drew the attention of donors and a year-long sponsorship from Toyota. While GRM is still focused on its initial business plan goals, it is actively creating an environment and support system that is helping young women find focus, strength and mental fitness—as well as physical fitness. GRM ran six 5K community races, performed 20 hours of community service, hosted over 200 volunteer mentors, and served 150 girls this year and spread to Frenchtown and Target Range as well as three different sites in Missoula. “I attribute much of my professional success to the skills gained while in graduate school,” said Bridegam. In 2022, Girls Run Missoula re-named itself to Go Run Missoula to be more inclusive and prepare for new programming opportunities.

Ashley Brittner Wells
Organization: City of Missoula, CPDI

Current MPA student Ashley Brittner Wells accepted a position as the Community Engagement Specialist for the Community Planning, Development & Innovation Department  (CDPI) at the City of Missoula. This role is a really exciting opportunity for Ashley to do what she loves most, “build relationships with my community.” The initial focus of her role will be Comprehensive Code Reform, but she will be designing and leading a wide range of outreach and engagement processes for CPDI.

Ashley states, “We are looking at how we can foster ongoing conversations and remove barriers to engagement in an effort to bring voices to the table that have historically not been present, whether that is because residents have not been invited or because it has not been possible for them to engage. Residents should have the chance to engage meaningfully in issues that matter to them and my job will be to make space, to listen, and to follow up; not just on a project-by-project basis, but an ongoing basis.” Ashley believes this effort will be truly effective if her team ensures engagement that is accessible for all. 

Rozlyn Haley (L), Jamar Galbreath (R), & Ashley Brittner Wells (above)
Organization: Missoula County & City Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI)

MPA students Ashley Brittner Wells, Jamar Galbreath, and Rozlyn Haley have collectively worked as a part of the National League of Cities, Cities of Opportunities: Turning Crisis into Pathways to Equity & Resiliency 2021 cohort. This a collaborative effort by the City of Missoula and Missoula County to work with community partnerships to pass Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Resolutions at the city and county level. By developing a resolution and work plan that aligns community efforts, the City of Missoula and Missoula County commit to using an equity lens in all parts of their work.

Galbreath was recently hired as the new Missoula County Equity Coordinator. Haley is the JEDI Fellow for Missoula County. Brittner Wells started as the Baucus Leader MT fellow for the City of Missoula, and was recently hired by the City. 

When asked how the MPA program has influenced the work featured here, Ashley responded, “The knowledge and skills I have attained in the MPA Program have helped tremendously; from community engagement strategies, budgeting for values, and building strong partnerships with other organizations, what we learn in the MPA Program informs and enhances my work every day.”

Tim Burton
Organization: Helena City

On March 15, the Helena City Commission voted in unison to appoint MPA alumni Tim Burton as the interim city manager. Burton was amongst a pool of highly qualified candidates, but his executive experience and background in state and local government impressed the commissioners on the hiring committee.

This will be Burton’s second time serving as the Helena city manager, with the first appointment from 2000-2009. Since 2009, Burton was the deputy director and chief of staff for then-Attorney General Steve Bullock, and also served as the chief administrative officer for Lewis and Clark County. Most recently, he acted as the Executive Director of the Montana League of Cities and Towns, a nonprofit and nonpartisan association of 127 Montana municipalities. In his new position, Burton will serve as the chief administrative officer to oversee daily operations and provide leadership for the department directors and 350 government employees. 

Tosca Saltz
Organization: U.S. State Department

MPA alumni Tosca Saltz recently accepted an offer with the State Department to serve as a Foreign Service Officer! In her new role, Tosca will be moving to Washington D.C. for training and then assigned to work overseas with a U.S. embassy or consulate. From there, she will be stationed for 2-3 years before moving to another country or returning to D.C. for occasional assignments. Having worked in public service for nearly 7 years with part of that time spent in the Peace Corps, this new position was a natural fit.

The application process alone took a whole year including a Foreign Service Exam, a series of essays, a language test, and a full day of interviews in D.C. Tosca was, of course, a strong candidate and she stated, “For me, the MPA program helped to articulate my public service goals and gave me the confidence to explore a career change.” In addition, she reflected, “During my interviews, both oral and written, I was able to pull from so many examples and theories that had come up in my classes.” 

Mike Ashton
Organization: Crowden Music Center

UM MPA alumni Mike Ashton was recently promoted to Director of Finance and Human Resources at Crowden Music Center, a non-profit, music-centered school in Berkeley, California. Ashton had always wanted to work for a mission-driven organization, and said the MPA degree with a focus in nonprofit administration was the perfect way to navigate the transition from the private sector to the public.

“The classes in the MPA program helped immediately by providing context for the challenges and opportunities of the nonprofit sector,” said Ashton, noting that “the curriculum covered a lot of ground extremely well.” He also began volunteering for local nonprofits, and “as I progressed further into the program, I found that my coursework and volunteer work created a complementary relationship that was more impactful than either aspect would have been in isolation.”

As an online student living in another state, he noted that “the infrastructure required to deliver the courses fully online was outstanding and key to my ability to complete a master’s program within a busy schedule.” Still, “the faculty was the best part of the program.”

Eric Vorkeoeper
Organization: University of Montana

As UM's Online Education Manager, MPA alumni Eric Vorkoeper supports the campus community through all stages of business development, program planning, and evaluation to launch new online courses and offerings. He noted that since the COVID19 pandemic began, "the narrative around higher education has centered on shifting toward more skill-based curricular approaches that are tied directly to career success, professional development, and workforce development initiatives.” Because of these changes, there has been growth in higher education beyond the traditional degrees with a new emphasis on non-credit offerings, micro-credentials, and certificates. This change is also reflected within DPAP with newer offerings such as the Public Policy Certificate, Micro-credential in Nonprofit Leadership & Development, and the Public Service Academy.   

 The MPA program and non-profit courses provided Eric with a theoretical foundation that has benefited his work in the public sector. When asked how the MPA program has helped him in his work, Eric responded, “There isn’t a day that goes by that I do not fall back on some core tenet learned in courses like Policy Analysis, Public Human Resource Management, or Organizational Theory (my all-time favorite). Above all, establishing lasting relationships based on trust, accountability and transparency is what has set me up for success while working for the University of Montana.”

Lisa Dworak
Organization: Confluence Public Health Alliance

UM MPA/MPH alumni Lisa Dworak was recently promoted to Executive Director of Confluence Public Health Alliance. CPHA is an independent, non-profit organization that provides leadership and management, operational, administrative and support services to its three member organizations:  the Montana Public Health Association (MPHA), the Association of Montana Public Health Officials (AMPHO) and the Montana Environmental Health Association (MEHA). 

Dworak brings public health program management, administration, policy, advocacy and relationship-building experience that she gained working in rural and urban communities in Montana and Nebraska. 

Clare Mundy (L) & Marina Yoshioka (R)
22-23 Bertha Morton Scholars

Two current MPA students are recipients of the 2022-2023 Bertha Morton Scholarship, which means they are in the top five percent of the University's graduate students in terms of academic performance, research, and creative activities.      

Clare Mundy is a second-year MPA student as well as the Director of Development at Austin Achieve Public Schools in Austin, Texas. After graduation, she plans to continue working to expand access to high-quality public education for all PreK-12 students. "I've learned so much in the MPA program...all of which are applicable in my role in public education," Mundy said. "I will continue to refer back to the lessons learned in this program as I continue my career in public service. 

Marina Yoshioka is also a second-year MPA student. "This degree will enhance my knowledge and skills," Yoshioka said, enabling me to become an effective administrator and better serve the scholarship. She expressed gratitude for this scholarship, "as it will help me finish my degree and further my career goals."