On Saturday, August 12, 2017, the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) honored the UNC School of Government with their Distinguished Service Award. Established in 1970, the award celebrates an individual or an entity that “has rendered a truly outstanding and distinctive service to the cause of improving local government above and beyond his usual duties or occupation.”
Dean Mike Smith accepted the award during the President’s Banquet at the conclusion of NCACC’s 110th Annual Conference, held at the Durham Convention Center. “This award is intended to honor faculty and professional staff at the School for all of their work for counties over the years. They deserve it, and so do many of our former colleagues. I’m humbled to accept the award on their behalf and heartened by the strong partnership we have both with the Association and officials at all 100 counties,” said Smith.
Other award recipients included county commissioners, former NCACC board leadership, and Director of NC Emergency Management Michael Sprayberry. Durham County Commissioner Brenda Howerton—a graduate of the Advanced Leadership Corps, which is one of the School’s premiere leadership programs—was sworn in as president of the Association.
Founded in 1908, the NCACC serves as the counties’ advocate before the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of state government. The School partners with the NCACC and the NC League of Municipalities to offer leadership training for elected officials through the Local Elected Leaders Academy.
For more information, view the NCACC’s news release or Dean Mike Smith’s blog post.
Photo courtesy Chris Baucom/NCACC.
The UNC School of Government’s Master of Public Administration program is ranked among “America’s Best Graduate Schools” by U.S. News & World Report. The program improved two positions since the 2020 rankings, ranking 19th overall in the public affairs category and maintaining its ranking as second in the nation in the local government specialty area.
The program also retained its status as 15th best in the public management field. The 2021 list marks the third consecutive improvement for the program’s overall ranking in the public affairs category.
In addition to ranking master’s degree programs in public affairs, this year U.S. News & World Report ranked master’s degree programs in social work, public health, health care management, physician assistant and rehabilitation counseling, and doctorate degrees in veterinary medicine.
Find all of the U.S. News & World Report rankings online and learn more about other graduate programs at UNC-Chapel Hill and their rankings.
Justin Stirewalt’s grandfather, retired First Sergeant Robert C. Lawson, served in the North Carolina State Highway Patrol for nearly 30 years, from 1973 to 2001. During his first year on the job, Lawson came to the then Institute of Government to train at the 54th North Carolina State Highway Patrol Basic School.
More than 40 years later, Stirewalt is studying under the same roof, of sorts, as his grandfather once did, as an MPA@UNC student. “I’ve got a picture of his class of graduates from the Patrol School program standing in front of Knapp-Sanders, and it’s really humbling to think that I’m now following in his footsteps,” said Stirewalt.
In addition to continuing his family’s legacy of education at the School, Stirewalt has built a career that mirrors his grandfather’s dedication to public service. Following his graduation from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2007, he went to work for the Surry County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy sheriff. During nearly a decade of service, he’s worked his way up through the ranks to become a detective.
The spectrum of crimes Stirewalt investigates is wide-ranging, covering everything from mailbox tampering to homicide. Regardless of the type of case, however, Stirewalt said that his responsibility remains the same. “It’s my duty to help protect this community,” he said. “And I would never want to do anything to betray the trust of the people I serve—the citizens of Surry County.”
In service of this mission, Stirewalt has often turned to the School’s publications for guidance. “Working in law enforcement really shows you the value of the School,” said Stirewalt. “From North Carolina Crimes to legislative updates, the School of Government has practically been a daily resource for me.”
But Stirewalt felt that the School’s potential to serve and enhance his career could extend beyond its publications. He applied and was accepted into the MPA program, proudly embracing the opportunity to return not only to his alma mater, but also to the institution where his grandfather trained four decades ago.
Since enrolling in the fall of 2016, Stirewalt has found not merely a balance between his career and his coursework, but also a connection between the two. “The courses—particularly on public service leadership and organizational theory—have really exposed me to a broader range of leadership styles,” he said. “I’ve learned how to lead in different ways, and appeal to each of my colleague’s strengths and deficiencies.”
Like his grandfather before him, Stirewalt is striving to be the best public servant he can be for his community. With the help of the MPA program, he believes that lofty goal is well within his reach. “Growing up, I always admired how the other officers respected my grandfather not just for the job he did, but also how he did it,” he said.
“We only get one chance to build a reputation in public service, and I’m learning the tools to build one my grandfather can be proud of.”
Justin Stirewalt received the 2017 Megan Cornog Memorial Highway Safety Scholarship from the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center. Read more at the Center’s website.
This profile was written by Andy Bradshaw and originally appeared in the winter 2018 issue of IMPACT. To view previous issues of IMPACT, visit the UNC MPA website.
Today, the School of Government and University celebrate Veterans Day by honoring all those who have served in our nation’s armed forces.
The School is proud to recognize our faculty and students in the Master of Public Administration program who are veterans of the U.S. military. The School would also like to take this opportunity to thank those among us who are currently serving as active duty members of the U.S. military.
To the following, thank you for your service:
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Michael Barclift
Hunter Brendel
Steven Bromir
Adam Caldwell
Richard Cloninger
Samuel Croom
Drepannon “Lex” Davis
Aigboje Enahoro
Larry Figgs
Ian Frady
Brandon Garay
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Miranda Leyshon
Gregoire Metellus
Tyler Mulligan
Nicholas Prieto
Carter Stapleton
Justin Stapleton
Charles Szypszak
Matthew Taylor
Matthew Van Epps
Charmetri Wrice-Bulluck
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Stephanie Watkins-Cruz grew up in southeast Charlotte where, she said, “There were families and people of every shade, shape, and size. However, it looks much different now.” Observing these changes and how they impacted people drew her interest in community work early on.
Then in 2012, her family was evicted from their home of nine years for the first time, and in 2016 for the second. They have been living in a hotel since. Watching her hometown change drastically and living through her family’s experiences with housing insecurity sparked Stephanie’s passion for issues of affordable housing and motivated her to pursue a career in public service.
“Housing is more than a roof and four walls,” she said. “It involves your surroundings, the health of your environment, and what you have and don’t have access to. At home is where your identity takes root.”
As an undergraduate at UNC Asheville, Watkins-Cruz found a like-minded community of activists—and her voice. She was involved in campus life as a student orientation leader, president of a student organization, and as a programming supervisor. During her tenure as an MPA student, she has worked as a housing intern in Orange County as well as a collaborative home repair and modification coordinator at the Chatham County Council on Aging. Watkins-Cruz also serves as a member of the board of directors for America’s Promise Alliance, a collaboration between hundreds of national nonprofits, businesses, communities, educators, and citizens dedicated to creating the conditions for success for young people. These experiences have shaped her perspective of the program and brought the MPA classroom curriculum to life.
Watkins-Cruz has been a freelance blogger for Asheville Grit and has published several pieces on Huffington Post. She commented, “I have really gotten into writing pieces about the intersection between housing and education.” She observes that there have been silos between housing and other social policy issues and is determined to be a leader who can help tear down those silos and connect people to the various and sometimes complex resources they need.
She chose Carolina MPA and UNC because of “the enormous sense of community and UNC’s unique role in improving North Carolina.” She is the recipient of a Weiss Urban Livability Fellowship, a Nannette V. Mengel Scholarship, and the Gene Rainey Outstanding Service Award.
Watkins-Cruz said her most rewarding MPA experience has been a combination of her professional work experience at the Orange County Department of Housing, Human Rights, and Community Development and her current work with the Chatham County Council on Aging.
“Public service is a great way to extend the reach of those fighting for their communities, homes, and livelihood,” she said.
This profile was written by Dylan Russell ’17 and originally appeared in the summer 2017 issue of IMPACT. To view previous issues of IMPACT, visit the UNC MPA website.
When I graduated, I had a diploma and a belief that networks make government stronger. Jean Coble, Gordon Whitaker, and David Ammons expected that each class would work to serve and support each other. Because of this, teamwork was baked into every part of the Carolina MPA experience.
I met my husband Kent Wyatt ‘02 while working for Tom Lundy ‘71 on a utility line extension analysis project in Catawba County (always a romance starter….). Fast forward fifteen years, and I’m proud to have co-founded and now serve as the executive director for the Engaging Local Government Leaders (ELGL) network.
Copying the Cohort
Although the concept seems simple, it was inaccessible when Kent and I needed it most: a generalized local government organization that we could join and learn from when we moved across the country to Oregon while looking for jobs in local government.
I started my local government career in finance and moved into management, while Kent worked in long-range planning and now works in communications. So, we started our own cohort focused on local-level general government service.
We knew we didn’t want the group to be overly focused on job title or function. And we wanted to welcome anyone working in public service to participate. On top of that, we believed that local government leadership was changing. There isn’t just one path to becoming a city manager, elected leader, or department director anymore.
Informed by the Carolina MPA cohort experience, we gathered 16 people in different roles from cities across the Portland region for lunch. Everyone had so much fun that we agreed to meet up the next month, and then the month after that.
Soon we started bringing in guest speakers to share what they were working on and how it affected cities, counties, and districts. Then we added a website and social media to share what we were learning. We called ourselves ELGL—the Engaging Local Government Leaders network.
About ELGL
Today, ELGL has 4,800 members in every state and six countries. Our mission is to engage the brightest minds in local government. We do this with a daily flow of blog posts and weekly GovLove podcast content. We also host exciting events like City Hall Selfie Day, Supper Clubs, and conferences. And all of these focus on increasing diversity and inclusion in local government and finding the joy in public service.
We also spend our time on substantive topics like collecting data for the Diversity Dashboard (DiversityDashboard.org), a first-of-its-kind live database of the demographics of local government leaders nationwide.
We recognize outstanding local government leaders, places, and employers via our awards program. In this spring’s #ELGLKnope recognition of the top parks in local government, Matt Roylance ‘97 shepherded Garner’s parks to the Elite Eight, showcasing this North Carolina town’s leadership and infrastructure investment.
Our work is meaningful and fun. Anyone is welcome to join—our members are students, managers, police officers, librarians, accountants, civic tech startup founders, innovation directors, planners, and everyone in between. Why? Because we know that local government is stronger when we work together and welcome everyone to the ELGL table.
Bringing #ELGL19 to Durham
In May 2019, ELGL brought our annual conference to Durham, North Carolina, the perfect spot for a national local government conference. Not only does the city boast national accolades for programs like Innovate Durham and for improving opportunities for justice involved residents, but it also has a consistent track record of hiring and promoting the brightest minds in local government. Plus, Durham and the Triangle region have deep networks of Carolina MPA students and alumni who are active ELGL members.
ELGL Board Member Ben Kittelson led the organizing effort for #ELGL19. His team included Josh Edwards ‘05, Sarah Hazel ‘14, Caley Patten ‘16, Ellis Johnson ‘18, and Rafael Baptista ‘15. They curated a speaker lineup that included Eric Marsh ‘17 as master of ceremonies and Monica Chaparro ‘05, plus a keynote panel with Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan and Carrboro Mayor Lydia Lavelle. The attendee list included a who’s who of Carolina MPA local government leaders from across the country.
#ELGL19 was made even more special thanks to a partnership with the Carolina MPA “Happy Hour Hub” program which brought local alumni to the #ELGL19 social event at Hi-Wire Brewing in Durham.
Continuing Connections
ELGL continues to build our relationship with the Carolina MPA program. And we’re proud of our relationships with 20 students (now 12 alumni and eight rising second year students). Like Kent and I did so many years ago, they are exploring issues of interest in local government in that same first-year consulting class. Students have worked on the Diversity Dashboard, researched paid family leave, studied trends in HR recruitment, and reviewed parks and recreation management.
Without a doubt, we are proud to support the work of Carolina MPA faculty. Recently, we interviewed faculty members Leisha Dehart- Davis and Kim Nelson for GovLove on their “Near the Top” research about women and people of color in local government leadership. We’re also anxiously awaiting publication of David Ammons’ newest performance-measurement publication and hope to host an #ELGLBookClub discussion about it. John Stephens and ELGL share a love and social media following for civic data and open source government and found shared connections at the Code for America Summit in Oakland, California. And the MPA program continues to be an amazing advocate for ELGL, enrolling current students in the organization as part of the School of Government’s “All-In” membership level. If you missed #ELGL19 in Durham, we’ve already booked #ELGL20 scheduled for May 13–15, 2020 in Portland, Oregon.
Learn more at elgl.org/membership.
Listen to the GovLove podcast at elgl.org/govlove.
The School of Government’s Master of Public Administration program is ranked 23rd in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report’s 2019 Best Graduate School Rankings. The program has improved two spots since 2017.
The program’s ranking in the public affairs category also improved in some of its areas of expertise including local government management (3rd, up from 5th), public management and leadership (15th, up from 16th), and environmental policy and management (14th, up from 15th). The program is ranked 20th in the area of public finance and budgeting.
A comprehensive list of all of the rankings in the public affairs category can be found here.
The following message was sent by School of Government Dean Mike Smith to employees and students the week of June 1, 2020.
Hello Friends,
I reflected briefly in our Town Hall on Monday about the killing of Mr. George Floyd, the unarmed Black man who was killed in police custody. As everyone knows by now, a police officer held Mr. Floyd on the ground by placing his knee on his neck. He continued even after Mr. Floyd said he couldn’t breathe, and even after he was no longer breathing. Other officers helped hold him on the ground, and not a single one of them intervened to prevent his death.
Words cannot fully capture how horrifying it was to watch that video. I cannot even begin to imagine how it must feel if you are a Black person who has experienced racism throughout your life. Or if you are the parent of a Black child, especially a young Black man. My heart goes out to everyone who is saddened, outraged, afraid, and angry over the killing of Mr. Floyd. I have been incredibly angry over the last week. I haven’t written anything before now because I didn’t want it to be about me, and my anger felt incredibly self-centered.
This recent tragedy flows from systemic racism and violence that is deeply rooted in our history. Mr. Floyd is the latest in a long line of Black men, and women, who have been killed because they were Black. It is a shameful part of our country’s past and present. How do we move from feelings of pain and inadequacy to constructive action? People have been asking that question a lot over the last few days. I have been asking that question. There are no easy answers for addressing problems of structural racism that is a longstanding part of our cultural experience. That doesn’t mean we can do nothing.
As I said on Monday, one thing we can do now is take care of one another. I have been proud to see how we have supported one another throughout the COVID-19 crisis, and we need to continue supporting one another as we struggle with Mr. Floyd’s death and the aftermath that is sweeping the country. Even while many of us are apart, I hope you will take some time to check in on each other. This week the University Office for Diversity and Inclusion has offered a space on their website for #YourVoiceMatters, where you may share your thoughts, perspectives, and feelings anonymously. They have also put together a list of anti-racism resources that I encourage you to explore. Please always remember that the Employee Assistance Program is available for faculty and staff.
We will schedule a Zoom opportunity for anyone who wishes to come together and share their thoughts and feelings. I’m not assuming that everyone wants that option, and people may not be comfortable doing it. Every person processes these things in different ways. We will make the opportunity available for those who wish to come together. You will hear more about this shortly.
I also want to explore how we take action to better educate ourselves about issues around racism. We are in the process of creating a new Committee for an Inclusive Workplace, and it seems like we should do something soon before we conduct a comprehensive needs assessment around diversity, equity, and inclusion. Many on our campus have received training from the Racial Equity Institute, and Chancellor Guskiewicz today encouraged campus leaders to go through that training. I’d like to explore offering that training for everyone at the School as soon as possible, which could inform our future work on inclusive excellence.
I have no special expertise in this area. I do believe that progress is possible. I believe that if we take one positive step it will lead to other positive steps. I also firmly believe that we will make progress if we continue working together as One School. Please take care of yourself and each other.
Mike
On Saturday, May 11, 2019 the Carolina MPA program celebrated graduates from Summer and Fall 2018, and Spring 2019. The program also welcomed the 41 most recent Spring 2019 graduates to the Carolina MPA Alumni community.
Andrew Loeb Shoenig was honored with both the Deil S. Wright Award, recognizing the best portfolio paper, and the Nanette Mengel Communications Award. This is only the second time that a single student has won both awards.
‘If you can imagine it, you can make it happen.’
This year’s commencement keynote was delivered by Roger Stancil ’77, the recently retired manager of the Town of Chapel Hill (2006–2018). Stancil also spent 26 years with the City of Fayetteville, nine of them as city manager. In his speech, Stancil shared some of his 40 years of accumulated wisdom.
The Life of an Infiltrator
Stancil spoke about the idealism of his younger days. He reminded the graduates that they are our nation’s future. He informed them of their potential to make a huge impact, no matter where they end up. “You can change the world from where you sit.”
‘Life is Like a Construction Project’
Stancil also told the audience a story of how he recently built a ramp for his mother-in-law’s home and drew parallels between that project and life in general. “Life seems like a construction project through which we learn. It was the skills I learned in the MPA program that let me build that ramp…If you can imagine it, you can make it happen.”
A Calling to Serve
He also encouraged the graduates to remember that the MPA program is simply the beginning. “What you’re doing is a calling, a voice in your head that will stay with you forever,” Stancil told the graduates. “The calling is real, the challenge is great, but the satisfaction of making a difference is something you can’t feel anywhere else.”
Congratulations, Graduates!
Sadie Alexandra Amonino
Elizabeth Anderson
James Aughenbaugh
Lindsey Victoria Bineau
Kyle Bromir
Roger Aaron Brown
William Carroll
Christopher D. Chavis
Agata Chydzinski
Kim Cox
Jerald Crook
Max Dixon
Joshua Alan Fernandez
Katherine Mae Fiely
Nathalie Floyd
Angela Dawn Gravely-Smith
Kalen Frost Grosskopf
Jim Hemphill
Ashley Kazouh
Elizabeth Michal Kelley
Emily Margaret Langston
Charles Albert Lehmuller
Jordan Lynsee Marschke
Laura Elizabeth May
Laura Delaney McBryde
Claire LePage Morgan
James Gibbs Owen IV
Joshua Baer Rosenstein
Marissa Saenz
Timothy Autumn Shober
Andrew Loeb Shoenig
Ceara Valesa Smith
Colton Thomas Sobolewski
Emily Rose Stallings
Justin Stirewalt
Kimberly Shea Torres
Matthew Visser
Michael David Welker
Amanda Stafford Workman
Matthew Eaton Wright
Samuel Martin Yeager
On May 10, 2020, the UNC MPA program welcomed 78 new members into it its alumni ranks. These students have successfully completed their coursework and defended their portfolios for the 2019-20 academic year.
Due to the ongoing closure of the University’s campus for non-essential business, springtime graduation celebrations took place virtually. As Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz has promised students that they will not miss such a pivotal part of their UNC experience, plans are in the works to host graduates back on campus for a postponed ceremony. The MPA Program will share more information as soon as it is available.
We would like to congratulate the 81 individuals who successfully completed their coursework and defended their portfolios this academic year! Welcome to the Carolina MPA alumni family — we look forward to your continued engagement and support!-Joe Moore ‘05, President of MPA Alumni Association Board
Shervin Aazami
Carol Abken
Veronica Akhter
Hallie Allen
Lorraine Allen
Greg Antoine
Jennifer Arnold
Adrienne Augustus
Christy Baucom
Gary Beck
Thomas Bennett
Jennifer Betz
Courtney Cagle
Adam Caldwell
Jordan Cansler
Richard Carey
Nicholas Cerra
Mimi Clemens
Ric Cloninger
Courtney Cooper-Lewter
Charlene Cowell-Prim
Andrew Cutler
Manisha Dass
Carol Davis
Catesby Denison
Jaime DiLauro
Rachel Downey
Brandon Edwards
Ryan Eppenberger
Brynn Fann
Brian Farmer
Korey Fisher-Wellman
Jennifer Fox
Ashleigh Genevich
Lindsey Glover
Regina Hall
Sarah Hanson
Christopher Hatton
Alexandra Hulten
Matthew Hutton
Sharon Jessup
Christopher Kanavy
Lance Larsen, Jr.
Tammy Laurence
Sydney Lawrence
Stuart Leonard
Amber Lombardi
John Lowery
Alice Mahood
Sarah Manion
Dan May
Laura McCauley Enloe
Erika McKenzie
Alice McMillan
Mike Moynahan
Brian Murphy
Molly Murray
Karson Nelson
Hannah Nystrom Earnhardt
Megan Oleynik
Tereasa Osborne
Ashley Ownbey
Earl Park
Sarah Pence
Maddison Powers
Emily Schultz
Madeline Shea
Michael Silverman
Courtney Skeete
Miles Spann
Jeffrey Stapler
Rik Stevens
Lisa Turlington
Matthew Van Epps
Katherine Weihe
Glenn Woodrum
Ruiting Yang
Jahaziel Zavaleta