William Pelton and Mary Jane Massie have established the Barringer Pelton Public Service Graduate Scholarship at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School. The scholarship honors their niece, Jody Barringer, a three-time Syracuse alumna, and aims to support graduate students pursuing careers in government at various levels.
Jody Barringer’s career began as an attorney focusing on environmental cases before she decided to move into public service. She pursued a master of public administration (M.P.A.) at the Maxwell School, influenced by recommendations from friends and her own family ties to Syracuse University.
Barringer completed her M.P.A. in 2008 and went on to hold significant roles in the federal government, advising four U.S. presidents—Bush, Obama, Trump, and Biden—and contributing to the response to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Throughout her academic journey, Barringer received encouragement and financial assistance from her uncle and aunt. William Pelton is a retired partner from Cooper & Dunham in New York City who worked on technology such as GPS and laptop computers. He and Mary Jane Massie helped cover gaps in Barringer’s undergraduate financial aid.
“I would not have gone to Syracuse without that little bit of money they chipped in to add to the financial aid package I was provided,” says Barringer. “Being able to give back to someone like me who might just be a little bit short or who needs an extra hand is so important because you never know what they can accomplish in the future. I am always so grateful to Bill and Mary Jane for supporting me in everything that I do.”
Pelton has previously supported other areas at Syracuse University through philanthropy, including gifts to the College of Law and the College of Arts and Sciences (A&S). His gift to A&S honored former dean Eric Faigle, who had mentored multiple members of Pelton’s family during their studies.
Pelton explained that his niece’s experiences at Maxwell inspired this latest scholarship: “She excelled in Maxwell and after she graduated, we met some of her classmates at her wedding, so I decided we should create a scholarship at Maxwell to recognize Jody,” he says.
Barringer has said she wanted to become a lawyer since childhood, inspired by her uncle. After earning degrees from A&S and the College of Law—where she served as Law Review editor—she practiced law before shifting focus toward shaping environmental policy within government agencies.
“Over time, I realized it would be a really interesting transition instead of working on the tail end of ‘who’s going to pay to clean it up?’ to be on the side of making or influencing the policies to get people to be better actors in the environment to begin with,” she says.
At Maxwell, Barringer credited professors Peter Wilcoxen and David M. Van Slyke for helping build skills that complemented her legal training. Van Slyke commented: “Jody was an outstanding student who brought a passion for understanding and developing government-business relationships that could be mutually beneficial in which the public good can be realized. I’m grateful for public servants like her that take initiative to break down barriers and open pathways for dialogue and cooperation.”
After completing her degree at Maxwell, Barringer worked briefly for the Department of Energy before joining the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). She became involved with coordinating agency responses during major events such as the Deepwater Horizon disaster.
During 14 years with OMB, Barringer managed hazardous waste cleanup programs, advised on environmental regulations, and mediated disputes among agencies. In 2022 she joined the Environmental Protection Agency as a senior executive overseeing resource conservation efforts.
Health concerns led Barringer into early retirement in 2024. She expressed satisfaction reflecting on both her career achievements and her family’s continued legacy supporting future public servants through this new scholarship fund.
