Meet alumna and instructor Katie Loovis and hear her thoughts on a public service career, leadership, and the MPA program. Along with her work with the UNC MPA program, Professor Katie Loovis was recently named as Executive Director for the North Carolina Community Colleges Foundation.
What do you teach in the MPA program, and how long have you been affiliated with the program?
I have the pleasure of teaching Nonprofit Management (PUBA 756) to UNC-Chapel Hill Master of Public Administration (MPA) students and many other master’s students who join the course from other disciplines, including business, public policy, and law; as well as some exceptional undergraduate students who want to challenge themselves with a masters-level course. I taught this course in the fall semester of 2021 and will do so again this Fall 2023.
I’m a 2002 graduate of the UNC MPA program and have enjoyed staying in touch with several MPA classmates and UNC School of Government (SOG) faculty members and administrators over the last twenty years. Also, I previously served on the MPA Alumni Association Board of Directors and now serve on the SOG Foundation Board of Directors. As you can imagine, I feel a kindred spirit with those in the MPA program and so appreciate and respect everyone at the SOG for continuing to hold dear the values of being non-partisan, policy-neutral, and responsive.
What’s your education background?
I earned a BA in communication studies with honors in 1999 and an MPA in 2002 from UNC-Chapel Hill, and am currently earning an EdD from NC State in Community College Leadership. I expect to complete my doctorate in 2024. At the same time, I earned a 100-hour graduate level teaching certificate from NC State, which has helped inform my teaching philosophy and practice in the classroom at UNC.
I love been looking at careers like yours – ones that take a lot of pivots. You’ve been in government, business, non-profit. You’ve focused in workforce development and now education. You’ve gone from nationally focused work to more locally focused work and now state focused work. What is the common thread in your career?
I am really grateful to have had such an interesting and meaningful career journey that has allowed me the opportunities to serve in the public (White House), private (GSK), and nonprofit (Achieving the Dream) sectors, as well as with the US Chamber and a local chamber of commerce.
Public service has been a common thread throughout my career. Looking back, I’ve been drawn to the place where the sectors intersect for the good of communities and individuals. I have found that big, thorny issues like closing achievement gaps, increasing access to medicines, or improving the talent pipeline requires leaders from business, government, and the nonprofit sectors to work together. No one sector can do it alone! I really enjoy being at that point of intersection where the sectors come together with shared vision, programming, and accountability, and, together, make a measurable and lasting impact in the lives of others.
Most recently, I’ve had the honor of being a part of a collective impact initiative, called the Summer Careers Academy, which was selected into the UNC SOG’s ncIMPACT “Carolina Across 100,” “Our State, Our Work” initiative. The SOG is a true think tank/do tank when it comes to sector intersection and accelerating positive results for our state. Anita Brown-Graham and her team at the SOG deserve a lot of credit, recognition, and support for their groundbreaking work in partnering for the public good!
Talk about something specific you try to teach your students that you have found as necessary and an important part of all your roles (can be a skill, attribute, concept, etc.)
There is a wonderful Chinese proverb that says, “Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.”
I have found many UNC students to be intelligent, dutiful, high achievers. While these are virtuous attributes, they can be limiting factors when students are trying to make sense of the best career pathway for them, especially if they want their career to be an extension of their life purpose. The path of public service, especially with local non-profit organizations, while tremendously meaningful, requires a great deal from its executive directors. I try to give my students a realistic perspective of the many responsibilities of a non-profit executive (as well as the joys!) and also give them the opportunity to reflect on their own personal and professional skills and aspirations.
“Throughout the semester, I invite students to pause and engage in reflection activities to consider who they are, how they are built, and what career pathway(s) are most aligned and will make their heart sing.”
My hope is that, whether they choose to become a paid non-profit professional or a volunteer serving on a non-profit board of directors, they will be well-equipped to add a lot of value and make a positive and lasting difference. (Here is a transcript of a keynote speech I delivered to the Chapel Hill Magazine Women of Achievement 2019 event, which brings this theme of purpose and leadership together.)
In thinking about the course of your career, where do you give credit to its success? In every role that you’ve considered or passed up or taken, what has helped you in navigating the course?
I have benefited in my career from the help of so many people along the way, especially those who coached me through UNC Athletics, taught me at UNC and now at NC State, and those colleagues who gave me great career advice and championed me behind closed doors when employment decisions were made.
One great piece of advice I received from a former White House colleague was: “say yes.” I took this to heart and despite having demanding jobs, I said yes to opportunities to meet with many people I would not have met otherwise. Through these new connections and acquaintences, I also experienced exciting doors open for me, so I encourage all of my students to ‘say yes’.
What do you learn from your students?
My default mode of operating is to be very focused on getting things done. There is not much I love more than checking things off a to-do list. However, being an educator is helping me shift my focus more to other people and their long-term success. Students have really stirred in me a deep sense of compassion for where they are and the challenges they are navigating. As an educator, I see myself as a facilitator of my students’ learning journey. Facilitation is more than simply lecturing, it is helping students connect their personal and professional interests and goals to the course objectives and outcomes, and then encouraging them to explore new ideas and concepts, guiding them through the learning process, and motivating them to apply new knowledge and skills.
Leadership is an important part of the MPA program, and leadership is an important aspect of your new role as Executive Director. This isn’t an interview, but what do you want to say to us about leadership?
Leadership is one of my favorite topics to study. In fact, through my dissertation, I have found that leadership and management are two distinct concepts that are often muddled together. My favorite way to distinguish the two is what Bennis and Nanus (2007) said: “Managers are people who do things right and leaders are people who do the right thing.” This purposeful distinction is so important. Public servants must be good at both. Sometimes these two things can be diametrically opposed – managers can be working to maintain the very systems leaders are trying to change – and therein lies the tension. The School of Government does an extraordinary job at helping public servants understand these leadership/management pain points, make sense of their options, and equip them for the path ahead.
I have enjoyed learning about the School of Government’s Center for Public Leadership and Governance and the work that Peg Carlson and her team are doing to build up teams of public servants across the state who can successfully navigate leadership and management challenges.
What advice do you have for those considering a public service career or a career change to the public sector or to those who want to impact in some area but are feeling frustrated.
No matter what career pathway you choose, the reality is that we are living in rapidly changing times. I’ve enjoyed following futurist Heather McGowan who talks about how “the future of work is learning.” She says workers today are likely to have 17 different jobs across 5 different industries and, going forward, 25% to nearly 50% of the work we currently do will be replaced with technology in the next ten years (McGowan, 2019). While nearly all careers are changing, the field of public service has dynamic and important job opportunities in the public, private, and non-profit sectors. I encourage students to keep an open mind and heart about the different sectors of service, and to remember that as Picasso said, “Your call is to find your gift, and your purpose is to give it away”.
Now in its 26th year at the School of Government, the UNC-Chapel Hill Master of Public Administration program has once again been named one of “America’s Best Graduate Schools” by U.S. News & World Report in its 2024 rankings.
The program improved its ranking among the top 20 public affairs programs in the nation. It is ranked 19th overall and remains the top-ranked MPA graduate program in North Carolina. This marks the 11th consecutive year UNC MPA has maintained its position among the top 25 public affairs programs in the United States.
In addition, the program retained its prestigious second-ranked position in the local government management specialty area. UNC MPA also improved its ranking in the public finance and budgeting specialty, jumping four spots to rank 22nd in the country.
The program retained its top-20 standing in the public management and leadership field, ranking 13th overall.
This year’s list—released April 25, 2023—saw numerous University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill graduate programs earn high rankings. UNC MPA joins 15 other University programs in increasing their rankings this year, including programs in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, School of Nursing, College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education, and Kenan-Flagler Business School. Rankings for graduate medical and law programs will be released at a later date.
Find all of the U.S. News & World Report rankings online.
UNC School of Government faculty member Carl Stenberg received the Legacy Award in March 2023 at the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Annual Conference. Given virtually by ASPA’s Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management (SIAM), this award celebrates public officials whose careers have “centered on advancing the study and practice of federalism in multiple roles.”
Legacy Award winners, an exclusive group, are recognized for making significant contributions to the academic literature on federalism, participating in a wide variety of assignments as part of SIAM, and taking active roles in the field—mentoring young public professionals in the infancy of their careers.
Stenberg has a long and established commitment to the Section, having joined in its founding and playing an instrumental role in advancing its mission to study, understand, and improve federal systems and other forms of intergovernmental relations.
His most recent Legacy Award adds to his collection of accolades from the Section—he has also won both of its Donald C. Stone Awards for practitioner and scholar contributions to the field.
As the nominator for Stenberg’s candidacy, School faculty member Kimberly L. Nelson was pleased to celebrate her colleague’s significant legacy in the field.
“Carl Stenberg has been a guiding force of ASPA’s (SIAM),” she said. “In 2014, he founded the Deil Wright Symposium at ASPA’s Annual Conference. The symposium continues today as the section’s main event, now heading into its 10th year. I can think of no other member who is more deserving of the Legacy Award.”
Willow S. Jacobson, director of the School’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) program, expressed similar esteem for Stenberg’s scholarship and its sustained positive impact within the public sphere.
“Carl is an example of a true engaged scholar, making a meaningful impact on the study and practice of public management,” she said. “His work in intergovernmental relations leaves a lasting legacy to students, the field of public administration, and communities across North Carolina.”
The James E. Holshouser Jr. Distinguished Professor of Public Administration and Government, Stenberg joined the School’s faculty in 2003. He is past president of ASPA and served as director of the UNC MPA program at the School from 2006 to 2011. He teaches local government courses to public officials, including in the Public Executive Leadership Academy, and instructs MPA students. Stenberg holds a BA from Allegheny College and an MPA and Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Albany.
The National Academy of Public Administration announced this week that School of Government faculty member Kimberly L. Nelson has been named to its 2022 Class of Academy Fellows.
The award is one of the most prestigious in the field of public administration. Nelson is one of 35 leaders to earn the honor this year and joins a roster that includes more than 950 Fellows all time. Fellows are former cabinet officers, members of Congress, governors, mayors and state legislators, as well as prominent scholars, business executives, nonprofit leaders, and public administrators.
“I am honored to have been elected as a fellow to the National Academy of Public Administration,” Nelson said.“I am proud to be a part of this distinguished organization and I look forward to working with other Fellows, including my School of Government colleagues, David Ammons, Leisha DeHart-Davis, and Carl Stenberg.”
Nelson is a professor of public administration at the School, educating public officials and teaching in the UNC MPA program. Her areas of expertise and research focus on local government management, local government form and structure, and municipal corruption. She is also co-editor of State and Local Government Review, the co-chair of the ICMA Graduation Education Committee, and is a co-author of Managing Local Government Services (2022, International City/County Management Association). Her scholarship has been featured in publications including Public Administration Review, State and Local Government Review, and American Review of Public Administration.
“This recognition for Kim is well-deserved and a great honor,” said Mike R. Smith, dean of the School of Government. “She has made significant contributions in the field of public administration, especially local government management. The Fellows are an impressive and diverse set of people; joining them is a wonderful achievement.”
Selection of the Academy’s new Fellows follows a rigorous review of the individual’s contributions to the field of public administration and policy. A Fellows Nominating Committee, selected by the Academy’s Board Chair, makes its recommendations to the full Fellowship, which then votes on those individuals nominated to be a Fellow.
Nelson will be inducted to the academy during its annual Fall Meeting, which will take place virtually and in-person November 2-4 at three host sites: Academy headquarters in Washington, D.C., Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, and the University of Connecticut in Hartford.
The National Academy of Public Administration is an independent, nonprofit, non-partisan organization established in 1967 and chartered by Congress in 1984. As outlined in its Congressional charter, the Academy seeks to advance government practices through studies and projects held to the highest standards of efficiency and excellence.
The School of Government is excited to welcome Kimalee Dickerson into its faculty as the newest member of the management, administration, and leadership division.
As an assistant professor of public leadership, Dickerson will primarily work with two constituencies to advise and instruct on issues relating to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI): the public officials who serve North Carolina’s communities and the School’s Master of Public Administration students.
Dickerson brings a wealth of applied research experience to her professorship, having published and presented on many aspects of equity in public administration, including organizational climate for diversity, antiracism and equity policies in public schools, and equity in water quality.
For Dickerson, the study of these issues is rooted in a desire to serve communities that are often underresourced. Her public service career, she says, is largely dedicated to bridging these opportunity gaps.
“Throughout my career, I have been drawn to opportunities to make a positive and meaningful difference in the lives of others, particularly those in historically marginalized communities,” Dickerson said.
“Having worked in government and education, I have seen firsthand the importance and impact of public service. I am particularly drawn to the opportunity to influence social change through public service, such as changing how policies and programs are administered to create more equitable conditions.”
In addition to her expertise in DEI issues, Dickerson specializes in community- engaged and participatory action research and adolescent and adult development.
Dickerson earned an undergraduate degree in psychology & sociology and Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Virginia. In addition, she holds a Juris Doctor degree from UNC-Chapel Hill. Prior to joining the School, she served as a postdoctoral researcher with the UVA School of Education and Human Development and Equity Center.
With extensive research and experience in law, public policy, social science, and education, Dickerson is hopeful she can use her time at the School to bring awareness to DEI issues, use research and analysis to explore them, support stakeholders interested in changing policies and practices, and promote accountability.
Leisha DeHart-Davis is the most recent member of the UNC Master of Public Administration faculty to win national recognition for her scholarship. An article she co-authored, “Gender, Race, and Experiences of Workplace Incivility in Public Organizations“, was recently selected as a co-winner of the 2022 Best Article Award for Vol. 41 of the Review of Public Personnel Administration (ROPPA).
In choosing this annual award, ROPPA aims to celebrate research that examines important topics in public administration, advances the knowledge base around it, and raises questions for the field to address moving forward.
A troubling trend public sector organizations have recently faced is a shortage of workers, particularly in retaining them in governmental positions and losing them to the private labor market. To address this, DeHart-Davis and colleagues from Ohio State University, the University of Connecticut, and the University of Massachusetts Boston sought to examine how the public sector can remain competitive in retaining this sector of the workforce. The answer they found? Create an environment where coworkers treat each other well across gender, race, and other assorted demographics.
“Workplace incivility has been on the rise for a while and can hamper a government organization’s ability to retain good workers. Retention is a particularly important goal for government organizations given the worker shortages they face,” DeHart-Davis said. “To be competitive in the labor market, government organizations need to offer great workplaces, which include employees being respectful of one another.”
To arrive at this conclusion, the School’s Local Government Workplaces Initiative—a program led by DeHart-Davis which conducts research that helps cities and counties improve their workplace climates—collected data responses from a survey asking employees about a range of workplace experiences. The data for the paper was based on responses from two cities and two counties.
For DeHart-Davis, the collaborative approach to addressing this issue of increasing public sector retention perfectly illustrates the unique opportunity the School can provide to its scholars, when connected with other institutions of academia, to connect theory with practice and find concrete solutions to pressing public sector challenges. To be recognized by ROPPA was a welcome honor for the research team, fostering a needed dialogue around strategies to improve human resource management within government.
“ROPPA is a great journal, so it’s an honor to be published there,” said DeHart-Davis. “This award reflects the work of a team of talented researchers from all over the country. It also demonstrates how engaged scholarship works: that practitioner-relevant data can translate to academic research on public sector organizational dynamics.”
Longtime School faculty member takes the helm in fall 2021 as the first woman to lead the program.The UNC MPA program is pleased to announce that Willow Jacobson, School faculty member and Robert W. Bradshaw Jr. Distinguished Professor of Public Administration and Government, is the next director of the UNC MPA program. Her term commenced September 1, 2021.Jacobson currently directs the LGFCU Fellows program, which she helped create in 2011 and which focuses on developing local government leaders in North Carolina. She earned a Ph.D. in public administration from Syracuse University and her research has appeared in a range of journals, including Public Administration Review, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, and Review of Public Administration. Learn more about Jacobson and her goals for the program below.You have been part of the MPA program for some time. What are you excited about in this new role? I am continuously inspired by the passion, talent, and public service commitment of our MPA students and alumni. I believe in our mission “to prepare public service leaders and create useable knowledge that improves governance,” and I see that mission come to life in the work of our alumni and students. I am excited to have the chance to serve in this leadership role as we continue to work to accomplish this mission. What do you hope to achieve in the long and short term as director of the UNC MPA program? In the last year we adopted a new vision for the MPA program: “A nationally recognized leader in engaged scholarship whose faculty, students, and alumni transform thought, organizations, communities, and lives.” I am excited to work alongside the other faculty, staff, students, and alumni to achieve this vision. In the short term, I am looking forward to getting to connect with more of our alumni and students and to hear from them about what is working and where we can be doing even better. As director, what would you like your relationship with the program’s alumni to be like? Our alumni are the best! They give so much back to the program. I consistently see our shared commitment to making the MPA program the best it can be. I look forward to continuing to develop a relationship of mutual respect and learning, trust, inclusion, and open communication. How will you maintain and improve the MPA program’s unique synergy with the School of Government and further connect theory with practice? The School of Government is an exceptional institution filled with such talented and committed faculty and staff. I was originally drawn to the MPA program because of its location at the School and its engaged mission (and because David Ammons told me I would like it here—once again, he was right). I think it is wonderful that the MPA program is housed in the School, an institution that is distinctively positioned to contribute to theory and practice in the engaged work that we do. I believe this unique setting is a tremendous value for the faculty and the students we serve, not to mention the 12,000 public officials that the School serves annually. I will work to continue to find opportunities for our students to engage with the School’s efforts and initiatives more broadly while continuing to support all the wonderful ways that the faculty bring their engaged scholarship and practice-based experiences into the classroom and our curriculum.
The School of Government is proud to announce that Shannon H. Tufts has been selected as the faculty recipient of the 2021 Robert E. Bryan Public Service Award by the Carolina Center for Public Service. The Bryan Award recognizes individual students, faculty, staff, and organizations at UNC-Chapel Hill for extraordinary public service and engagement.
Tufts currently serves as the director of the School’s Center for Public Technology (CPT) and teaches and advises on public sector information systems as a faculty member at the School. She has been selected for this honor in recognition of this outstanding expertise and her masterful direction of the CPT—specifically regarding her work to assist public officials in responding to cyber threats across the state.
Tufts was presented the award on Thursday, April 15, in a virtual ceremony held by the Center for Public Service. In his opening remarks, UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz said, “It’s important to recognize those who have gone above and beyond and taking the grand challenges of our time and seeking to make the world a better place.”
Tufts has spent the last two decades addressing the needs of information technology professionals working in local and state government. In her role as CPT director, she provides education and training for public sector leaders, managers, and staff professionals on the strategic use of technology and its application to the business of government. The Center also provides technical assistance on technology-related matters in the public sector, such as responding to cyberattacks on local governments, among other functions.
“Shannon represents the very best of the School and its work,” said School of Government Dean Mike Smith.
Early on in her career at the University, Tufts recognized that she could play an important role by steadily elevating the visibility and importance of information technology in the public sector. She designed and implemented the first local government Certified Government Chief Information Officers (CGCIO™) program in the United States and continues to run CGCIO™ programs for local government, state agency, K-12, and community college IT professionals across the United States. The various CGCIO™ programs have graduated hundreds of IT professionals across the country.
In her role as associate professor at the School, Tufts teaches courses on public sector information systems—including IT investment strategies, embracing technology, project management, and stakeholder engagement in technology-enabled government. Her students include public sector CIOs, court officials, newly elected legislators, and municipal and county administrators and officials, from clerks to attorneys to HR directors to property tax assessors. She also teaches as a core faculty member in the School’s Master of Public Administration program.
In 2019, Tufts was invited to join the NCLGISA IT Strike Team to help local government staff in the wake of natural disasters and cyberattacks. Now, she works in concert with the NC Department of Information Technology (NCDIT) Enterprise Security and Risk Management Office, the North Carolina National Guard’s cyber response team, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This past fall, Tufts discussed the passion she has for her work with The Well. “I absolutely love my job. I’ve been here for 20 years, and I would never want to go anywhere else,” she said. “I love our mission. I love that we serve our communities in this state. Every single day, the School of Government helps make the work of our public servants more meaningful and more informed.”
A North Carolina native, Tufts said she feels a special connection and sense of pride of the outcomes of her work.
“I think the mission of the University and really focusing on public service is unbelievably important and we should do as much as we can,” said Tufts in her award acceptance remarks. “Everything that we do in the field we bring back into the classroom…because the goal is, ultimately, to secure all of our North Carolinian information in the best possible way.”
The School extends its congratulations to Shannon Tufts for receiving this honor and its gratitude for her indelible work helping local governments become champions of the complex field of IT and elevating this important profession in communities across North Carolina and beyond.
School of Government faculty member Kimberly Nelson has been selected to edit State and Local Government Review (SLGR), the premier journal of scholarship on state and local governance. Along with co-editor Eric S. Zeemering, the UGA School of Public and International Affairs Master of Public Administration Director, Nelson will curate the journal and develop its distinctive voice in the areas of state and local government politics, policy, and management.
With the help of an expanded and diversified editorial board, Zeemering and Nelson plan to develop a robust article submission process for the journal and increase the population of peer reviewers. They also plan to increase outreach to professional and academic associations.
For Nelson, this is an invaluable opportunity to further serve the journal’s mission by bridging the gap between practice and policy.
“I’m very excited to take on this role, because SLGR fills such an important niche in public administration and government scholarship,” said Nelson. “State and local governments are closest to the people and improving these governments can lead to meaningful differences in the people’s everyday lives. I look forward to helping connect research with practice in a way that’s rarely seen in academia.”
Historically, the pages of the journal illuminate the challenges faced by state and local policy makers and public managers. Now, as scholars think about the policy and management challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, the political polarization that strains policymaking at all levels of government, and ongoing pressure for innovation in our federal system, Dr. Zeemering hopes SLGR will be among the first journals they think of as a source for high-quality research.
“Particularly now, scholars need journals to operate efficiently and provide valuable feedback during the process of peer review,” said Zeemering. “We are dedicated to managing a professional and constructive peer review process. We believe authors, reviewers, and readers will be excited about the changes coming to the journal.”
As co-editors, Nelson and Zeemering will work in tandem toward this goal – strengthening a collaborative bond between their respective institutions.
“Eric and I will work as partners, restructuring the journal, promoting it, and determining the content,” she said. “We also see this as an opportunity to develop a partnership between two institutions that are leaders in state and local government education and scholarship.
Founded by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government of the University of Georgia, State and Local Government Review is the official journal of the Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management (SIAM) of the American Society for Public Administration. Peer-reviewed and published quarterly, the Review welcomes manuscripts that focus on state and local governments and those that explore the intergovernmental dimensions of public sector activity. The journal includes general interest research articles, perspectives essays from leaders in state and local government, field notes (including traditional research notes and examples of innovation from practitioners), and response essays. As they move forward with their planned changes, Nelson and Zeemering will enhance the journal as a venue for dialogue among scholars and public service professionals in state and local government.
SLGRis published by SAGE Journals.
School of Government faculty member Carl Stenberg has been named an honorary member of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA). The award is given to individuals outside the local government management profession for distinguished public service and contributions to the improvement of local government.
“Carl has provided a lifetime of service to our profession,” wrote one ICMA member who nominated Stenberg for the award. “He’s a rare academic who understands the theoretical foundations of management and leadership, but who is also steeped in the practical aspects, especially at the local government level.”
Individuals named honorary members have included, but are not limited to, academic leaders, elected officials, and civic leaders. Since the inception of the award in 1924, only 77 honorary memberships have been granted by ICMA. Stenberg is the third School of Government faculty member to earn the honor, joining Warren Jake Wicker and Don Hayman.
In his award acceptance video, Stenberg said, “ICMA’s commitment to public service, to professionalism, to ethics, to social equity and racial justice has really been critical to building community and to building capacity. I’m proud and I’m appreciative to be recognized for my contribution to improving and strengthening local government through an honorary membership.”
Stenberg is the James E. Holshouser Jr. Distinguished Professor of Public Administration and Government at the School. He works closely with North Carolina’s city and county managers and liaises with the North Carolina City/County Managers Association (NCCCMA). He led the creation of the School’s Public Executive Leadership Academy (PELA) and has written extensively in his areas of expertise, including serving as co-author of “Managing Local Government: An Essential Guide for Municipal and County Managers.” He has contributed to multiple ICMA textbooks and reports, acted as co-editor of “Managing Local Government Services: A Practical Guide,” and authored two Governmental Affairs and Policy Committee white papers for the organization.
“I’ve been engaged with ICMA for over 50 years in a variety of ways, including authoring research reports, books, and white papers; participating in the annual and regional conferences; and collaborating with the past three ICMA executive directors,” said Stenberg. “These activities and relationships have enriched my own professional development, and they’ve strengthened my teaching of current and future city and county managers.
Stenberg arrived at UNC in 2003 after serving as dean of the Yale Gordon College of Liberal Arts at the University of Baltimore, director of the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia, and executive director of the Council of State Governments. He previously served as director of the UNC MPA program at the School from 2006 to 2011.
A fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and former president of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), he has also received the Donald C. Stone Practitioner and Academic Awards from ASPA for contributions to intergovernmental management.
Stenberg was named a 2020 honorary member alongside Phillip C. Harris, district recovery manager for Broward County Public Schools in Florida.