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Kevin H. Butterfield '22
Kevin Butterfield is the Director of Community Affairs for Suffolk County Executive
Steve Bellone. The Office of Community Affairs serves as a liaison between Suffolk
County residents and the County Executive’s office. “My team and I serve as representatives,
on behalf of the County Executive, to community groups, civic organizations, chambers
of commerce, and government offices and work to ensure that the County Executive is
informed about issues important to the communities these groups represent.The Office
of Community Affairs works to establish and strengthen relationships with a broad
range of community and business leaders. I graduated in May of 2022 from Stony Brook
with a Master of Arts in Public Policy. The program helped me further develop my analysis
and problem solving skills to better address the complex issues and challenges we
face as a County Government.”
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Nic Nugueira '19
Nic Nogueira is the Director of Communications & Policy in an Assembly member's office.
Some of his responsibilities include reviewing and making recommendations on bill
sponsorship requests, tracking the Member's legislation, and developing and maintaining
research files. He is also responsible for drafting, editing, and reviewing various
types of documents, such as correspondence, press releases, and briefs. “ I shuffled through several majors before coming to SBU, where I originally came in
as a Computer Science major. I switched to Journalism and Political Science after
taking the School of Journalism's News Literacy course (which I recommend to everyone
regardless of their major). From there, I became more obsessed with politics, history
and philosophy, and enrolled in the Masters in Public Policy Program in my last year
of undergrad. The program has an incredible group of administrators and faculty who
helped shape my professional and academic pursuits. I'm in the NYS Assembly today
because the Assembly's Graduate Scholar Internship was recommended to me by a professor
in 2019. From there, I worked through several roles in the Assembly in Albany until
I decided to come back down to Long Island for my new position. The major academic
takeaways from the program that I think really prepared me for public service revolved
around data analysis and the discussions about the philosophical foundations of public
policy and development. The most important thing to remember is to take a critical
thinking approach and try not to focus too much on brute-forcing memorization of material.
I recommend that anyone who is seeking to pursue a graduate degree in political science
take an interest in philosophy and epistemology in general; it was critical for me
and helped set my mental foundation and development through my academic, professional
and personal life into overdrive!”
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John Huttie, '17:
John Huttie is the Manager of Community Affairs for Suffolk County Executive Steve
Bellone. As Manager of Community Affairs, Mr. Huttie briefs, advances, schedules,
and coordinates events for the County Executive. This would include working collaboratively
with his team to coordinate the County Executive’s yearly “State of the County” and
the annual Suffolk County Marathon.
John also oversees constituent relations, drafts correspondence on behalf of the County
Executive inclusive of scripts, talking points, and letters, and represents the County
Executive in community outreach efforts for economic development initiatives such
as the Ronkonkoma Hub project, Bus-Rapid Transit, and other ConnectLI initiatives.
While a staffer in the County Executive's Office, John has cultivated a robust and
competitive Internship Program that includes students from colleges and universities
across Long Island. Mr. Huttie graduated from Stony Brook University with a Bachelor
of Arts degree in Political Science, Cum Laude in 2017, and earned a Master of Arts
degree in Public Policy in 2018.
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Dan Palino '16
Dan Palino is a Process Analyst at GCOM Software, providing operations support for
the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI) within the U.S. Department of the
Treasury, Office of Recovery Programs. Signed into law as a part of President Biden’s
American Rescue Plan of 2021, this program provides capital and technical assistance
funding for all states, territories, and tribal governments to develop small business
support programs, bolster economic growth, and provide opportunities for socially
and economically disadvantaged (SEDI) entrepreneurs. Prior to this position, Dan worked
at the Bureau of Labor Statistics as a U.S. Department of Labor contractor, and in
the nonprofit sector. Dan graduated from Stony Brook University in 2016 with a Master
of Arts in Public Policy (MAPP). “Stony Brook University’s MAPP program was an important
launchpad for my career in Washington DC. Much more than just a credential, MAPP provides
a practical foundation for understanding policy implementation and public administration,
with engaging courses taught by seasoned government professionals," Dan said, regarding
the program. "I would recommend the program for any professional seeking to expand
their knowledge and skillset within the realm of public policy or those seeking careers
in government administration.”
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Jennifer Eagen, '12:
Jennifer Eagen, M.A.P.P., is the Director of Sales Administration for IVCi LLC, a
boutique Audio Visual Integration Company, that specializes in Video Conferencing,
Unified Communications and Collaboration. Jennifer works very closely with Executive
Management, including the COO, CTO, and VP of Sales Enablement to create, assess and
enact administrative policy and adoption for the Sales Department at large. She manages
daily activities of sales administration and support functions while gathering measurable
data including reports, charts, and other statistics to analyze business processes
for optimal efficiency. Jennifer graduated from Stony Brook University with a Bachelor
of Arts degree in Sociology and holds a Master of Arts degree in Public Policy from
Stony Brook University, cum laude. She has also dedicated efforts to support the Public
Policy Department as co-chair of the Stony Brook University Public Policy Alumni Network
for many years. In addition to her role at IVCi, she owns a wellness company called
Pop Up Prana Yoga, which offers all-inclusive yoga services while hosting events in
varied spaces across Long Island. She has married her love of technology to develop
and create innovative events and landscapes to promote well-being within the traditional
yoga practice. Event offerings range from one-on-one to over 150 students. Her company
specializes in teaming up with local small businesses and non-profit organizations
to create awareness and recognition surrounding their organization. Interested in
connecting? Check out her LinkedIn page here.
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Charles Fox, '11
Charles Fox is the Director of Diversity & Development for the Legal Aid Society of
Suffolk County, Inc. His focus is to ensure that as an organization we are incorporating
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) into the fabric of our mission and our work with
clients and in the community. “My education at Stony Brook has been immensely valuable in my career thus far. Having
worked in the non-profit field for almost two decades, I’ve been able to bring my
policy and political knowledge to my work. Everything I learned in the graduate public
policy program (as well as undergraduate poli-sci) has helped me to be able to work
collaboratively with colleagues, write convincingly (particularly helpful on grant
proposals) and speak with conviction on the issues that are affecting the equitable
administration of justice in our country. The public policy program, from a policy/political
standpoint taught me how to think critically about public policies, their pros and
cons, and how to marry policy with the issues most important to me. This has been
an invaluable asset as it has contributed to my ability to work with people of different
perspectives and backgrounds with civility. With respect to DEI, navigating difficult
conversations, for me, is made easier by my experiences at SBU in engaging with individuals
who had a different perspective than I did and today that helps me to deliver information
in a way that promotes thought and consideration rather than defensiveness and resentment.
When I was taking statistics in graduate school, it was one of my least favorite courses.
Now, I deal with data and statistics frequently as I try to connect the dots around
disparities in criminal justice related to sentencing, unconscious bias, etc. I am
proud to have attended Stony Brook University and will continue to use the skill-set
I developed there to positively impact the community through my work.”
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Marissa Trachtenberg, '07:
Marrisa Trachtenberg, J.D., is the Associate Director of Policy, Compliance and Presidential
Initiatives at Stony Brook University. Ms. Trachtenberg works with the University’s
leadership team and provides advice on administrative policy and compliance matters.
She also handles sensitive and confidential issues, conducts research on special projects,
serves on a number of institutional committees and working groups, as well as coordinates
and implements presidential initiatives. Ms. Trachtenberg graduated from Stony Brook
University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Sociology, summa
cum laude, and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She holds a Master of Arts degree in
Public Policy from Stony Brook University and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude,
from SUNY Buffalo Law School.
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