PLS Alumni Spotlights
Kyle McMillen
Graduating from GVSU in 2013, Kyle McMillen obtained his Bachelor of
Science with a double major in
History and Political Science and a
minor in International Relations. Kyle’s time at GVSU was filled
with
fond memories. Outside of the classroom, he served as the
President of the GVSU College Democrats
and became a member of the
GVSU Amnesty International Chapter. Kyle also noted great
relationships
with his professors, saying, “Professors like Dr.
Walhof, Dr. Zinman, and Dr. Tafel really pushed me to
think
critically, become a more refined researcher, and gave me the
confidence I needed to go into
graduate school and continue to
pursue politics and advocacy as a career path.” Once Kyle obtained
his
bachelor’s degree, he pursued his master’s degree with an
emphasis in 20th Century American History
at Eastern Michigan University.
While working on his master’s degree, Kyle began his career as a
classroom teacher and a community
organizer. In 2014, he served as
a team member for U.S. Senator Gary Peters, and as a campus
organizer
for NextGen Climate Action. From there, Kyle attended
the University of California, Riverside, where he
pursued a
doctorate degree in education. He further developed his skills as an
advocacy expert while
working as an outreach director for
Educators for Excellence in Los Angeles, where he fought for more
equitable funding.
Kyle has played an active role in politics and policy making, from
researching energy and education
policy in Washington D.C. to
working on various political campaigns, including a U.S. Senate
campaign
and a grassroots organizational campaign focused on
climate change. He was Senior Project Manager at Parker Philips, Inc.,
a women-owned boutique
consulting firm with projects involving
public affairs and marketing with research and analysis.
Kyle is now Chief Strategy Officer and co-owner of Parker Strategy Group, which partners with clients across the country to deliver data-driven solutions in economic impact analysis, research and grant writing, along with marketing and communications solutions.
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