Mal Watlington , '69

Principal / President City Square Consulting Inc.

“The UNC MPA program enabled me to transition from individual contributor roles to a succession of management and leadership positions. The support of faculty and colleagues gave me the confidence to move beyond my comfort zone and say ‘yes’ to challenges that I would have previously thought beyond my experience and capability.”

Mal Watlington ’69 worked in local government for six years before spending most of his career in the private sector. After attaining an MPA degree, he served as assistant county manager for Forsyth County then as assistant city manager and, later, as acting city manager for the City of Wilmington. Wilmington, a town emerging from a period of racial strife, served as a proving ground for innovations in citizen participation during the City and Community Development Block Grant budgeting processes.

Starting in 1978, Watlington began a transition to the private sector while directing management and executive programs at the University of Michigan’s Business School. Drawing on public sector experience in organization development, and private sector perspectives and contacts from the business school, he was selected to lead OD, strategic and succession planning in a global high technology firm. He later took on progressively responsible roles in executive development, OD and human capital management in global manufacturing companies, and finally transitioned to management consulting leadership in two Big-5 consulting firms.

In 2001, he formed City Square Consulting Inc., of which he is principal and president. The firm focuses on “helping clients make decisions that they will be proud of at critical junctures in the life of their organization.” Areas of specialty include human capital strategy, competitive intelligence, business and new venture strategy, sales and manufacturing process improvement, large group strategic change, organization development, career coaching and more.

Today, Mal serves on the UNC Board of Visitors, and the Advisory Board of Carolina Public Humanities. He is a US Rowing Judge-Referee and has served as Chief of the largest regatta in the United States.

Watlington earned a BS degree in industrial relations and a Master of Public Administration from UNC-Chapel Hill.