A Cleveland native, David Lukas has always been inspired by Northeast Ohio and is proud to call it home, sharing, “The people here are resilient and committed to making our community better for the next generation.” After receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the Ohio State University, Lukas decided to pursue a Master of Public Administration from the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University, graduating in 2011. Today, David serves as the Assistant Director for the Summit County Department of Community and Economic Development, which seeks to encourage regional job growth and business development.

When deciding where to pursue graduate education, Lukas was impressed with Levin’s MPA program: “The faculty were well known throughout the community and the student services office was successful in connecting students with relevant internship opportunities.” In fact, while David credits his coursework for preparing him for his career in economic development, the trajectory of his career was most impacted by his internship placement where he gained practical experience and grew his network. His hard work led to a full-time position upon graduation: “My career really took off as a result,” he shares. When asked what advice he has for current Levin students, David suggests “build strong relationships with your classmates, because you will likely be seeing a lot of them throughout your career.”