Nick Garcia ’11 and Kate MacFarland ’11 Selected to Elite Federal Program
Newly minted University of Oregon graduates Nick Garcia and Kate MacFarland are defying the dismal nationwide employment picture: They are headed to Washington, D.C., for well-paying, demanding jobs for two years and, if all goes well, permanent career-track positions with the federal government.
The two were shining stars in the UO’s Community and Regional Planning master’s program in the Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management, which helped them apply to become Presidential Management Fellows (PMF).
The PMF program is the flagship leadership development program for advanced degree candidates interested in federal careers. The program was created to develop leaders in federal service through a rigorous two-year fellowship that includes a job with a federal agency, 160 hours of formal classroom training, optional job rotations in other federal agencies and the potential for accelerated promotions.
Garcia will serve as a community planner for the Federal Transit Administration and MacFarland as a renewable energy coordinator with the U.S. Forest Service. “Since I'm interested in sustainability in general and transportation in particular, working for the FTA seemed like it could be a good way to achieve those goals,” Garcia said. He views government work “as a way to make a difference and feel fulfilled in the process. When it's working well, government provides important public services and solves problems.”
Garcia, who graduated in environmental studies from Dartmouth in 2007, managed a lodge in New Hampshire’s White Mountains for two years before entering the CRP program at UO. MacFarland worked for the U.S.D.A. Agricultural Research Service studying invasive plants during and after undergraduate work in natural resources at Cornell. She also worked for the Peace Corps, serving as an agroforestry extension agent in Senegal.
When the PMF opportunity arose, she said, “I knew I wanted to work with a land management agency within the federal government, and I'm really excited to work for the Forest Service,” she says. “The federal government has resources and relationships available to it unlike those of other land management institutions,” she points out. “Through decisions made about federal land itself and through the research the federal government conducts, federal agencies influence decisions made in communities across the U.S.”
Garcia and MacFarland were two of seven UO finalists chosen from 9,100 nominations for the prestigious and highly competitive program, which only accepts about 10 percent of applicants. The two went to San Francisco for interviews as semi-finalists, then to the PMF job fair in Washington, D.C., for a final round of interviews. PPPM covered their expenses for both trips and, critically, helped them through the application process.
“Our career adviser, Rhonda Smith, was very proactive in helping me through the application process,” Garcia said. “She even set up a practice session for those of us selected to participate in the in-person assessment down in San Francisco, and I think that improved everyone's chance of success.”
Both also cite the PPPM program, and the Community Planning Workshop in particular, for growing their skills in project management, quantitative and qualitative analysis, group facilitation, technical writing, effective public speaking and presentation, efficient critical reading, and general time management and organization.
For MacFarland, that’s precisely why she came to the UO. “I enrolled in the UO CRP program because I was looking for a hands-on, applied degree in community planning. I was interested in a planning degree because it brings together social policies, economics, natural resources, community development, and many other important areas with the goal of improving communities.”
The PMF program expects hard work and dedication to service. “As part of the PMF ‘fraternal order,’” the PMF website tells finalists, “you will portray your elite status through the quality of your work and service to your country. You will need to demonstrate leadership, foster teamwork, set goals and, in the end, deliver something of value to the American people.”
Upon successful completion of the two-year program, PMF jobs are converted to permanent status, a rare opportunity in the competitive federal job market where many jobs are one- to four-year “term” positions or only seasonal. Fellows earn a base salary starting around $42,000 plus the same benefits federal workers get. They may also be eligible for repayment of student loans up to $60,000.
» Information about the PPPM program
» Information about the PMF program