Through immersive skills-based trainings, experiences and networking, the Clark-Fox Policy Institute is building the next generation of highly effective policy practitioners committed to social justice and racial equity. We invited alumni scholars (?) to share their experiences with the CFPI, what influenced and inspired them about the program, and to update us on their career path. Meet Linde, Robert, and Kaitlyn.
Linde Parcels
MPH, Health Scientist in Policy and Issues Management, National Center for Environmental Health, Division of Laboratory Sciences, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), (she, her, hers)
Q: Where do you work and what do you do?
A: I am a health scientist in policy and issues management at the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health in the Division of Laboratory Sciences. In the near future, I will be transitioning to the role of policy advisor for policy, planning, and evaluation for the CDC’s Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR).
Currently, I am part of a small team that supports the policy and partnership activities for the Division of Laboratory Sciences. My responsibilities include coordinating strategic partnerships, maintaining a public facing website and developing comprehensive communication materials curated for both targeted and broad audiences. In addition, I collect and translate annual performance metrics and accomplishments for various stakeholders as well as for use in our annual budget justification process for congress.
Recently, I completed the CDC Project Officer Certificate program and serve as the lead project officer for a $25 million, five-year grant with six state public health laboratories conducting biomonitoring (measuring environmental and chemical exposures in people in at-risk jurisdictions) to expand their capacity to investigate exposures of concern in their states.
Q: What is your favorite thing about your career?
A: I find it both exciting and challenging to accurately communicate highly technical and scientific achievements to different audiences and convey the public health impact of the laboratories. It’s gratifying to apply the insight I gain from being close to the science and laboratory programs in a way that elevates the importance of their work to external policymakers and partners. I enjoy the ad hoc aspect of the job. One day, I am drafting a response to an inquiry on a group of pesticides and the next day I pivot to advocate for a laboratory response network for radiologic or chemical threats.
Q: What is your proudest accomplishment?
A: Seeing the materials I create widely used by the Division and shared with CDC leadership is very fulfilling. I’ve produced a variety of communication documents – 2-pagers, presentations, webpages, program summaries, etc. I’m extremely proud of the records management practice I’ve established for our team. This organizational system serves a critical role in the functionality of our team by reducing burden and improving the accuracy and responsiveness of our communications.
Q: What did you do when you were in Clark-Fox Policy Institute? Are there any lessons from CFPI that you still with you?
A: I worked as a coordinator of communication and student engagement at the CFPI. Meaning I was uniquely positioned to participate in the development of the Clark-Fox Policy Scholars Program, in building the CFPI website and writing policy briefs. Having a front row seat to the early development of CFPI and the Graduate Policy Scholars program helped my learning and understanding of the foundational needs necessary to establish sustained success. I’ve carried that experience with me into many situations in my time at the CDC. Those skills gained at the CFPI have been invaluable to my career.
A great memory I have from my time at the CFPI involves the 2017 St. Louis City mayoral race. The CFPI co-sponsored a mayoral forum that brought together concerned citizens and the mayoral candidates to discuss pressing issues facing the city. It was incredibly inspiring and I learned a lot about community organizing, the benefits of gathering local leaders, and initiating thoughtful engagement with political leaders.
Q: What practice would you most want to see become policy in our society?
A: I would like to see our nation improve our public health data systems. The current data landscape for health and wellness in this country is fractured and unequal. It would be great to see an increased investment in modernized data systems with a policy that allows for interconnectedness of information and real-time access to data that is harmonized across the board and that accurately collects comprehensive information from the source (e.g. full demographic data – race, SOGI (sexual orientation and gender identity), income, incarcerated, without housing, etc).
Robert Sagastume
MSW, MSP, Senior Family College Prep Program Advisor, Hispanic Development Fund, Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, and Kansas City School Board Member (He/They)
Q: Where do you work and what do you do?
A: I am a senior family college prep program advisor with the Greater Kansas City Hispanic Development Fund. My family and academic advising support is centered on students who’ve completed their high school studies and are seeking opportunities in postsecondary education and alternative pathways.
Through my own personal and professional experience – as a former undocumented immigrant, member of the LGBTQIA+ community and first-generation college graduate – I possess a wealth of knowledge on systematic barriers that are faced by some of the students and families I support.
Q: What is your proudest accomplishment?
A: I am most proud of taking every opportunity to break down systematic barriers with-and-for undocumented students and their families. When I started my own journey to get my postsecondary degree no one had a clue what to do with me or how to best support me. These personal experiences help me better support students and their families who might be in a similar situation.
While my work doesn’t involve developing policy briefs or speaking directly with individuals making policy decisions, I engage in advocacy everyday with students. It’s my duty to ensure that the individuals on whose behalf I am working for have an opportunity to voice what matters and is most important to them.
Q: What did you do when you were in Clark-Fox Policy Institute? Are there any lessons from CFPI that you still with you?
A: I participated in a phone banking effort related to an in-state tuition bill that would allow undocumented students pay for in-state tuition. In addition, I conducted small conversations within my cohort about immigration issues that affected my community. Through the opportunities provided by the CFPI I realized that I want to run for public office someday. Ideally, I would like to start at the school board level in Kansas City and eventually run for Missouri state representative.
I commend the CFPI for its personal approach to its scholars. They are truly invested in not just our academic and professional success but our personal wellbeing. I recall a time when I overcommitted and Gary Parker (CFPI director) and Atia Thurman (former CFPI associate director) noticed that I was overwhelmed and took action. I was exhausted and they noticed something was different about me. They helped me realize that I cannot perform at 100% all the time. This allowed me to reflect and think about how I would like to show up in my efforts to engage in advocacy work. Having them as mentors changed my life and I always continue to go back to that moment to reset myself when I am feeling overwhelmed.
Q: What practice would you most want to see become policy in our society?
A: I want policy to serve our society in the most humane way that can be applied to ensure the quality of life of communities who have been underserved or represented are much equitable for a prosperous life.
In June 2023, Robert was elected to the Kansas City School Board. Read more here.
Kaitlyn Sprague
Consumer Affairs Senior Assistant Bank Examiner, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (she, her, hers)
Q: Where do you work and what do you do?
A: As a consumer affairs senior assistant bank examiner with the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, I examine banks within the district to ensure that they are complying with laws regarding consumer protection, community development, and fair lending.
While a background in social work and policy may seem an unusual path to a career in bank examination, it’s actually a great fit because those fields need people who can think critically and work collaboratively. Those are skills I strengthened while at the Clark Fox Policy Institute
Q: What is your favorite thing about your career?
A: I love that I have ample opportunities to learn and develop a lot of expertise in specific areas. I am beginning to specialize in the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA), which is the federal law that requires banks to meet the credit needs of their local communities, including those that are low- to moderate-income.
Q: What is your proudest accomplishment?
A: I am in the midst of my proudest accomplishment. Enacted in the 1970s, the Community Reinvestment Act hasn’t undergone a major change since the 1990s. Currently, there is a massive modernization of the law underway to reflect the seismic changes in technology, banking and communities. I am analyzing the modernization proposal, while considering the needs of various stakeholders (communities, banks, regulators). The opportunity to have even the smallest influence on such an impactful law is really exciting.
Q: What did you do when you were in Clark-Fox Policy Institute? Are there any lessons from CFPI that you still with you?
A: While at the CFPI, I conducted research on policies affecting the well-being of children and families which I would later translate into policy briefs and opinion editorials. I also coordinated conferences and a congressional briefing in Washington D.C. on human trafficking legislation.
At the CFPI, I learned how quickly policies and the public’s perception of them can change. If I waited an extra day to publish a policy brief, it could become outdated. It taught me to work fast with the information you have and to always be ready to adapt or pivot. I also coordinated conferences and a congressional briefing in Washington D.C. on human trafficking legislation.
Working with Atia Thurman (Former CFPI associate director) and Gary Parker (CFPI Director) taught me a lot about the skills needed to succeed in this career field. I found personally rewarding the events we convened where we brought broad groups of people together to discuss specific policy issues such as the opioid crisis or human trafficking
Q: What practice would you most want to see become policy in our society?
A: I think that policy needs to become more agile to reflect rapid technological changes.