UpDate - Vol. 14, No. 33, Page 3
May 25, 1995
Political experience; University Legislative Fellows play important
roles
The Legislative Fellows Program in the College of Urban Affairs
and Public Policy is a win/win operation.
The Delaware General Assembly receives assistance in researching
and crafting bills, as well as other areas, and the fellows get hands-
on experience in the inner workings of government, according to James
Flynn, program coordinator.
Established in 1982 by Jerome Lewis, director of the college's
Delaware Public Administration Institute, the fellows program is co-
sponsored by the Delaware General Assembly and the University and has
expanded over the years. Originally, there were two fellows each year.
This year, there are 10 fellows serving the Senate Majority Caucus,
the Senate Minority Caucus, the House Majority Caucus, the House
Minority Caucus and the Office of the Controller General.
"The program is competitive, and candidates are carefully
selected and trained and must take a required course on state
government management and policy making," Lewis said. "The fellows,
unlike interns in other states, work as legislative staff members with
real responsibilities."
The fellows are non-partisan and not affiliated with any
political party, according to Flynn. They carry out research on
different issues, work with legislative committees and government
agencies and help with constituent concerns.
Fellows serve during the entire legislative session which extends
from January through June. "Those last few weeks are particularly
exciting," Lewis said, "because the entire legislature process is
reaching its climax."
A survey of former legislative fellows showed they had moved into
a variety of positions in government, the community and the private
sector. They said their experience as fellows was beneficial to their
careers and provided valuable insights into the workings of
government.
Past fellows include John Carney, the Delaware governor's deputy
chief of staff; Devona Goeins Williams of Goeins-Williams Associates,
a consulting and public relations firm, and a 1995 UD Presidential
Citation for Outstanding Achievement recipient; and Mark Manno,
extension agent IV in the Cooperative Extension.
The 1995 fellows are:
* Candice Archer, a graduate of Bucknell University with a UD
master's degree in political science and international
relations, is working toward her doctorate. She is assigned to
the House Majority Caucus, where she works on such issues as
prison overcrowding, parental responsibility, stalking
legislation and gun control.
"The projects that help me understand the legislative
process and further my education are those which let me probe
an issue with the legislators and staff members. I am
especially interested in the application of 'Megan's Law,' "
she said.
* Surendran Balan, a graduate of the University of Science in
Malaysia, is working toward a master of public administration
degree, specializing in environmental management. He has served
the principal assistant secretary, negotiations division of the
Malaysian Public Service Department. His current assignment is
the House Majority Caucus, where he is working on such issues
as privatization, job training and review of minimum wage
legislation.
* Consuella Barbour is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth
University. A master of public administration student
specializing in community development, she has served as an
intern at the New Castle Country Department of Community
Development and Housing. Assigned to the House Majority Caucus,
she is working on landlord/tenant code revisions, tort reform
and school-to-work initiatives.
"The school-to-work program is a good example of
cooperation between the Department of Public Instruction staff
with legislators, working together to institute change,"
Barbour said.
* David Dooley has a B.S. degree in business administration from
Boston University . He is a master of arts student in
geography, specializing in geographic information systems. He
has served as a GIS consultant for the Delaware Department of
Health and Social Services and is assigned to the Office of the
Controller General, where he is working on a political atlas of
the state.
* Ann Marie Noone has a B.A. in political science from Towson
State University. A master of public administration student
specializing in state and local government management, she
served as an intern in the U.S. Congress and is assigned to
Delaware's House Majority Caucus, where she works on juvenile
justice, the Clean Air Act and other environmental projects.
* Constantin Pirovolidis has a bachelor's degree in political
science from the University of Maryland. A master of political
science and international relations student at UD, he has
chaired the annual debate of the United Nations Club at
Delaware. He is assigned to the House Minority Caucus, where he
works on such issues as beach erosion, patients' rights to
terminate treatment and business practices.
* Evelyn Scocas has a bachelor's degree in political science from
UD. A master of public administration student specializing in
fiscal and resource management, she was an intern in the
Delaware Budget Office and is assigned to the Senate Majority
Caucus, where she works on labor, crime issues and the Freedom
of Information Act.
* Carol Sirkowski has a bachelor's degree in nursing from UD. She
is a master of public administration student specializing in
economics, government and non-profits and has served as a
research assistant at the Delaware Public Administration
Institute. Assigned to the House Majority Caucus, she works on
juvenile justice, criminal justice with a focus on community
notification when a sex offender is released, and she does
constituent work on transportation problems.
* Joyce Spears has a bachelor's degree in public administration
from Trenton State College and is a master of public
administration student specializing in human resource
management. A former intern at Mercer County, N.J., Department
of Human Services, she is assigned to the House Majority Caucus
and works on welfare reform and educational issues.
"For me," Spears said, "the best part of the fellows
program is seeing a piece of legilation that I helped to
research and draft, finally be debated on the floor. Sometimes,
you just want to join in the debate."
-Sue Swyers Moncure