Dan Tangherlini returns to Chicago Harris
Chicago Harris alumnus Dan Tangherlini (MPP’91), the Acting Administrator of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), returned to the University of Chicago to tell students how the lessons they learn in the classroom will prepare them to be leaders in the real world.
In a presentation to students from Chicago Harris and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business titled “The 30-Minute MPP/MBA,” Tangherlini offered what he called “a cheat sheet of what you really need to know.”
“This won’t cost [as much as your degree]…but you get what you pay for,” Tangherlini joked.
According to Tangherlini, even a cursory familiarity with five key elements of the MPP and MBA curricula—Micro-Economics, Marketing, Operations Management, Finance and Accounting, Macro-Economics, Organizational Theory, and Negotiation—can create a great advantage on the job. But with a thorough understanding of these concepts, he said, you can make a strong and meaningful impact in your chosen field.
“It’s amazing how little awareness of these concepts exist, especially in government,” Tangherlini said. “But they can be vital to our work.”
Considered one of the nation’s preeminent public sector executives, Tangherlini, who, in addition to receiving an MPP from Chicago Harris, holds an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, said that throughout his career he has relied heavily on the lessons he learned while working to earn his graduate degrees. President Barack Obama tapped Tangherlini to lead GSA in the wake of a scandal that led to the previous administrator’s resignation. Before joining GSA, he served as Assistant Secretary for Management, Chief Financial Officer, and Chief Performance Officer at the U.S. Treasury. In these roles, Tangherlini worked as the principal policy advisor on the development and execution of the budget and performance plans for Treasury and the internal management of the Treasury and its bureaus. Prior to his appointment to Treasury, Tangherlini served as City Administrator for Washington, D.C. under former Mayor Adrian Fenty, and held a number of leadership posts within the government of the District of Columbia.
Tangherlini concluded his talk by encouraging students to consider a career in public service.
“Together, we create the environment in which society thrives or falls. In your careers, I encourage you to strive for that successful outcome for everyone,” Tangherlini said. “The problems we’re facing in this country are very, very hard. I think smart, high-quality people like you owe it to yourselves to help your country. The concepts you’re learning in classes have clear, real-world applications. It will be up to you to choose how and where you apply them.”
