Faculty Highlight: Nate Talley

Meet Nate Talley, a new adjunct faculty member and a graduate of the MPP program at the U. He is currently teaching Public Budgeting & Finance. The MPA program asked him a few questions about his background:

Who is your current employer and what is your job title?

      I am employed by the state of Utah and work in the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget (GOMB). I currently serve as a manager and economist over budget and policy staff.

What are some of the duties of your job? Recent achievements?

      My professional responsibilities include managing staff, helping to prepare annual Governor’s budget recommendations, helping to inform executive branch policy orientation, analyzing policy priorities related to social program interventions, forecasting economic indicator data and identifying state labor concerns.

     In cooperation with analysts from the Department of Health and the Legislative Fiscal Analyst office, I assisted with modeling the fiscal and coverage impacts associated with various Medicaid expansion proposals as contemplated by the Governor, Legislature and Group of Six last year.

     Last spring, I received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in helping to develop and implement new methods for evaluating and identifying state employee classifications that are most exhibiting symptoms of sub-market compensation.

 

You are a graduate of the MPP program. How has your MPP degree helped you in your professional career?

      The MPP program helped me to develop skills necessary to conduct policy analysis, perform quantitatively intensive statistical modeling and allow me to pursue my interest in economics through the Economic Policy track, all of which are directly relevant to my current employment in the Governor’s Office of Management and Budget.

What advice would you give to incoming or current MPA students?

     Seek a well-balanced educational experience by pursuing coursework from which you might be tempted to shy away. The MPA program is full of opportunities – opportunities that allow you to emphasize your interests and follow your passions, but also to develop skills and improve in areas that might be a little outside your comfort zone. As a well-rounded graduate of the MPA program, you can be confident that you will be well-positioned to successfully achieve your professional and career goals.

 

Blog Search