Marie Trzupek Lynch MPP 1996

Business Skills for a Good Cause

"Within the first month of my arrival at the Harris School someone showed me an alumni book," said Marie Trzupek Lynch, MPP'96. "I was so impressed with the work these people were doing. There was such a sense of mission."

Now as a graduate herself-and with a clear mission of her own-Lynch is executive vice president of strategic planning, new ventures, and children's services at the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago. She started in January after five years at the YMCA of the USA.

"I really was looking forward to going back to spending time impacting the Chicagoland community," explained Lynch. "I'm now working more directly to affect the lives of people in the city and the suburbs."

In her new position, Lynch will be responsible for planning any new collaboration with nonprofit partners, exploring building a new YMCA in Chicago, and overseeing $9 million in childcare programs that serve 900 children throughout the city. Another large part of her job includes crafting the organization's new strategic plan, which involves working with the board of directors and executive team to set the Chicago YMCA's direction for the next several years.

"I pursued an MPP because I was specifically interested in doing all the quantitative work at a business school, but focusing on government and nonprofit operations," she said. "I was interested in thinking about accounting, statistics, and balance sheets for nonprofits rather than for 'widgets.'"

Those skills proved valuable during Lynch's time as director of operations of YMCA of the USA. Lynch managed the national search for the organization's new headquarters. She contacted leaders in major cities across the nation, then directed the team of attorneys, real estate professionals, architects, and media managers throughout the proposal process. She negotiated with cities for appropriate incentives, and once the decision was made to locate in Chicago, she worked with real estate experts to identify and negotiate the purchase of land.

In addition to her day job at YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago, in July Lynch accepted a position on the University's Alumni Board of Governors. "The Harris School is relatively new compared to some of the other professional schools at the University," she said. "As the base of students and alumni increases and the type of work we all do broadens, it's important to represent those interests to the Alumni Board, help Harris School students, and get undergraduates excited about policy careers and government work."

With a thriving professional life underway, Lynch gave birth to twin girls in May and returned to work earlier this month after a maternity leave. "We now have four kids under age seven at home," Lynch noted. "So, to be able to touch and influence 900 kids' lives every day, it's just a wonderful opportunity."