Congratulations to Jade Fortiner for being selected as Public Administration and Policy’s MPA February Student of the Month!

Jade is in her final semester of the MPA program, specializing in public budgeting and financial management. She currently serves as the president of the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) student chapter and has been a full-time employee of UGA and a full-time graduate student since the spring of 2021. Through the MPA program, Jade has had the opportunity to serve as a research assistant and assisted the City of Valdosta with their 2021 Community Housing Survey through the program’s Local Government Practicum course. Over the last year, Jade earned the President’s Volunteer Service Award, after completing over 100 hours of community service with local organizations, including her favorites, Books for Keeps and Concrete Jungle.

In the fall semester, she represented SPIA in a discussion panel presented by the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the Volcker Alliance, centering on the “Our Common Purpose” report. Most recently, Jade completed an internship with the Athens-Clarke County Department of Economic Development in which she participated in the development and distribution of the county’s 2021 Wage and Benefits Survey Report.

After graduation in May, Jade will be moving to Washington D.C. to work as a graduate fellow for the National Nuclear Security Administration in the Office of Defense Programs.

Jade is an excellent student and has so many exciting current engagements and future plans! We are excited for her and will be watching to see all the amazing things she does after receiving her MPA this May!