Nearly 60 current Master of Public Administration (MPA) students and several faculty members in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University attended the degree program’s annual Local Government Night on November 3 at the Fairfax County Government Center in Fairfax, Virginia.
The event was organized by more than 10 MPA alumni employed by the Fairfax County government, including several who served as panelists. Dianne Hon, MPA ’19, a victim specialist with the Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court, led the organizing effort.
The idea, said Associate Professor Jim Burroughs, is to bring MPA students face to face with graduates of the same program who now hold senior positions in local government. It was the 28th time the Local Government Night took place, Burroughs said. It was also his last as he is slated to retire at the end of the fall semester.
The benefits of the meeting flowed both ways as Fairfax County Executive Bryan Hill, who admitted to earning his MPA from a school other than George Mason, used his time at the podium to highlight the career possibilities available in local government—particularly within Fairfax County. As he went around the room asking students about their postgraduation goals, he offered examples of how their interests and expertise could translate into careers in county offices in fields including finance, economics, law, and psychology.
Those opportunities were further illustrated by in-depth presentations from several county officials, including Deputy Director of the Department of Management and Budget Katie Horstman, who provided insight as to how she and her staff manage a $11.10 billion budget.
Also presenting were members of the county’s first responder agencies, among them Assistant Chief of Police Eli Cory, MPA ’19; Deputy Director of Victim Services Sarai Rivera, MPA ’24; and Assistant Fire Chief John Walser, who emphasized his department’s need for graduates skilled in data collection and analysis to help firefighters and EMTs continuously refine best practices for saving lives and property.
A second panel introduced Schar School MPA graduates active in the county’s emergency preparedness and response departments. Each shared how current federal challenges—such as furloughs, shutdowns, and budget cuts—affect their ability to deliver services to residents.
The speakers included Assistant Director of Domestic Relations in the Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court Marwa Hajahmed, MPA ’24; Senior Social Services Supervisor with Neighborhood and Community Services Keith Grupposo, MPA ’20; and Management Analyst IV with the Department of Family Services Maha Martin, BA Sociology ’04, MPA ’16.
The evening concluded with a session titled “Reflections: The Impact of the MPA Program on My Career” featuring Dianne Hon, and Enterprise Applications Manager for the Fairfax County Park Authority Yeoanny Venetsanos, BA Biology ’00.
As it happens, Venetsanos is also a current MPA student slated to graduate in December.
“I want to be a more effective public administrator for Fairfax County,” he said. “I want to take my management, leadership, and organizational skills and apply them where I can bring value to the organization.”
The MPA program, he added, “is a mile wide and a foot deep—you can see the forest for the trees. It helps because you’re looking at every single service that a government provides.”
For the current MPA students in the audience, the evening was both enlightening and encouraging.
“It was great hearing from so many different county leaders and understanding the various aspects of local government, from budgeting to program implementation,” said Esha Doshi, who works in the county’s Department of Neighborhood and Community Services. “And it was inspiring to have Bryan Hill connect our interests with real career possibilities.”
For Jack Potter, BA Public Administration ’25, a fellow in the school’s Center for Energy Science Policy, the evening was about relationships.
“I think every single speaker talked about making connections—getting to know people and forging real relationships outside of work,” he said. “I also learned that Fairfax is a unique county, not just in Virginia but in the U.S., and there are going to be opportunities everywhere—some great opportunities.”
The speakers each reinforced the personal nature of local public administration, a point that was not missed by faculty members.
“It was truly inspiring to hear from local government leaders about what it’s like to work in a setting where your efforts directly benefit your own community and neighbors,” said Associate Professor and MPA Program Director Mirae Kim. “It’s an experience that feels much more immediate and tangible than the broader, often more distant impact of federal service.”
This article previously appeared on the Schar School of Policy and Government website on November 5, 2025: Fairfax County Officials Inspire Schar School MPA Students to Pursue Local Government Careers | Schar School of Policy and Government