Interview with United States Postal Rate Commissioner and 2006 Smith EMBA Candidate Mark Acton

Smith School EMBA candidate Mark Acton has added another feather to his cap. In August of this year he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as President George W. Bush’s appointee as a United States Postal Rate Commissioner. In 2002, Acton was appointed special assistant to the chairman of the Postal Rate Commission. Commissioner Acton also served a year in New York City as deputy to the chairman of the 2004 Republican National Convention and, prior to joining the Postal Rate Commission, was staff director for the Republican National Committee Counsel’s Office.

Sachin Agarwal, MBA Candidate 2007 in the Office of Marketing Communication’s Smith Media Group, recently spoke with Commissioner Acton. The following are excerpts from the interview:

Q: Commissioner Acton, what would you say is the primary difference in your duties at the Postal Commission now that you are Postal Commissioner?

A: The primary difference is that as special assistant to the chairman of the Postal Rate Commission, I was a member of the appointed non-career agency staff and though I was actively involved in the day-to-day activities of the Commission, it was in an advisory position. I now occupy a decision-making role and am responsible for considering a wide variety of perspectives before casting a vote; where as before I was a member of the staff, I am now an officer of the Commission.

Q: Learning from other classmates is a major component of the EMBA experience. How has your experience been in this regard?

A: It has been a rich learning experience. I have 23 members in my cohort and they bring great and varied public and private sector expertise, and they are extremely generous in sharing their wisdom. This element of the EMBA program has added tremendously to my education.

Q: How is the Smith EMBA helping you advance in your career?

A: The biggest advantage of the program is that it is geared towards executive professionals. The EMBA provides a focused cross-functional background that prepares you for the boardroom scenario. I feel the program has equipped me to better understand issues and to make more informed decisions.

Q: How is the Smith MBA helping you perform your job even better?

A: As I mentioned, the cohort feature adds tremendous program value. In addition, I would point to the Action Learning Project. The Postal Rate Commission is presently engaged in an effort with Congress to enact as law a comprehensive postal legislative reform measure. I have applied the Action Learning Project program component to research and explored the agency role this reform movement.

Q: What are some of the courses that you have found particularly interesting or helpful?

A: For me it has been very much a holistic educational experience. I would be reluctant to single out a course, but I would probably say Managerial Accounting. We use a variety of these techniques on a regular basis at the Postal Rate Commission, especially with regards to cost allocations.

Statistics and data analysis also have proven to be extremely useful and we frequently employ regression analysis and other data integrity methodologies.

Q: What advice would you have for other mid-career professionals who are thinking about doing an MBA?

A: My advice would be that they should do it now if they can. I know that all of us always have a lot going on, for example sponsorship or financing issues, a new baby, or work-related pressures. But my advice would be to do it, and to do it now if you can manage it.

I had an extremely worthwhile experience. I think that sometimes you reach a point in your career where you feel that you have to do even more to set yourself apart, to turn it up another notch, and the EMBA enables you to do just that.

I would also add that EMBA candidates should be prepared to devote the considerable time and resources that [the program] needs. In fact, I think it is important to set expectations with friends and family as well. They should be ready to not have as much of you as they are used to. Without their commitment and support it is difficult to do full justice to the EMBA program.

Finally, I think prospective candidates should understand that the EMBA is geared toward executive decision-makers. Depending on one’s career profile and professional needs, there are other MBA programs such as the full-time or the part-time that might be more suitable.