The DGLP invites you and your students to a conversation with BSU alumni in public-oriented careers — from non-profit organizations to local governments. They will share their career paths, experiences, and insights with students interested in similar public-sector professional journeys.
Lunch is a buffet
Panelist Details:
Maria De La Fuente, Director of Land Use and Planning, Town of Medfield
Maria De La Fuente graduated from Bridgewater State University in 2021 with a degree in Political Science and a minor in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Her passion for urban planning and local government was ignited through GIS courses with Dr. Kim and a thesis on affordable housing under Dr. Tarsi. Shortly before graduation, Maria began working as a Planning/Engineering Specialist for the Town of Sharon.
Now the Director of Land Use and Planning for the Town of Medfield, she has spent her career updating local laws for smart development and has secured over $10 million in grant funding for various initiatives. Maria currently oversees the Medfield Planning Board, Zoning Board, Affordable Housing Trust, and Conservation Commission, collaborating with the Select Board on town-wide projects.
Currently enrolled in Suffolk University's Master's in Public Administration program, Maria aims to become a Town Administrator. Her commitment to community improvement drives her work, and she looks forward to sharing her insights with fellow students.
Nathan Doyen-Charon, Community Development Coordinator, City of Framingham
Nate Doyen-Charon (he/him) grew up in Eastham, MA on the Cape. He enjoys getting to the beaches in his hometown as often as he can. He identifies first as a father. He has two children ages 13 and 10 and loves spending time with them and being involved with all the different activities they have going on.
Nate graduated from BSU in 2023 with a Masters in Public Administration and a concentration in Civic and Nonprofit Leadership and Administration. He is currently employed with the City of Framingham, MA as their Community Development Coordinator.
He manages the Community Development Block Grant that the city receives annually from the Federal Government. Prior to this position, Nate worked for 15 years with a nonprofit organization that provides housing to adults with developmental disabilities called Pathway to Possible in Newton MA. Some of Nate's interests outside of work and raising children mostly have to do with staying active. He hikes, runs, practices yoga, and plays basketball. He loves watching the Boston Celtics, especially when they are winning championships.
Tony Mazzucco, Chief Executive & Administrative Officer, Town of Norwood
Tony Mazzucco's current role is as the Town Manager for Norwood, MA where he oversees a $240 million budget and a workforce of nearly 1,000 including a municipally owned electric utility, broadband company, and airport. In addition Tony serves as the CEO of the Metro South West workforce region overseeing workforce development in a region with over 1 million residents. He is an active member of the American Society of Public
Administration and serves on ASPA's Section on Public Administration Research Executive Committee, the Northern New England ASPA Chapter Council, and is on the Board of Trustees for the Northeast Conference on Public Administration. In addition, Tony is the Vice-Chairman of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' Joint Labor Management Committee where he mediates police and fire contractual disputes throughout the Commonwealth. Most recently he was appointed by Governor Healey to develop and lead a taskforce to reopen Norwood Hospital which closed due to a flood and 2020 and was caught in the Steward bankruptcy.
Past and current involvement with various associations includes serving on the ICMA Strategic Planning Committee, Government Affairs and Policy committee, and numerous conference planning and evaluation committees, past chair of the Massachusetts Municipal Association Labor & Personnel Committee, and member of the Massachusetts Municipal Management Association Executive Committee, Future Managers Committee, Civics Committee, and Planning committees. Tony has an MPA from the NASPAA accredited program at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts and is ABD at Valdosta State University, completing a doctorate in public administration. He is a US Embassy Singapore nominated YSEALI fellow and a Whitburn Fellow at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Tony's research interests include labor relations, local infrastructure spending, and bridging the gap with researchers and practitioners at the local level and has an upcoming article co-authored with his colleague Mel Bemis being published in the US-China Journal of Public Administration.
Femi Stoltz, Massachusetts Policy Director
Femi Stoltz is the Massachusetts Policy Director at uAspire. In this role, she works to advance policies that will make the Massachusetts financial aid system more equitable, transparent, and simpler, through strategic advocacy and policymaker education. Femi joined uAspire after spending working in various higher education roles including academic advising, career services & employer relations, and civic engagement. Femi also spent several years overseeing programs at non-profit organizations focused on higher education. Throughout her time in higher education and non-profit organizations, Femi has remained committed to serving as a voice for underrepresented students and has amassed extensive experience with higher education policy advocacy. Femi is a dual graduate of Bridgewater State University where she studied political science (BA) and public administration (MPA).