Phillip (Phil) A. Niedzielski- Eichner, MPA ’79, decided to take his support of the John Glenn College of Public Affairs’ MPA-DC program a step further by naming the program as beneficiary of his life insurance policy. He has been involved with the college through various contributions, volunteering his time as a guest speaker at events as well as mentoring Glenn College Washington Academic Internship Program (WAIP) and MPA-DC
fellows living and learning in the D.C. area.
“Including the Glenn College in my end-of-life plans was natural to me,” said Niedzielski-Eichner. “It is such a great representation for the future
of this country. My gift may not be large in the overall scheme of things, but it allows me to reinforce my belief in the institution, align with Sen. Glenn’s values and honor the fundamental principle of service.”
Niedzielski-Eichner took to heart President John F. Kennedy’s call for civic responsibility: “Ask not what your country can do for you — ask what
you can do for your country.” It’s what led him toward earning an MPA and into training that allowed him to serve at the highest levels of government. Noted for his talents as a national policy expert on “all things nuclear,” and for his commitment to local community service, Niedzielski-Eichner has 40 years of private and public sector professional experience, including senior executive service appointments in the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.
Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, furthered Niedzielski-Eichner’s interest in the MPA-DC program and his desire to secure the Glenn College’s future presence in Washington.
“There is a value system and a set of norms in the central part of the country that are slightly different from those most often reflected in the Washington policymaking process,” said Niedzielski-Eichner. “If we can get highly capable, highly motivated, altruistic individuals to Washington and continue to bring them into our governing process, there is hope for the country. Otherwise, we fall back into the destabilizing circumstances we are in now, where institutions are devalued and mistrusted, and the ethics and capabilities of government personnel are questioned and challenged beyond what is warranted, in my experience.”