The Davenport Institute of the School of Public Policy held its second discussion event at the Executive Center Dining Room on Sept. 23.
Students were invited to listen to Public Policy alum Almis Udrys MPP ‘01 on Sept. 23. He shared his experiences as a state and local policymaker and offered advice to the next generation of policymakers.
Udrys is a former Assistant Chief Operating officer of San Diego and a former strategic budget and policy advisor to the State Assembly. He now works as the senior director of Professional Services at a government technology company, OpenGov Inc, according to the website.
The event is part of the Davenport Discussions which gives students an opportunity to hear from experts in the field, ask questions and make personal connections.
Throughout the speech, Udrys shared his personal background, how his time at Pepperdine affected him, his journey to policy making and what he’s doing now. There was a short Q&A session before the event concluded.
Udrys was born and raised in Jackson, Mich. A child of Lithuanian immigrants, he grew up keenly aware of his luck as an American and took an interest in world events.
“I was part of what my family perceived as like a keeper of a cultural or ethnic tradition that was probably or potentially going to be wiped off the face of the planet,” Udrys said. “So the very real appreciation for what we have here, was just ingrained in me.”
Udrys background and the negative experiences he had formed his relationship with the power of government and its limits.
“Our neighbor once told us to go back to wherever we’re from,” Udrys said. “That’s part of my personal formative experience about what government can do and can’t do,” Udrys continued. “The cool thing about this country… is you meet people of all kinds, and you get to make changes together in government [and] in the private sector.”
Udrys recalled his time at Pepperdine and shared how the first decade of his career was made possible by connections he made as a graduate student.
“I loved this program [and] there was probably nowhere that I could move that would be as awesome and amazing,” Udrys said. “I got my job at the State Assembly through a referral from a Pepperdine classmate.”
Udrys’ career took him from the state auditor’s office, to the state assembly, to local government and now the private sector, according to his bio. Udrys emphasized the importance of continually building relationships.
“Who you know is possibly more important than what you know and that doesn’t mean just go meet a bunch of rich, important people,” Udrys said. “It means, truly get to know people – look at everybody as either a potential employee one day or a potential boss.”
The next Davenport Discussion will be with the City Manager of Malibu, Steve McClarey, Nov. 4 at the Executive Center Dining Room.
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Contact George Davis via email: george.davis2@pepperdine.edu
