MPA Mary Niedermeyer: From CEO to student, classroom to community

For more than a decade, Mary Niedermeyer has helped immigrant and refugee communities in the Twin Cities achieve self-sufficiency and economic prosperity through her work at Communities Advancing Prosperity for Immigrants (CAPI). The nonprofit provides services such as food access, workforce training, financial education, and housing support.

But after stepping into the role of CEO in 2023, Niedermeyer felt a graduate degree could deepen her understanding of policy, strengthen her leadership skills, and broaden her perspective on the systems affecting the communities CAPI serves.

The Humphrey School of Public Affairs quickly rose to the top of her list.

“Policy is an area I didn’t know that much about,” Niedermeyer says. “I wanted to expand my knowledge and learn more. The Master of Public Affairs program is helping me do that.”

Niedermeyer enrolled in the Master of Public Affairs mid-career program, designed for professionals with 10-plus years of work experience who want to advance their skills in public and nonprofit leadership, policy, and program analysis.

For Niedermeyer, this was key. The program offers classes during the day, at night, and on weekends. Between raising two young children, leading a major nonprofit, and responding to the constant demands of community-based work, adding graduate school coursework originally felt overwhelming.

“I’m only in class two days a month,” she says. “That flexibility has allowed me to actually attend school while balancing my family, my kids, and my very demanding job.”

A supportive community

Niedermeyer has found a cohort of colleagues who have supported her.

The MPA program brings together 25-30 mid-career professionals from across a variety of sectors. Many in the program are leading teams, managing organizations, and navigating their own real-time challenges.

“The cohort has just been incredible,” she says. “There are so many amazing leaders, and we’re all learning so much from one another. It’s not like undergrad, where everything is theoretical. We’re wrestling with leadership in real time.”

The result is a kind of camaraderie that goes beyond classroom discussions. Because of these connections, students support each other through their lived experiences. During an especially challenging semester marked by Operation Metro Surge and the additional responsibilities it brought to her workplace, Niedermeyer felt supported.

“The professors, staff, and everyone in the program have been so understanding,” she says. “I have really appreciated that.”

Using her skills right away

For Niedermeyer, she has been able to apply what she has learned in the program directly into her day-to-day work.

Her qualitative research course became an opportunity to explore a topic directly tied to her organization’s mission, which includes direct appropriations and workforce development.

“It’s a very hot topic right now at the State Capitol,” she says.

Through interviews with peers in her program and across the industry, she was able to gain insight into how appropriations shape community impact. This was knowledge she was able to immediately put to use at CAPI.

Her policy course offered similar real-world relevance, allowing her to understand the mechanics of policymaking in ways that strengthened her organization’s advocacy efforts.

Even the quantitative research class proved useful. A recent experience analyzing economic impact data at CAPI clicked more into place because of what she had learned in class.

“It helped me understand how the dataset was being developed and put together,” she says.

These moments have reinforced her belief that she chose the right program.

Already, Niedermeyer has seen the program strengthen her leadership, expand her policy understanding, and better serve the communities she’s committed to.

“It’s a great opportunity to learn alongside other community leaders and expand your knowledge in ways you can use right now,” she says. “The Humphrey School values the community, values students, and values their education. It’s helping me understand the bigger picture.”