MPA Grad Boynton Earns PMF Appointment
MPA Grad Boynton Earns PMF Appointment
By Dan Silvia, Communications Manager
Emerging from a field of 6,700 applicants, David Boynton is one of 400 Presidential Management Fellows program finalists. Boynton, who earned his Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Bellevue University in 2014, survived a rigorous application process to earn the appointment.
The U.S. Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program is a prestigious two-year training and development program at a United States government agency, administered by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), for U.S. citizens with a recent graduate degree. Applicants undergo an arduous multistage assessment and testing process. After completing the program, agencies may place PMFs as permanent federal civilian employees.
The testing and application process are considered sensitive, thus Boynton could only share a few details about the journey.
“After making it through to the 2nd round of selection, I had to fly to DC to do in-person assessments. That was an amazing experience as I got to go head-to-head against some of the best and brightest from Yale, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Harvard... you name it!” he said. “It was a great feeling coming away from that day feeling great and knowing that Bellevue had set me up right for the future.”
Boynton credited Dr. William P. Kittredge for helping him through the process.
“He discovered that I was selected as Bellevue University's only 2016 PMF Finalist and immediately reached out to me. He has been a fierce advocate and kept me on target throughout the whole Appointment process,” Boynton said. “Because just being selected as a finalist is not the end, it is only the beginning; and without a doubt, it was his mentorship, experience within the federal government and wisdom that helped me achieve my appointment within National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).”
As part of the program, Boynton, a retired 21-year veteran of the United States Air Force, has been assigned to NOAA in the Department of Commerce. He’ll be working with the fisheries budgets, which could lead to an appearance on Capitol Hill to defend the budget.
“I have worked very hard in my academic and military career to be able to continue to make a difference in the world once I took the uniform off,” Boynton said. “Until this program came my way, I was not really sure how I would be able to do that... city or state government... but I never dreamed I would be able to contribute to our future to this degree.”
Originally from St. Augustine, Florida, Boynton is an avid scuba diver and is looking forward to the opportunities the NOAA presents.
“The ability to work in NOAA is an amazing one and I believe I will stay with them for quite some time,” he said.
Prior to earning his MPA, Boynton completed his Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management at the University.
“I first heard about Bellevue University from an education briefing at Offutt Air Force Base,” Boynton said. “My education plan took a back seat when I volunteered to become a Military Training Instructor at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio Texas. Once I was done in San Antonio, I somehow managed to find my way back to Offutt and almost immediately enrolled in the Healthcare Management program. The process was incredibly easy. I brought all my transcripts and Community College of the Air Force (CCAF) grad certs and was in class the next semester!”
Standout professors highlighted Boynton’s time at the University.
“Every single professor that I had during my time at Bellevue University was nothing short of outstanding. The two who had the biggest impact on me however and still do to this day are Dr. Adrian Petrescu and Professor Denny Wilson,” Boynton said. “Those two professors challenged me to be more than I was and to always strive for excellence within myself. They never let me lose sight of what I could accomplish or what I was capable of becoming. For that, I will be eternally thankful to them.”
In addition to his professors, Boynton credited his wife, Allana, who completed her Master of Science in Human Resources Strategic Management on August 31 at Bellevue University, and their family, with motivating him throughout the program.
“There were days in my MPA class where I felt completely out of my depth and she kept me grounded and always moving forward to achieve the goal,” he said. “My children, though they may not realize it, are why I work so hard as I want them to understand that nothing is ever free and everything worth having must be worked for.”