This summer, through the Municipal Intern Program (MIP), I met two amazing graduate students who, I believe, are going to change the world. Joseph Acevedo and Shrinath Suresh, both attending the University of Pittsburgh, GSPIA, had the incredible experience working with a forward-thinking municipality to help foster equitable development, improve sidewalk conditions, establish biking infrastructure, and reform streets.

From the outset, the two immersed themselves in this progressive approach to improving community walkability, and their dedication to understanding the community was exciting to see. Their project, a Safe Mobility Plan for the Borough of Dormont, was selected to be showcased at our Annual Recognition Luncheon, and I am sharing excerpts of their presentation that reflect on lessons learned.

“We learned a lot about local governance during our time in Dormont. For example, when it comes to improving a municipality, planning and politics do not mix.”

Read that again – planning and politics do not mix.

“There are multiple stakeholders and sudden changes which require you to adapt at a moment’s notice. For that reason, it is important to know what you don’t know. From there, you can collaborate with the people who do know, rather than trying to solve every problem by yourself.

A public project is never complete. You will never get the final say as to what a community needs or wants. It is constantly changing.

Problems such as climate change, partisan polarization, and the housing crisis, intensify the changes occurring within communities. Moving froward, it will be our local government officials who will have to rise to the occasion and creatively adapt to our ever-changing world.”

The Municipal Intern Program is my favorite program that Local Government Academy offers because of the opportunity to meet young talent like Joe and Shrinath. We do our best to make the MIP intern experience enjoyable, but it is our placement sites that make or break the program, and I think it’s important to end with Joe and Shrinath’s expression of gratitude to their Placement Site Supervisors.

“Finally, none of our efforts would be possible if not for the support and guidance of Benjamin Estell and Krista Watt. Together, they created a space where we could learn more about local government and urban planning.”

________________

SHRINATH SURESH wishes to understand how public policy and institutions shape the lives of individuals. He will be receiving his Master of Public Administration from the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs (GSPIA) at the University of Pittsburgh. His research focus and career development lie in Social Policy, Urban Affairs, and Policy Analysis. He holds a BS in Health Services Administration from Xavier University. Before enrolling in GSPIA, Shrinath worked in Clinical Trials Management as a Research Associate and a Pharmacy Technician.

JOSEPH ACEVEDO is currently a second-year graduate student at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. He is studying to receive his Master of International Development with concentrations in Urban Affairs and Planning, as well as Energy and Environment. Joseph holds a BA in Russian from the University of Pittsburgh. He has military experience from his time as a Non-Commissioned Officer in the United States Marine Corps, administrating special intelligence security systems and training in language analysis.