Laruen Miller, MPA 2006

Western Coordinator, Greater Hartford Arts Council

Lauren Miller had been volunteering for nonprofits since she was a child. When she heard about the University of Connecticut’s Master of Public Administration Nonprofit Management focus and Certificate, she was eager to learn more about the big picture of nonprofits. She was interested in everything from the conceptual framework to the practicalities. As Lauren explains, “I have absolutely no regrets about going back to school full time. It was an intense experience. . . I learned so much, more than I ever expected and that is a good thing. The MPA makes you an educated consumer of information . . . The ability to discern good information from questionable information is invaluable.”

Prior to completing a MPA from UConn each student must complete a final Capstone project based on their particular interest. The Capstone project provides students with a structure they may use to tackle many different projects and problems, even after they graduate. As Lauren explains, “From my Capstone I have a process I can follow to analyze and assess just about any situation.” For Lauren the Capstone turned out to be a unique experience. Lauren’s Capstone actually perpetuated the need and creation of her current position as Western Coordinator of the Greater Hartford Arts Council (GHAC). As Lauren said, “The moon and the stars lined up.”

Lauren’s Capstone topic explored the concept of expanding GHAC outreach. As their webpage, www.ConnectTheDots.org explains, “The Greater Hartford Arts Council is the largest independent arts council in New England, runs one of the country’s Top 10 United Arts funds and is a national leader in connecting the pubic to the arts.” GHAC was looking to potentially expand this cause by creating two regional field offices in towns east and west of Hartford.

After seemingly endless research in the community Lauren concluded that the desire to participate was evident. She also found that despite financial challenges there would be limited financial backing. Following her research the satellite offices became a reality.
 
With this expansion there became a need for coordinators of these areas. Lauren graciously accepted the position as the GHAC Western Coordinator. In this position Lauren works to connect Farmington Valley residents and workers with the arts. Lauren promotes local culture events, brings the arts to area companies and assists local arts and heritage organizations. “It is amazing to see the project go from a concept to a real program. I feel good about adding value to the community. The positive feedback that I have an impact is nice,” said Lauren.