Lynn Hurley spent 33 years helping organizations transform by implementing enterprise systems like JD Edwards, PeopleSoft and Workday across finance, human resources and payroll for industries ranging from the private sector to state and local government to higher education.
But after the 2024 election, she watched federal cuts hit not only her customers, but her friends and neighbors in Beaufort, North Carolina. She found herself organizing rallies and community conversations, searching for a way to turn frustration into something constructive. That search led her to the University of Virginia Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy’s Graduate Certificate in Public Policy, which she completed in May 2026 – and which convinced her to enroll in the Master of Public Policy program next.
In this Q&A, Hurley talks about the Certificate in Public Policy courses that transformed her thinking, what it’s like balancing online coursework with a career, and why she thinks even skeptics should give public policy a chance.
Q. What made you decide to pursue the graduate certificate, and why specifically through UVA Batten?
A. After the election in 2024, the incoming federal administration’s swift and deep cuts to long-standing programs directly impacted my customers and my community. Listening to my friends and neighbors who were at a loss about how to cope with these actions, I partnered with friends to organize and speak at local rallies, encouraging people to pick one issue that resonated personally and focus on improving it for the community.
I also organized a Community Conversations event to bring people together around local issues. Civic engagement has always been important to me, but it became a passion project in the spring of 2025. I realized I needed more concrete information about how healthy, sustainable policy is made, so I started looking for a school that mirrored my values, a program that provided the core information I sought, and one that I could attend remotely. UVA and the Batten School offered all of that, plus a community of passionate and welcoming people.
Q. Is there a specific class, project or concept from the graduate certificate program that has stuck with you?
A. Policy Analysis was far and away the most impactful course in terms of understanding the practical elements of sustainable policy implementation. It also helped me see how directly my career experience aligned with effective policymaking and implementation planning.
I would be remiss if I didn’t also add Values-Based Leadership. This course guides students in values-based thinking, from the individual level to the community level. The readings and discussions are engaging and incredibly valuable in understanding why people, groups and communities think and act the way they do. This profoundly informs how we approach policymaking. This course was most impactful for me in terms of inspiration.
Q. What was it like fitting the online coursework into your life and work schedule?
A. In candor, there is a lot of work associated with each of these classes, and I worked 45-50 hours a week at the same time, frequently having to travel for my job as well. This meant I had to get creative. I took two courses per semester and often purchased the audiobooks of assigned readings so I could listen to them in the car or on airplanes.
Q. Did you expect to feel connected to classmates and faculty in an online program? How did that play out?
A. I did not expect to be very connected in an online program, and the results were actually mixed. In Values-Based Leadership, Dr. Hu Young Jeong’s style was so engaging and interactive, and he brought everyone together in lively discussions during the synchronous sessions. This makes a huge difference in getting to know one another and feeling connected.
In Policy Analysis, Professor Annie Rorem did a wonderful job supporting us through the complexities and challenges of the work. Policy Analysis is less focused on prescribed readings and lectures and more on the practical work of research and analysis in policy making. Professor Rorem clearly wanted us to learn and enjoy the process. Her investment in our success was obvious, and that naturally built a connection.
In addition, some of us attended fall courses together, and that created a foundation to build on in our spring courses.
Q. This fall, you’re starting the UVA Batten MPP program. How did the certificate program shape that decision?
A. If you don’t mind me being a little squishy, it made me fall in love with this work. I am incredibly inspired by the work many of my classmates are doing, and UVA Batten itself is a powerful community working to make the world a better place.
When I started the certificate program, my intention was simply to expand my knowledge base and research skills to better support my local leaders and customers. I wasn’t even halfway through the first two courses before I realized this would become my life’s work. The certificate program showed me a path to true credibility in the field of public policy, after a full career in what could ostensibly be considered unrelated at first glance.
Q. What would you tell someone who’s considering a UVA Batten graduate certificate but is still on the fence?
A. If this work is even remotely of interest, it’s worth the investment to explore it. If nothing else, it will make you a better, more informed leader. Given my career in consulting, I can attest that the learnings translate directly to corporate leadership, as well as organizational governance and policy development.
I’d recommend starting with Values-Based Leadership. The way the course approaches leadership applies to new and mid-career leaders, as well as long-time leaders like me. It navigates and aligns leadership with stewardship, since that’s where the most effective policy lives. From my own perspective, this is the course that hooked me and helped inspire my career change. Go for it!
