Leadership for Results

Earlier this week, I took Jada to a grad school reunion of mine at the
Fels Institute of Government. The new director, David Thornburgh,
thought it a good time to gather students and alumni for a quick meet
and greet, and I happily seized the chance to catch up with old
classmates, meet others in the Fels family, and score my daughter some
free cookies.

Mission accomplished on all three fronts. I saw a classmate of mine
who just got his PhD from Harvard and is off to a consultancy in DC,
and another classmate of mine who now co-teaches a class we took
together three summers ago. I even found out a client of mine from
work is a fellow Felsonian. Note to my other clients: I will be
playing favorites.

A nice bonus was picking up the new marketing brochure, which I
perused later that evening. I like what David and his staff have done
in telling the story of Fels, and inviting people to join in the fun.
What sold me on Fels way back when was the varied and always
impressive accomplishments of Felsonians; "I want to be one of them"
was what I kept thinking to myself.

All the good stuff about a Fels education was captured in this
document. Small school and lots of attention, but in a big and
resource-rich university. The chance to meld an analytical approach
with a practical understanding of how the political process works.
Tangible practice in exercising leadership and in getting things done.
A diversity of experiences in a diversity of settings from a
diversity of geographies to learn from.

Call me a Penn homer, but I wouldn't trade my Fels experience, or the
network I am honored to be a part of, for any other sheepskin or any
other fraternity - not Kennedy or Wilson or Maxwell. So count me
among the proud alum. If you're thinking about Fels, do it. And if
you did it already . . . I'll see you at the next alumni gathering.