Michael M Parker

What is exciting about your current position?

The Salt Lake Chamber is Utah’s premiere business organization and is often at the heart of policy debates in our state. As the Public Policy Area Director for Utah’s largest business association, I lead our efforts in public finance, taxes, regulation, economic development and any research/grassroots projects we have. This gives me a broad portfolio of issues to work on which I thrive on. It also gives me a broad network of amazing and passionate business and civic leaders that give of their time to improve our economy and quality of life. 

What aspect are you most proud of?

A purposeful and engaged business community has made our state what it is today. The Chamber has been the hallmark of good common sense public policy, and that’s a great place to work. The Chamber stands on basic principles of free enterprise and community prosperity, and is a leader in finding common ground on difficult issues. It’s a really unique atmosphere and in my mind a key community institution that sets apart from other places.

What aspect has the most impact?

The Chamber is a place of action because of the influence our business leaders have and lend to common issues. We represent more than 8,000 businesses and over half of the state’s workforce. Meaning, you can really move an issue forward through the Chamber’s leadership. A great example of this would be our state’s recent action to improve transportation funding, something that had not done since 1997. 

How would you explain what you do to someone who doesn’t understand your work?

As a public policy director, I’m firstly in charge of advancing our priorities in my portfolio. That could include direct lobbying of elected and government officials, utilizing my MPP to understand and come up with possible solutions and research on the issues, or aiding our communications team with opinion pieces or marketing materials. Another aspect to my job is to be in the community, which includes serving on a number of boards and committees and simply sharing the Chamber’s perspective and influence. The key for a prospective MPP’r to understand however is that your graduate work is an opportunity to invest in our quantitative and qualitative skills sets that you’ll utilize in unique ways and will separate you from a large contingent of those engaged in policy debates.

What led you to your current position?

My current position at the Chamber has largely been a result of investing in my career through the MPP program and a number of key internships before and during grad school. And frankly, a bit of luck and some great mentors. Skipping the resume rundown, I can simply tell you I did my undergraduate degree in political science and did a Hinckley Internship in Washington, D.C. for a lobby firm. Those two experiences were eye openers in terms of that if you want to be on the ground floor of policy discussions you need to be an expert - well at least be able to understand the experts. That led to my pursuit of a MPP at the University of Utah. During that time, I made sure that I was investing as much in my academic prowess as my professional experiences. This included making the most of every class, taking more upper level graduate courses in economic modeling and internships at a number of key institutions in town. All of this led me to great mentors, among them the person who hired me at the Chamber and has since become one of my most trusted advisors.

How has having an MPP helped your career?

I would not have the opportunities I have today without my MPP. While it is rare to find me on R or SAS modeling a policy program now (which I miss!), I can candidly say that the course work of the MPP empowers me on a daily basis to see gaps and opportunities for making the state better.

Advice for those thinking about or going through the MPP program now?

Any prospective MPP’r should be asking whether they want to be substantive or subjective in their pursuit of positive change in their respective passion. If it’s the former, you should purse an MPP. I would also challenge you to make sure you get the most out of your graduate work, find a research topic you can carry through till your capstone. Build relationships with your teachers, employers and classmates. Invest in your subject matter knowledge of a specific policy topic or focus on being a generalist by drilling down on the basic fundamentals of policy and economic analysis. Regardless of your path, the MPP program is a unique opportunity to invest in your ability to inform and shape policy and improve lives.

Any advice for someone interested in a similar career?

I’m often slandered with the term lobbyist, but I’m proud to advocate on the behalf of Utah’s business community. As an MPP, you bring a unique technical perspective to the lobbying profession often giving you the ability to build your argument or deconstruct another option in a substantive and non-parstian fashion. I think it is really important to be personable, persuasive (especially in writing) and have a quick wit that can be leveraged to move an issue forward. While your in grad school, get involved with the ASUU Government Relations group and give it a test run or reach out to the Hinckley Institute of Politics and pursue a lobbying internship. Advocacy and lobbying is not for everyone.