ACCENT ON ALUMNI:
Alumni Spotlight: Julian Rogers, MNO '08
Q. You just graduated this past May with your MNO. How do you think your degree from the Mandel Center will help you pursue your career goals?
The Mandel Center has a strong reputation throughout the nonprofit community as a program that consistently develops high caliber leaders that are prepared to meet the challenges faced by nonprofit organizations. I believe that the reputation associated with this degree will help to open doors throughout my career. Aside from the reputation, I believe that the education and training provided by the program has given me the foundation needed to be successful at any type of nonprofit organization. It has also provided exposure to the many types of career opportunities in the vastly diverse nonprofit sector.
Q. What influenced you to enroll at the Mandel Center, and what did you enjoy most about your time here?
I was encouraged by a Weatherhead alum to enroll at Case Western Reserve University. I quit my job of seven years to launch a campaign for state representative. After losing the election, I knew that I wanted to go back to school to pursue a master’s degree, but was not sure which program or school to choose. A good friend who had just graduated with an MBA from Weatherhead convinced me that CWRU would be best option for locally pursuing a degree. Given that my work experience was mostly in the nonprofit and government sectors, an MNO seemed like a perfect fit for my career goals.
I really enjoyed the interaction that occurred in the classroom. Mandel Center students come from diverse and interesting backgrounds that lead to lively classroom discussions and an assorted range of opinions. I also consider myself lucky to be a part of the first group of students to have classes in the new Mandel Center building. It was a welcomed change to have a building devoted exclusively to the Mandel Center program and its students. I spent many cold nights in the warm setting of the student lounge. The building really adds value to the program and encourages more interaction among students.
Q. You recently became the executive director of Education Voters of Ohio. Please tell us a bit about the organization and what you hope to accomplish in your new role?
Education Voters of Ohio is the Ohio affiliate of Education Voters of America based in Washington, D.C. and oversees offices in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and Delaware. Education Voters connects research done by other organizations with the advocacy necessary to bring the findings of the research to scale. We work in the policy arena to encourage systemic change by putting pressure on policymakers to keep public education issues at the top of the policy agenda. We do this by creating and increasing voter demand for excellent education, using state-of-the-art civic participation activities and public information campaigns to generate demand for policies that will accomplish four goals:
- Eliminating educational inequities within and across districts and states;
- Encouraging innovation and creativity to address the needs of every child;
- Investing in quality teachers, reducing turnover and increasing student success; and
- Guaranteeing universal access to pre-K through postsecondary education.
I hope to eventually make Education Voters of Ohio a household name, especially in the public policy community of organizations, and to drastically impact public education policy in the state of Ohio so that the students of this state are all given a high quality education that prepares them to be successful, productive citizens.
Q. What were some of your favorite courses at the Center, and how do you anticipate using what you've learned from those courses in the future?
I enjoyed most of the courses I took at the Center; however, in my brief time as the executive director of a new organization, I am finding some classes more relevant than others. Specifically, I have found that the lessons provided by Law, Strategic Planning, Nonprofit Public Policy and Advocacy and Ethics of particular importance for the type of organization that I am attempting to lead. Education Voters of Ohio operates as a 501(c)3 and has a 501(c)4 and state political action committee affiliates. Knowing the difference between activities that may be conducted under each entity is critically important to the work that I do. Strategic Planning has helped me to think through how the organization can be successful within the current political environment that exists in Ohio. I have also been presented with ethical issues on a regular basis in the two months that I have been on the job. These ethical issues present themselves in the intricacies of the laws dealing with communication between different political action committees and 501(c)3 and (c)4 organizations. I also have an aggressive fundraising goal for this year so the lessons learned in Fundraising and Financial Accounting and Marketing will be equally as important.
Q. What other hobbies, interests, etc do you try to make time for?
Over the past couple of years due to school, my time to participate in recreational activities has been limited, but when possible, I enjoy bike riding, playing hockey, boating on Lake Erie and volunteering on political campaigns. While I will continue to be busy with the new job, I hope to have a little more time for recreation now that I have graduated.