Winter Grad Spotlight: Maire Grace Hewitt, BA ’18, MPA ’20

A December 2020 MPA graduate with a dual concentration in public finance and economics and environmental policy and politics, Maire Grace Hewitt also earned her BA in Political Science at UAlbany in 2018. While in her graduate program, Maire completed an internship with the Living Energy Group, LLC and was offered a full-time position upon the completion of her degree. Long term, she hopes to make a meaningful impact with a career in environmental justice.

Why did you choose to attend UAlbany/Rockefeller College?

I am a lifelong native of the Capital Region and completed my undergraduate studies, BA in Political Science, at the University. Based on my undergraduate experience, I knew I wanted to continue my studies at UAlbany. After researching, I looked into the program and found that it perfectly fit what I wanted to do with my life. For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about public service and government. However, together those are such broad topics — it was often difficult to figure out how I wanted to make a meaningful career out of that. When I was applying to the program, I talked with my mom about her experience as a graduate student. She told me, "graduate school is like taking all of your studies and interests, sliding them under a microscope, and finally getting a clear idea of what you want to do." That is exactly how I would describe my time as an MPA student.

What was one of the most meaningful experiences you had during your time in the MPA program?

The lessons learned in RPAD 507 and 508 — the two required professional development courses. While I found everything I learned throughout the program to be significant. I feel that these two courses required students to navigate some of life's hardest decisions and situations. Combating discrimination in the workplace, making choices on behalf of an organization, evaluating emotional intelligence, and professionally defending a stance on controversial issues are a few experiences among many I navigated as a student in these courses. In order to be an effective leader in public service and work on behalf of and alongside diverse groups of people with diverse opinions, having these skills and experiences are exceedingly important.

Where did you complete your internship requirement, and what knowledge, skills, and abilities did you develop as a result of this experience?

I completed my internship at Livingston Energy Group, LLC, a clean energy company located in Schenectady, and worked to install electric vehicle (EV) charging stations statewide in response to Governor Cuomo's emissions targets outlined in the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).

I interned in summer and fall 2020 as a Project Funding and Marketing/Sales Development Intern. In short, in order to achieve EV goals, New York State required state investor-owned utilities to form the Joint Utilities of New York, providing a "Make-Ready" incentive program that covers up to 90% of EV charging station install costs. NYSERDA also offers a "Charge Ready" incentive program, which covers 100% of the cost of the stations themselves. Together, these programs cover nearly 100% of EV charging station installs across New York State. During my internship, I learned how these programs worked. Over time, it was my job to manage Livingston's involvement in them, acting as a liaison between my company, each utility, and various state agencies.

Aside from this main aspect of my position, other tasks I consistently worked on include assisting the Sales and Development team design effective marketing campaigns, tracking legislation, government programs and other initiatives related to EVs and emissions, managing the company's social media and blog, and working with municipalities to design local incentive programs that encourage driving electric.

Since this company is a small business and a start-up, there is consistently much work to be done. That said, I believe the most important development I made was in my willingness to take on tasks that I had no experience with. Each time I did this, I was presented with a meaningful learning experience that often provided me an opportunity to network. This was also my first experience working in the private sector, so it was interesting to see how private and public entities can mesh together for the common good.

Where are you currently employed and what is the focus of your position?

I was offered a full-time position at Livingston Energy Group, working as a Project Funding Specialist. While my position's focus remains to manage our company's funding programs and assisting customers with incentive applications, I still would say my job description is fairly wide. I also still manage company social media, ad spending and blogs, work on partnerships with utilities, work with local municipalities, and track policy and legislation, among lots of other tasks.

What are your career goals moving forward?

While I currently plan to stay in the Capital Region, my long-term goals include staying in New York and moving downstate in pursuit of new life and professional experiences. Working for the public includes understanding the public, and I hope to further my knowledge of NYS residents' different backgrounds and struggles.

While I am not sure of a specific job I would like to hold, I know that moving forward, I hope to work in environmental justice. Disadvantaged communities face an outstandingly disproportionate amount of environmental discrimination and often the brunt of environmental initiatives. As new initiatives unfold, I find this an exciting and important mission to be a part of and believe that transitioning into a job that works with environmental justice will provide me an opportunity to develop skills and experiences to make a meaningful impact.