Ronald Shultis

1. What do you do?

As the Chief of Staff for the City of Jackson, Tennessee, I:

• Control access to the mayor
• Monitor the flow of information on policy issues to the mayor
• Manage and communicate the mayor’s policy agenda to lawmakers and the public
• Oversee the development of the executive’s policy agenda
• Serve as a liaison between staff, department leads, and the mayor
• Support internal communications to keep staff informed of executive decisions and organizational changes
• Draft memos and prepare reports

2. What’s the coolest part of your job?

Helping and supporting our team to solve problems so they can better deliver the services and programs that they are passionate about to constituents.

3. Why are you passionate about it?

I love solving problems and asking the right questions that bring out the best in my team. I love helping people feel empowered and more confident in doing what they do and deliver things efficiently to our taxpaying constituents.

4. Which skills from your IAC degree have helped you be successful in this career?

Even though my degree in international affairs taught me to study and analyze problems and systems at large multinational levels, local governments face the same issues: a lack of data, leadership, or resources, misaligned incentives, etc. My time at IAC taught me how to think critically and analytically about problems, systems, and solutions to public policy problems.

5. What’s your #1 tip for students and alumni interested in your field?

Get comfortable with conflict. At this level of executive leadership, nothing gets to your desk if somebody else could have solved it already. A large portion of my work involves coming into the middle of problems or conflicts, asking tough questions, and resolving them in a way that builds consensus and moves the team forward.