Alexandra Bartz is a 2016 graduate of the online UNC MPA program and returned to the program in 2022 as adjunct faculty. Since 2007, Bartz has devoted her career to work in nonprofits, focusing on program design, implementation, innovation, and evaluation. Currently, she serves national director of program implementation at Summer Search, a national youth development nonprofit based in Oakland, California. In her role, Bartz oversees program implementation across the five-region network, drives continuous improvement for program operations and curriculum, and ensures staff have the structures, resources and support to run the program.
Tracy Miles is an independent consultant in nonprofit management, operational excellence, strategy development, and human-centered continuous improvement. In a career that includes private, public, and nonprofit-sector experience, from Fortune 100 companies to grassroots nonprofits, the common thread has been connecting, developing, and managing relationships and strategies for organizational success. Tracy’s work focuses on leading teams and empowering individuals of diverse backgrounds toward common goal achievement. Her facilitation efforts help organizations to develop a strategy that connects mission and priorities to outcomes, develop cross-functional and cross-sectorial relationships, analyze, and improve organizational and service performance, and increase public awareness.
Tracy’s past experience includes working for General Electric, John Deere, The American Heart Association, Girls on the Run, and serving as deputy director of the School of Government’s Center for Public Leadership and Governance. Tracy earned a B.A. in psychology from North Carolina State University, an M.P.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and also a Lean Six Sigma Certification.
Tracy works across the state and enjoys serving on nonprofit boards for organizations she is passionate about, including the UNC MPA Alumni Association.
Tara L. Fikes joined the School of Government as an adjunct instructor in 2017. In 2014, she retired after 30 years serving as the housing, human rights, and community development director for Orange County, NC. In that role, she administered federal and state housing and community development programs and was instrumental in the county’s initial development of many affordable housing plans and initiatives. Fikes is an active member of various professional and community-based organizations, particularly in her local community of Durham, where she serves on the board of trustees for Durham Technical Community College. She earned a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina Central University, an MPA from North Carolina State University, and a doctorate in public administration from the University of Southern California.
Christopher A. Cody is a Principal Researcher at American Institutes for Research, where he serves as the project director for their postsecondary administrative data division and longitudinal studies work with the National Center for Education Statistics. Prior to joining American Institutes for Research, Cody was the director of research and public policy at The Public School Forum of North Carolina. While there, he was also a fellow with the education policy fellowship program sponsored by the Institute for Education Leadership. Cody earned his bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University, his master’s degree in public affairs from Western Carolina University, and his Ph.D. in public administration from North Carolina State University.
Selected Publications
Cody, C. A., Lawrence, K. L., Prentice, C. R., & Clerkin, R. M. (2022). Examining the relationship between board member selection criteria and board boundary spanning into internal, upward, and outward accountability environments. Nonprofit Management and Leadership,1-23. https://doi.org/10.1002/nml.21511CODYET AL.23
Joy Wilkins joined the School of Government as adjunct faculty in 2015. She is an advisor, speaker, facilitator, instructor, and author on community development, economic development, and leadership development matters. She has served as a senior public service associate with the University of Georgia, as a group manager and project director with Georgia Tech, as a researcher with the Metro Atlanta Chamber, and as a private consultant. Wilkins has delivered research, planning, and consultation services for clients in the United States and Canada. A Certified Economic Developer by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), she is also a registered mediator in the state of Georgia. She has an M.A. in city planning from Georgia Tech, a graduate certificate in real estate from Georgia State University, and a B.A. in sociology and political science from the State University of New York at Fredonia.
Sarah Towne has been teaching at the School of Government since 2017. After earning a bachelor’s degree in sociology and applied business, she spent a year teaching English in Mexico before pursuing a master’s degree in public administration at Appalachian State University. She moved to Washington, DC to pursue a doctorate in public administration and policy at American University’s School of Public Affairs. Her research focuses on public human resources management, workplace policies and programs, family-friendly policies, nonstandard work arrangements, gender, and diversity in the Federal Government. For three years, she served on the board for the Section on Personnel Administration and Labor Relations (American Society for Public Administration).
Selected Publications
Pitts, David W., and Sarah E. Towne. “Realizing the promise of diversity.” Handbook of Public Administration (2015): 366-381.
Towne, Sarah. “Developing Family-Friendly Policies in the Public Sector in Wake of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” In APSA 2013 Annual Meeting Paper. 2013.
John Quinterno joined the School of Government as an adjunct instructor for the MPA Program in 2015. He is the founder and principal of South by North Strategies Ltd., a research consultancy specializing in economic and social policy. He is the author of Running the Numbers: A Practical Guide to Regional Economic and Social Analysis. Over the course of his career, Quinterno has directed applied research projects into matters of labor economics, workforce development, regional policy, social insurance, and postsecondary education, and his writings on policy matters have appeared in numerous publications. He is also a visiting lecturer at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, where he teaches a course on regional analysis. Quinterno holds a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and an M.P.A. from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Selected Publications
Quinterno, John. Running the Numbers: A Practical Guide to Regional Economic and Social Analysis. New York City, New York. Routledge, 2014.