Suffolk University Sawyer Business School Graduate Programs 2008-2009 - (Page 30) MASTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION phil warren is a pioneer—the first manager of the Town of Abington— a position he wouldn’t be in today without his Suffolk MPA. After completing his undergraduate studies at the age of 31, Phil worked as an assistant to the town manager of Norton, Massachusetts. His interest in municipal government was piqued, and Phil knew he’d need a graduate degree to climb the ranks. Three schools offered the MPA program Phil was looking for, but only one— Suffolk’s Sawyer Business School—could advise him how long it would take to complete his studies. “It was clear to me that Suffolk’s program was geared to the working professional like no other. There was no problem with enrolling in each of the courses I needed when I needed them, enabling me to finish my part-time program in just two and a half years,” he says. “Going to school on Saturdays and Wednesday evenings and studying with Suffolk’s Boston faculty on Cape Cod were incredibly advantageous.” While serving as Norton’s treasurer and collector and, later, as Holbrook’s town administrator, Phil pursued his Suffolk MPA. By 2005, the Town of Abington had made a significant change in its governance, requiring the services of a professional town manager with a graduate degree in public administration. Phil more than fit the bill and began working as Abington’s town manager in December 2005. In his position, Phil daily uses the skills and training he received at Suffolk. “When I’m negotiating collective bargaining agreements, I recall Professor Michael Lavin’s strategic advice on the subject,” he says. “And the municipal finance education I received—which was specific to Massachusetts’ municipal government—has been invaluable.” Phil Warren MPA ’01 Town Manager Abington, Massachusetts hometown: Norton, Massachusetts undergraduate education: Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA undergraduate major/minor: Political Science, Aviation Science Management 30
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.