Jean-Claude LeBec (MS Policy ’11) was
working a low-level administrative assistant job when he realized he
wanted more. With an undergraduate degree in political science,
Jean-Claude knew he wanted to pursue a graduate degree that opened him
up to new opportunities and provided him with hands-on knowledge, diverse
networks, and better professional skills. After researching several programs in the New York City area, he found that the Milano School of Policy, Management, and Environment offered everything he was looking for.
Jean-Claude recalls studying in the Urban Policy Lab with Professor Alex Schwartz, saying that his experience with the lab was intense but rewarding and
offered him opportunities to grow through practical challenges. Milano
taught him how to think through problems on the job, how to deal with
team dynamics, when to lead, and when to step back. It taught him how
to move forward toward a common goal and how to push through difficulty.
Jean-Claude is now the assistant commissioner of Strategic
Initiatives for the Department of Corrections (DOC) in New York City, and says
his experience at Milano makes his current day-to-day work “that much
easier.” Jean-Claude oversees the project
management team and the office of constituent and grievance services, which address complaints made by community stakeholders, including those
incarcerated in city jails. He leads teams in thinking strategically
about operational planning, process improvement, and performance
metrics.
Jean-Claude’s ambitious work is helping New York City provide procedural justice by implementing DOC’s reform initiatives and filling
the gaps between inmates, their rights, and those
responsible for providing services fairly.