Alumni Council

The School of Public Policy (SPP) Alumni Council helps current and future students connect with alumni to explore the wide variety of career opportunities available to UConn SPP graduates. Alumni Council members also connect and network with their former classmates.

History

In 2019, the UConn MPA Alumni Council combined with the Survey Research Alumni Council to form the Department of Public Policy (DPP) Alumni Council, supporting alumni of all DPP programs. In 2022, the DPP became the School of Public Policy (SPP). The MPA Alumni Council was established more than a decade ago to support both the MPA program and its students. Over the years, Alumni Council members have served as mentors and role models for our aspiring administrators. Alumni are willing to talk with students, review resumes, and set up job shadows in order to help students have the same great opportunities as the people who went before them.

UConn SPP graduates have taken jobs both in Connecticut and throughout the country in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Connecting our alumni with students – and with each other – is at the core of the Council’s mission.

2022-2023 Council Members

NC = Nominating Committee members | AC = Awards Committee members

President: Christopher Brechlin '18 MPP
Vice President: Tara Downes '20 MPA
Secretary: Tony Patelunas '19 MPP

Term Expires June 30, 2023

Lauren Hunt '18 MPA
Development Program Coordinator
Yale School of Public Health
laurenhunt77@gmail.com

Alissa Johnston '07 MPA
Performance Measurement Coordinator
Capital Workforce Partners
alissabess@gmail.com

Larisa Kottke '13 MPA
President & CEO
Leadership Greater Hartford
larisavk@gmail.com

Jessica Legnos Kearney '12 MPA, AC
Second Vice President
Travelers Institute
jlkearne@travelers.com

Jennifer McDermott '13 MPA, NC
Vice President, Senior Underwriter, Public Sector Finance
Webster Bank
jmcdermott@websterbank.com

Ron Schack '93 MPA
Director
The Charter Oak Group, LLC
rschack@charteroakgroup.com

Term Expires June 30, 2024

Janice Castle '11 MPA
Director, Office of Community Engagement
City of Hartford
janice.castle80@gmail.com

Tara Downes '20 MPA, Vice President
Assistant State Comptroller
Connecticut Office of the State Comptroller
tara.downes@uconn.edu

Parashar Patel '91 MPA
Senior Vice President, Government Affairs & Market Access
Viewray, Inc
pacoinconn@gmail.com

Tony Patelunas '19 MPP, Secretary
Program Manager
Seven Bridges Genomics
anthony.patelunas@gmail.com

Ashley Plosky '07 MASR, AC
2VP, Business Insurance (BI) Sales Analytics and Execution
The Travelers Companies, Inc.
ashley.plosky@gmail.com

Matt Robinson '11 MPA
Senior Consultant
Systems Evolution, Inc.
mrobinson860@gmail.com

Term Expires June 30, 2025

Melissa Appleby '13 MPA, NC
Deputy Town Manager
Town of Simsbury
melissa.ashley.jones@gmail.com

Christopher Brechlin '18 MPP, President, AC
Director of Data and Digital Systems
COMPASS Youth Collaborative
christopherbrechlin@gmail.com

Candace Fitzpatrick '06 MPA, NC
Alumni Relations & Development Director
School of Public Policy, University of Connecticut
cvwfitz@gmail.com

Charlie Grab '18 MPA
Director Business Operations & Mobility Services, Central Administration
Harvard University
charlie_grab@harvard.edu

Chaz Plungis '10 MPA
Assistant Director, Medicaid Finance
Rhode Island Office of Health and Human Services
chaz.plungis@gmail.com

Bill Craven '15 MPA
Senior Financial Analyst, Financial Planning & Analysis
Yale University
william.craven@yale.edu

Alternates

Maureen Goulet '20 MPA, Alternate (2023)
Director of Purchasing
Town of Manchester
mgoulet@manchesterct.gov

Morgan Spencer '12 MPA, Alternate (2024)
Compliance and Quality Control Officer
Mindful Urgent Care
m.hollenbeck.spencer@gmail.com

Tina Prakash '07 MASR, '21 MPA, Alternate (2025)
Special Assistant to the Deputy
Secretary of the State of Connecticut
tina.b.prakash@gmail.com

School Representatives

School Director

Mohamad Alkadry
(959) 200-3858
mohamad.alkadry@uconn.edu

Director of Graduate Programs

Eric Brunner
(959) 200-3795
eric.brunner@uconn.edu

Student Representative

Brighten Critchfield
GAPPS/ICMA
gapps.icma@gmail.com