Who or what inspired you to enter into public service?

My initial focus in graduate school was to seek a career in public finance. I had a very positive experience working at a large bank and meeting with officials from local development agencies, hospital executives, and other officials seeking capital support for their projects. In grad school, by happenstance, I saw a posting on the career services bulletin board for a position at the US General Accounting Office (as it was known then), which piqued my interest. After getting past the “accounting” part of the agency’s name, I realized that US GAO’s work focused on assessing federal programs’ effectiveness and efficiency. To this day, the agency’s mission resonates because of its emphasis on objective, non-partisan work, and the need for accountability and continuous improvement as a permanent, built-in feature of government.

What is your favorite class you have ever taught or took and why?

The lectures I looked forward to the most were those of Bryan Hehir at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. I took several of his courses on the limits and possibilities of ethics and politics in statecraft and the use of force, including war. Although outside my area of concentration, his classes provided a welcomed introduction to broader set of issues about the challenges of government intervention, especially in international affairs. Hehir’s lectures were the model of clarity and comprehensiveness. In covering subjects as varied as the transformation of the world order after Westphalian settlement, the world wars, or the Cold War, Hehir adapted and amplified classical moral doctrines to shed light on the ethical character and reasonableness of government interventions. His perspective was not idealistic but rather firmly planted in the messy realities of political discourse and action.

What advice would you give to those interested in pursuing public policy or public administration as a career?

Public service takes many different shapes. You should ask yourself what kind of work you can see yourself doing and excelling in. Data analysis and research? Community engagement and public relations? Rulemaking? Grant management? Auditing?

Interning is a great way of getting exposure to the range of work available. Also, developing relationships with folks in government or mission-oriented organizations is a good way of getting insights.

Finally, once you have launched your career, dedicating yourself to maximizing public value is surest way to succeed in public service. We serve the public, and we must always keep the public front and center, and ensure that we are responsive to their needs and welfare.

What is your favorite cuisine?

The food of my childhood remains my favorite: Cuban cuisine. I was fortunate that my grandmother was a great cook, and when she heard that I was going to college where our cuisine would not be available, she gave me a quick tutorial on the essentials. I was able to cook my favorite dishes as an undergrad in rural New Hampshire, but certain key ingredients were not available—particularly, plantains. In desperation, I resorted to frying a ripe banana—an experiment that did not end well. Aside Cuban cooking, I enjoy my wife’s Vietnamese cooking. It’s certainly healthier than the food I grew up with!

What is your favorite hobby or activity that you enjoy doing in your free time?

Reading range of subjects not related to work, including classical history and philosophy. I also am enthusiastic follower of motorsports, including Formula One. I also enjoying playing a relaxed round of golf with friends. And by “relaxed round of golf,” I mean we’re not keeping score unless we’re doing really well.

What was your dream job as a child?

I wanted to own my own auto repair shop. I imagined that my future car shop would service exciting, exotic sports car. (Reality probably would have been more mundane.) I loved the idea of diagnosing problems and pulling apart/reassembling car components.