The Riddell Graduate Program in Political Management is excited to announce the appointment of two Practitioners in Residence for the 2023-24 academic year — Yaroslav Baran, founder of the Pendulum Group, and Marci Surkes, Strategic Advisor with Compass Rose and Interim Executive Director of the Coalition for a Better Future.
The Practitioner-in-Residence role is an opportunity for non-academic leaders in political management to join the program as visiting experts. These seasoned leaders work with students in one or more courses during the Fall and Winter terms, provide mentorship to students, and take part in program events outside the classroom. Past visiting practitioners have included Bill Fox, William Stairs, Rob Silver, Rachel Curran, the Hon. Sergio Marchi, and Sabina Saini.
This year marks the first time that the program has been able to welcome two professionals to this important position. “Also,” notes Program Director, Jennifer Robson, “these two are professionals with complementary backgrounds in different parties, who bring different specialized skills and knowledge, but who share a common commitment to improving our politics by helping emerging leaders succeed. This is exactly what the MPM program is all about”. 
Marci Surkes, who will be starting her term in the role in January 2024, reflected that “one of the great strengths of MPM is the fostering and promotion of cross-partisan cooperation. We need more of that in our politics – and instilling the importance in our future leaders early in their professional formation builds a positive foundation for the future. This appointment, which I’m delighted to share with Yaroslav Baran, is precisely in keeping with that spirit; while healthy debate and opposition is crucial to the functioning of our Canadian democracy, so too is respect, collaboration, and partnership. I am approaching this appointment from this perspective and look forward to working with – and learning from – students with wide-ranging perspectives on politics and public policy.” Ms. Surkes will be teaching the course POLM 5016 – Applied Public Policy Analysis, offering students an opportunity to do a deep-dive in a policy file and, through that study, gain a deeper understanding of the behind-the-scenes work of public policy decision-making.
Yar
oslav Baran who started in the position in Summer 2023, taught the program’s first 6-week course Introduction to Lobbying and returns to the classroom in the Fall to teach the course POLM 5018 Strategic Communications. This course, which is required learning for all MPM degree students, introduces students to the work of crafting and implementing political communications plans.
“Not only is this program unique, but it’s also critically necessary in an age of challenge to our institutions and public trust,” said Mr. Baran. “We need to do everything possible to nurture a strong political class of future leaders. The MPM program is doing just that, and it’s an honour to be part of it.”
To learn more about the MPM program, or the Practitioner in Residence role, please contact us at mpm@carleton.ca.