Clinton School student Fernando Cutz (’12) has spent this academic year working with the Office of U.S. Senator Mark Pryor (D – Ark.) to analyze the effects of federal budget cuts on police and fire departments across Arkansas.
Cutz gathered data and held meetings with several federal offices including the Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Justice.
Cutz also traveled to 13 geographically dispersed and population-differentiated communities around Arkansas where he met with local mayors, county judges, police and fire chiefs to discuss their level of federal funding and how it affects their respective communities. His travels took him to Forrest City, Brinkley, Little Rock, Dardanelle, Russellville, Hector, Atkins, Pine Bluff, Star City, Cabot, Searcy, Newport and Batesville.
The compiled and analyzed data, together with individual community stories and recommendations for future funding priorities, will be formally presented to Sen. Pryor and senior staff in the coming weeks.
“Fernando’s done an excellent job in helping us determine the impact that federal funding has on public safety in communities throughout the state,” Pryor said. “This information will be valuable when trying to prioritize federal dollars to support our first responders. I thank Fernando for his service to our state and look forward to his future endeavours.”
“It has been a pleasure to partner with such a dedicated team of public servants,” Cutz said. “The work I have done is an important beginning. I know that Senator Pryor and his staff will use the gained knowledge to better promote the needs and interests of the people of Arkansas and rural America.”
Cutz’s work with Pryor’s office is the final of three required field service projects he has completed in the Clinton School’s Master of Public Service program. The program is designed to provide students with leadership skills and expertise for careers in nonprofit, government, and private sector service work.
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