Willow S. Jacobson selected as 2023 NAPA Fellow

The School of Government is pleased to announce that Willow S. Jacobson has been selected by the National Academy of Public Administration for inclusion in its 2023 Class of Academy Fellows, in recognition of her years of public administration service and expertise.

Jacobson is a distinguished professor of public administration and government at the School, where she also serves as associate dean for graduate studies and director of the UNC Master of Public Administration program. She is an expert on human resource management, leadership development, and organizational theory and behavior. Jacobson’s research has appeared in publications including Public Administration Review and Public Personnel Management.

Previously, she directed the LGFCU Fellows program, which she helped create in 2011 to develop local government leaders in North Carolina. She earned a Ph.D. from Syracuse University and joined the School’s faculty in 2003.

She joins fellow faculty members Leisha DeHart-Davis, Kimberly L. Nelson, Carl W. Stenberg, and  David N. Ammons (ret.) as current Academy Fellows.

“I am very pleased to welcome Willow Jacobson to the Academy’s 2023 class of Fellows,” said Terry Gerton, President and CEO of the Academy. “Our distinguished Academy Fellows are nationally recognized and respected for their expertise in the field of public administration and Willow is no exception. We proudly welcome this outstanding new class of Fellows that will help advance the Academy vision – a just, fair, and inclusive government that strengthens communities and protects democracy.”

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 makes its recommendations to the full Fellowship, which then votes on those individuals to be elected. The 2023 class joins nearly 1,000 Academy Fellows—including former cabinet officers, members of Congress, governors, mayors and state legislators, as well as prominent scholars, business executives, and public administrators.

Induction of the new Fellows will occur during the annual Academy Fall Meeting, which will take place in-person November 1-3 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Washington, D.C., with a focus on “The Grand Challenges in Public Administration.”