Anna Holyan Postiglione, Senior Performance and Strategy Analyst

Hometown: St. Louis, MO

Graduation year: 2013

Major: Political Science and French

What other degrees have you earned?

Master’s in Public Affairs, Truman School of Public Affairs, University of Missouri- Columbia

What is your current career position?

Senior Performance and Strategy Analyst, Office of Strategy + Innovation, St. Louis County

Please describe your current work.

My office, Strategy + Innovation, is responsible for setting the direction and driving performance for the departments of St. Louis County through the intersection of knowledge, ideas and collaboration in order to create positive change for the county. Currently, our team is creating the five-year strategic plan for the county, which sets out the policy priorities that will help modernize county government.

What are your future goals?

To be build effective and inspiring teams.

In terms of your professional life, what would you say is your overarching purpose today?

To innovate through curiosity and collaboration.

How did your time at Westminster help you find that purpose?

My time at Westminster was really an extended exploration of all the things I was and am curious about. At every turn during my four years there, I found professors and administrators who not only tolerated my curiosity but encouraged me to learn as much as I could about anything I could. I was able to build confidence because I had people who championed and invested in me. My time at Westminster solidified a love of learning that I will carry with me as long as my mind still functions.

Were any relationships you formed at Westminster (with faculty, students, alumni, etc.) particularly influential in helping you find clarity of purpose? If yes, please explain.

The special thing about Westminster and its small size is the ability to form relationships with professors that few students get at larger schools. From Dr. John (Langton) helping to personally bring me to the school and kindling my love for politics (“always look for the internal mechanism”), to Dr. Cinnamon Brown exposing me to the scandalous women of history, these relationships and experiences were formative to the person I am today. Dr. Tobias Gibson basically raised me intellectually from the point where I was an overexcited student to being his (almost) thought partner. At least thought mentee. If you talk to me again in ten years, Tobias and I may both have finally decided to go to law school. These are the kind of bonds that are typical of and special to Westminster.

What did you learn about leadership while at Westminster, and how has that translated into your life since graduation?

I came across a quote the other day about leadership that struck me as true of my time at and after Westminster: “If you want people to do something for you, you do it with them.” I firmly believe that real power in leadership comes from bringing others along in the process with you and empowering others to lead. My entire four years at Westminster were filled with people who trusted me and gave me the skills to lead in the real world.

What does success mean to you?

Being at the point where you can pass on your knowledge to others and watch them succeed.

Do you recommend Westminster to prospective college students?

If you want to be more than a number in many thousands of students and you want to form relationships that will benefit you for the rest of your life, then you should go to Westminster.

Favorite Westminster faculty member?

Tobias Gibson

Favorite spot on campus?

The little private study room in the library

Last book you read?

The Deep State: Trump, the FBI and the Rule of Law by James B. Stewart

Favorite movie or TV show?
Show: 30 Rock
Movie: The Sound of Music

Favorite app?

Unfortunately, the Starbucks app. Least favorite: Mint.

Favorite way to spend a Sunday?

My favorite Sundays include walks with my husband and dog, a good book and a nap (my husband says I should bold and italicize the nap part).