careers in economic development

THE FIVE-COURSE CERTIFICATE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH The Fels Institute of Government The University of Pennsylvania’s Fels Institute of Government, founded in 1937 by Philadelphia industrialist Samuel S. Fels, offers one of the nation’s oldest and most distinguished graduate programs in public service. Its alumni hold a wide range of senior positions in fields including economic development and growth. Fels offers its certificate in Economic Development and Growth both as a concentration in its 12-course Master of Governmental Administration program and as a separate standalone program for non-MGA students. As a standalone program, the certificate can be completed in one year of part-time study. Certificate students have access to the vast instructional and informational resources of the University of Pennsylvania. Because certificate students share classes with students in the MGA program, they become part of the extended Fels community of students, alumni, faculty, and staff. Why this Certificate? This certificate seeks to train students with the cutting-edge skills required to enhance economic growth in Philadelphia, the Commonwealth, the nation, and beyond. As Governor Rendell said in his inaugural address in 2003, “Pennsylvania’s economy ranks 48th out of 50 states, and we’ve lost more than 80,000 jobs over the last two years. For too many of our fellow citizens, these are not just statistics - this is real life, and real pain.” Economic growth can advance human welfare. This certificate recognizes the importance of economic growth and of preparing leaders to promote it. The Fels Economic Development and Growth courses are taught by proven professionals who share their experience in fields including: measurement of economic growth; design, financing, and management of development organizations, programs, and projects; technology transfer and commercialization; infrastructure development for transportation; politics of development and growth; development law; economic adjustment after military base closure; business development (regulation and tax policy); housing and community development; and other subjects essential to senior positions in this field. Careers in Economic Development and Growth The Fels Institute has a long tradition of placing professionals in development careers in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Fels alumni in recent years have held Economic Development and Growth related positions with the following organizations, among others: • ederal Government – AMTRAK; National Capital Planning Commission; U.S. Agency for International F Development; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Department of Commerce; U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Economic Adjustment; U.S. Department of Education; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development; U.S. Department of the Interior; U.S. Department of Labor; U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; U.S. Transportation Security Administration • tate Government – Delaware Economic Development Office; Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, S and Regulation; New Jersey Department of Transportation; New Jersey Transit; Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development; Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry; Pennsylvania Governor’s Action Team; Pennsylvania Higher Education Facilities Authority; Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency; Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority • ocal Government – Atlanta Bureau of Planning; Chester Economic Development Authority; MiamiL Dade County Office of Community and Economic Development; Philadelphia Department of Commerce; Philadelphia Office of Housing and Neighborhood Preservation; Springfield Ohio Planning and Development Office; Upper Merion Township; Washington Convention Center; York Housing Authority • nternational – Bayerische Landesbank; Development Economic Western Switzerland; International I Development Institute for Organization & Management; International Economic Development Council; The Peace Corps; United Nations Development Program; The World Bank; Women’s World Banking  • Consulting, Planning, and Project Management Firms – DMJM Harris, Inc; Econsult; Fairmount Ventures; New Economy Strategies; TCC Group; Urban Partners • ndependent Authorities – Atlantic City Casino Reinvestment Development Authority; Atlantic City I Convention and Visitors Authority; Delaware River and Bay Authority; Delaware River Port Authority; New Jersey Turnpike Authority; Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development; Philadelphia Parking Authority; Philadelphia Redevelopment Authority; Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA); Susquehanna River Basin Commission; Tulsa Transit Authority; Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority • evelopment Nonprofits – Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry; Community Design D Collaborative of AIA Philadelphia; Coopers Ferry Development Association; Delaware Valley Industrial Resource Center; Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce; Greater Philadelphia First Corporation; Leadership York; Local Initiatives Support Corporation; The National Development Council; The New Brunswick Development Corporation; The New Kensington Community Development Corporation; The New York Regional Association of Grantmakers; The Nonprofit Finance Fund; The North Texas Commission; Pennsylvania CareerLink; Philadelphia Forward; Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation; Project H.O.M.E., The Reinvestment Fund, Inc.; Team Pennsylvania Foundation; Seedco & The Nonprofit Assistance Corporation; Southwest Community Development Corporation; University City Science Center; The Urban Institute; Women’s Community Revitalization Project • inancial Organizations And Consulting Firms – Bear Stearns; CitiGroup; Commerce Bank,; Duane F Morris, LLP; Janney Montgomery Scott; Legg Mason; Philadelphia Stock Exchange • rivate Developers – Fairmount Developers, LLC; Goldenberg Group; Heritage Commercial Group; High P Real Estate Group; Jones, Lang, LaSalle; Liberty Property Trust Certificate Requirements The certificate program requires students to complete a microeconomics prerequisite, two core courses, and three electives. Each core course or elective requires approximately 36 hours of in-class time and meets one time per week, usually on a weeknight or a Saturday. Students typically select electives from among courses at the Fels Institute. With advance approval by the Fels director of the certificate program, however, one of these electives may be taken in another graduate program at Penn; the program director will advise certificate students on courses considering the student’s areas of interest. The two required core courses are: • Politics, Technology, and Economic Development (GAFL 713) • Public Financial Management (GAFL 783) The core certificate courses must be taken in the executive MGA format on Saturdays or weeknights. How to Apply Students must have a bachelor’s degree and be admitted to the certificate program by application through the Fels Admissions office. There are three options for people who wish to enroll in the certificate program: • Working Professionals – Working professionals can apply to the certificate program by completing an interview, submitting 3 letters of recommendation, official copies of undergraduate transcripts and any graduate coursework, a one-page personal statement, an application form, and a $70 application fee. (GREs are not required). • Penn Students in Other Programs – Penn graduate students can apply to the certificate program by submitting official undergraduate transcripts and any graduate coursework, a one-page personal statement, an application form, and a $70 application fee. Letters of recommendation may be transferred from the student’s primary program. • Fels MGA Students – Fels MGA students must complete a short application to enroll in the certificate program. For more information on how to apply to the Fels certificate program in Economic Development and Growth or another Fels program, please contact Admissions Director Michelle Garcia-Navarro at 215-746-6684 or garciana@sas.upenn.edu. For questions regarding courses or registration, please contact Student Services Coordinator Karen Ringlaben at the Fels Institute at 215-898-5849 or karener@sas.upenn.edu. The Fels Institute’s Courses in Economic Development and Growth The most current schedule for the following classes can be found at www.fels.upenn.edu/schedule.htm The Core Courses for the Certificate in Economic Development and Growth GAFL 713 Politics, Technology, and Economic Development Fall, Mulhern This course focuses on identifying the causes of economic growth and on measuring the outcomes of efforts to promote economic growth internationally, nationally, and regionally. Guest lecturers have included professionals from the World Bank, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Office of Economic Adjustment, the Delaware Economic Development Office, and the Philadelphia Shipyard Development Corporation. GAFL 783 Public Financial Management Fall, Mullin This course prepares students to manage cash and debt in the public sector through a study of theory and operations. It examines differences between public and corporate finance. Students examine current financial management techniques from a strategic perspective and learn to identify the impacts on economic development of tax policies as well as of capital projects which may draw on both public and private sources of funds. The course focuses on five main areas of inquiry: public finance theory and practice; government finance functions; public pensions, enterprises and revenue analysis; municipal bonds; and special project financing. Leadership for Results Fels Institute of Government 3814 Walnut Street Phialdelphia, PA 19104-6197 215.898.2600 • fax 215.898.1202 www.fels.upenn.edu Fels Electives in Economic Development and Growth GAFL 569 (URBS451) The Politics of Housing and Urban Development Fall, Kromer This course explores how legislative action, government policymaking, and citizen advocacy shape the investment of public capital in distressed urban neighborhoods. The scope and results of City of Philadelphia policies and programs of the past decade will be evaluated. GAFL 724 Infrastructure and Economic Growth Fall, Staff The availability of public infrastructure for telecommunications, energy generation, and transportation, among other things, is an important structural determinant of economic growth. At the same time, increasing the burden of government may impose obstacles to growth. As the response to the 2006 report of the Pennsylvania Transportation Funding and Reform Commission illustrates, finding a way to provide public infrastructure without increasing the burden of government presents a sizeable challenge. The present course is designed to help students understand and address this challenge. GAFL 725 Industrial Location and Urban Development Spring, Hartling This is a skill-based course, teaching students how to conduct market studies and to determine operational, physical, and financial feasibility of urban and economic development proposals. It gives specific attention to feasibility studies for retail, hotel, industrial, and office development projects. GAFL 726 Law and Urban Development Spring, Keene This course introduces students to the role that the judicial system plays in shaping the behavior of state and local governments. The focus will be on government regulation of land development and land use. The course will explore the constitutional and legal problems such efforts encounter, such as the “takings” issue and the limitations on the use of the power of eminent domain as exemplified in the Kelo v. New London decision . GAFL 753 Managing Public Programs Fall, Golda This course covers the full range of program and project management techniques from concept development, proposal strategy, and partnering through execution, computerized progress tracking, reporting, and audit. GAFL 790 Managing Independent Authorities Taught periodically This course addresses the special status and management challenges of independent authorities, which include port authorities, transportation authorities, redevelopment authorities, parking authorities, and many others. Independent authorities are key players in many major development initiatives, and this course considers how they can promote economic growth. GAFL 792 Contracting for Public Services Spring, Nadol and Neiderman This course examines how different strategies of ownership affect the performance of programs. The course explores the different forms of privatization, including asset sales, deregulation, and public-sector contracting; ownership and managerial behavior; state-owned enterprises and mixed-ownership enterprises; US and overseas experience; and techniques and politics of privatization. The Economic Development and Growth Faculty Michael Golda is a senior executive with program management responsibility for technology insertion (electrical systems) at the Naval Sea Systems Command, which directs planning, design, construction, maintenance, retrofit, and retirement of all ships in the U.S. Navy. An expert in program and project management, he is the author of many technical papers. He received his PhD from the Stevens Institute of Technology. James A. Hartling has more than thirty years of experience in city planning and community and economic development. He is the founding partner of Urban Partners, a Center City-based professional consulting firm that assists public, nonprofit, and private clients in the planning and implementation of urban development projects. Prior to founding Urban Partners, Mr. Hartling served as Deputy Director of Economic Development of Philadelphia’s Community Development program and was a faculty member at the University of Texas. Mr. Hartling is also the elected Chairman of the Board of the Philadelphia Development Partnership. John Keene has served as Chair of the Graduate Group in the University of Pennsylvania’s City and Regional Planning department, which administers the PhD degree program in City and Regional Planning. Mr. Keene’s teaching and research includes the legal aspects of city and regional planning, land development regulation, environmental planning and law, legal and policy issues relating to brownfield remediation, and management of urban growth. Mr. Keene received his JD from The Harvard Law School and his MCP from the University of Pennsylvania. John Kromer is a Senior Consultant at the Fels Institute of Government. Prior to joining Fels, Mr. Kromer served for eight years as Director of the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD), the City’s housing policy agency. As Housing Director, Mr. Kromer managed the creation of the nation’s largest housing counseling and settlement assistance program. Mr. Kromer received his BA from Haverford College and completed advanced course work in business administration at Temple University. John J. Mulhern is Director of Professional Education at the Fels Institute of Government and Adjunct Associate Professor of Classical Studies and Government Administration. Since editing The Future of American Cities (1976) and Finding Solutions for Philadelphia’s Economic Problems (1979) while at the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, he has served as a consultant on economic growth issues to the Federal government, the Commonwealth, and the City of Philadelphia. Dr. Mulhern received his PhD from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Stephen P. Mullin is Senior Vice President and Principal of the Econsult Corporation, which provides economic research and statistical and econometric analysis in support of litigation as well as economic consulting services to assist business and public policy decisionmakers. He served in the City of Philadelphia as Director of Commerce and Director of Finance. Mr. Mullin received his AB from Harvard University and his MA from the University of Pennsylvania. Michael Nadol is Managing Director in the Strategic Consulting Practice of Public Financial Management. Before joining PFM, Mr. Nadol served as Deputy Mayor, Director of Labor Negotiations, and Director of Finance for the city of Philadelphia. He has also served as Deputy Commissioner of the Philadelphia Water Department and as co-editor for the publications America’s Water and Wastewater Industries: Competition and Privatization and Management Innovation in U.S. Public Water and Wastewater Systems. Mr. Nadol received his BA from Yale University and his MGA from the Fels Institute of Government. Eric Costello Neiderman serves as the Transportation Security Administration’s Product Manager for Inspection Technologies for air cargo and mail. He received his PhD from George Mason University and his MGA from the Fels Institute of Government. He has authored and coauthored many technical reports. Greetings Thank you for considering the Fels Institute’s Economic Development and Growth certificate program. Some governments, at the national and local levels, have become far more successful than others in enhancing their economies. That, in turn, has created new jobs and enhanced the quality of life for their citizens. Determining what works, what doesn’t, and how to sustain development over the long haul, is the central focus of this certificate program. Fels visiting lecturer Dr. Norman Loayza of The World Bank has observed that, while economic growth is not a panacea, jurisdictions that can sustain growth “are able to significantly reduce their poverty levels, strengthen their democratic and political stability, improve the quality of their natural environment, and even diminish the incidence of crime and violence.” It is not surprising, therefore, that governments everywhere have sought to grow their economies. But some have been far more successful than others. Our goal is to discover which strategies works best and to train students in how best to pursue them. While the Fels approach prepares students for careers in a wide range of programmatic activity in organizations associated with economic growth, it also teaches them to use measurements of economic growth performance to evaluate their programs and to identify causes of economic growth as well as obstacles to it at the national, state, and county levels. Our faculty members and visitors have extensive experience in Economic Development and Growth, and we want to share that expertise with people eager to take on the challenge of promoting economic growth. Our program is focused on three groups of people: professionals in the field who want to improve their understanding and skills; professionals in other fields who want to bridge into the Economic Development and Growth area; and Penn employees and graduate students with career aspirations in this field. We look forward to speaking with you further regarding your interest. Please feel free to contact our Admissions Director, Michelle Garcia-Navarro, at 215-746-6684 or garciana@sas.upenn.edu with any questions. Sincerely, Donald F. Kettl Director Fels Institute of Government Fels Institute of Government 3814 Walnut Street Phialdelphia, PA 19104-6197