The Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University traditionally places recent graduates and alumni in the Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) program, and 2023 is no exception—other than boasting a larger number of finalists than usual.
The PMF is the federal government’s flagship leadership development program for advanced degree holders, with a mission of recruiting and developing a cohort of future government leaders drawn from all segments of society.
Fellows take part in training and advancement opportunities, including a leadership development program which focuses on identifying key values for public servants and providing fellows with critical leadership competencies. Fellows serve for two years at federal agencies—sometimes more than one—with salary and benefits; many find full-time employment following their fellowships.
The PMF program is one of the government’s most prestigious and competitive career-development programs. The detailed application process alone eliminates many would-be PMF finalists. In 2023, the program received 10,070 applications, 850 of which were selected as finalists.
Here are the 2023 Schar School PMF finalists and their degree program.
Master of Public Policy
Sylkin Barksdale
Brandon Bryan
Whitney Guilford (alum)
Zachary Hubschman
Master of Public Administration
Sara Leming
Michael Lodico
Bianca Nelson (alum)
Transportation Policy, Operations, and Logistics
William Snyder (alum)