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By Katherine Carttar (KU MPA 2012) & Margaret Mahoney (KU MPA 2012)

The 36 year hiatus after the first women’s conference has almost been forgiven as the second “Inspiring Women in Public Administration Conference” in two years displayed real potential for the conference to become a nationally recog-nized and attended annual event.

Over 150 women and a handful of men attended the one day event hosted by the KU School of Public Affairs and Administration and KU Public Manage-ment Center on the K-State Olathe campus.

Dynamic speakers, such as Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios, inspired us to take every opportunity to empower the women around us. Foreign attendees from Middle Eastern countries, at KU for a month taking classes with the KU Women’s Leadership Institute, helped us view our environment through a new lens. Their awestruck reaction to seeing a woman in a police uniform illus-trates how far we have come but that there was only one woman in uniform in attendance also shows how far we still have to go. But participating in thought provoking roundtable discussions and good conversation led to the emergence of common themes, important to women in Public Administration.

Civility in the Workplace

A recurring theme throughout the day was the need for civility as professionals in public service. The topic was addressed in the morning panel and in both the morning and afternoon breakout groups. Julia Novak, President of the Novak Group, gave some great advice on the topic of how to handle incivility. She pointed out the need for more deliberation and less debate. Deliberation is a skill that we can all learn and practice, and includes using negotia-tion and compromise. As a leader, you set the tone—so don’t allow incivility, don’t do it, and practice respect.

This advice was echoed by Beth Linn, City Administrator with the City of Edgerton, who stated that we should lead by example. Karen Davis, Senior Management Advi-sor with Management Partners Inc. and conference Chair, also noted the impor-tance of diffusing incivility up front—do not assume it will get better as time goes by.

Incivility is an unpleasant reality faced by many public service professionals, but it can be dealt with proactively and professionally.

Fall 2012

Inspiring Women Conference 2-3 From the Director 4

Bob O’Neill visits School 4 Upcoming Events 5

A Tale of Two Cities 6-7 by Tyler Burkart

Faculty Recognition 8

Super People, Activities & Achievements 9

Alumni Profile: A Career in 10-11 Foreign Service

Support for Succession Planning 12

School Collaborates with CH2M Hill 13

Two Scholarships for our future Public Servants 14-15

KUCIMATters: 16-19 • Letter from President Phil Smith-Hanes • Reflections from the Practioner in Residence • KUCIMATS gather around the U.S. • Meet Board Member Penny Postoak Ferguson

IN THIS ISSUE

Julia Novak (MPA, 1988) of the Novak Consulting Group educated conference participants about the importance of maintaining a civil

work environment.

Inspiring women:Conference destined to become an annual favorite

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Communication

The importance of honing the skill of good communication was referenced repeatedly throughout the day. In a morning breakout session, Sheryl Sculley, City Manager of Antonio, TX, described com-munication as a necessary skill to make the leap to the top. Women especially need a confident presence and the ability to speak assert-ively, while remaining willing to learn and be coached. Women have a tendency to wait for projects and promotions to be offered but we must become more comfortable with asking for what we want profes-sionally. Mary Birch, Government Relations Coordinator at Lathrop & Gage LLP, took the necessity of good communication skills a step further, noting that collaboration and leadership are both achieved through communication. The best way to solve a complex issue is by taking the time to discuss it face-to-face but be sure to arm yourself with the objective facts, research and data to achieve the best solu-tion. In addition, the ability to convey a clear, concise and compel-ling plan results in leadership that inspires and instills hope.

Professional Development

The day was a good reminder to all of us to continue our professional development and education. We have the great resources available through KU for continuing education and lifelong learning, but wherever you work, don’t be afraid to ask your employer to attend conferences and take classes. Moreover, encouraging education for your employees is critical. As Susan Stanton, Principal at SMS Consulting, points out, the public sector needs to act more like the private sector in recognizing that human capital is the most valuable asset. Sheryl Sculley also suggests doing a lot of different types of work early in your career to get a variety of experience and learn new skills. Jewell Scott, Executive Director of the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City, also suggests “going into orbit” every day—pick up a magazine, newspaper, watch the news, learn about something new—rather than “ossify” in our own narrow part of the world. Opening up to new experiences and paying attention to the world around us not only allows continual growth both personally and professionally, but it allows us to be more creative and innovative.

Innovation

Much of the success in the private sector is a result of fearless in-novation. These businesses plan ahead for every scenario so that an unsuccessful innovative gamble will rarely bankrupt them but rather provide information to ensure the following variation is a success. The act of receiving tax payer money has turned the public sector into followers and late adopters of efficiency increasing trends. In the afternoon keynote, Susan Stanton challenged public sector administrators to get out of the comfort zone of following and start taking risks by becoming true innovators. Public administrators are notorious for automating the same old process and calling it innova-tion. The real innovation needed in government is a total shake up of organizational design to function across jurisdictions and allow the

government to act proactively instead of always reactively. Unfor-tunately, with true innovation comes failure, which is not accepted in the public sector. As citizens and in our professional capacity, we must be willing to accept some amount of failure as it is an important aspect of success and progress.

The Importance of Mentors

It is impossible to attend a conference today where the importance of mentors is not touted. While “mentor” may be a current conference buzzword, there is no disputing the validity of this advice. Karen Davis described mentors as a foundation for support and a person to approach for honest feedback. Mary Birch reminded mentors that they can get as much or more out of the relationship since it is only a matter of time before the mentor becomes the mentee. Treasurer Rios viewed the mentor relationship more broadly. She encouraged the women in the conference to establish informal foundation that supports women because it is our job is to inspire the next generation and create the conditions where women can succeed. It is important to view past and current challenges for women in public administra-tion as an investment for future generations rather than a sacrifice. All forms of mentorship can result in profound and unexpected benefits for those on either side of the relationship.

Participants from the KU Women’s Leadership Institute get a kick out of dollar bills both signed and autographed by Rosie Rios, Treasurer of

the United States.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS...Margaret Mahoney (left), a 2012 KU MPA graduate is the Assistant Director for Administration with the Dole Institute of Politics, located on the KU campus.

Katherine Carttar also earned her MPA in 2012 from KU. She cur-rently serves as a Cookingham-Noll Fellow for the City of Kansas City, Missouri.

Life Balance

As professionals, wives, mothers, friends, daughters and the countless other roles that woman play, how do we stay balanced and live up to our own expectations and the expectations of others? Treasurer Rios suggests using a “pie of life” to describe what “having it all” means to a woman. Quite simply, you define what kind of pie you have and what goes in it. She advises us to let go of guilt and individually define what “having it all” means; and also to remember that the pie will change. Susan Stanton suggested a similar approach—finding balance in your life by aiming for a balance in the totality of life. It may not be perfectly balanced at this moment, but it will be balanced overall.

Throughout the conference one common theme was the importance and impact of women in public service are having today and will continue to have into the future. The conference allowed us to take a moment in our busy lives to come to together and realize how far we, as women, have come, and how much further we have to go. Rela-tionships with mentors and forming our own networks are critical to empowering each other, as well as utilizing effective communication and creativity. This conference was a great first step toward enacting these themes in our daily lives to improve our professional perfor-mance and personal wellness, and we encourage everyone to attend in the future.

Sheryl Scully, City Manager of San Antonio, Texas leads a breakout session discussion.

Our sincere thanks to the conference sponsors:

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Assessing Volunteer Program Effectiveness in Public and Nonprofit OrganizationsDr. Becky NesbitWednesday, October 17th, 5:15-6:15 p.m.Room 369 Regnier, Edwards Campus, Overland Park, KS

Despite the abundance of volunteer programs in public and nonprofit organizations throughout the United States, very little research has been devoted to assessing the overall effectiveness of these programs. This presentation will put forward a framework for thinking about the organizational components that contribute to volunteer program effectiveness. Practitioners will develop new ways to think about measuring the performance of their volunteer programs and how to use that information to continue to strengthen and justify their programs. A case study involving a large-scale increase in the use of volunteers at a public library system in the southern United States is used to help illustrate the framework.

This event is open to alumni, KU students, and members of the Edwards Campus community. Please RSVP to Lesley Owens by phone (913-897-8510) or email (laowens@ku.edu).

John Nalbandian to be honored during KU Homecoming Football GameOctober 27, 2012

CONGRATULATIONS to Dr. John Nalbandian, recipient of the 2012 Chancellor’s Club Career Teaching Award. The award is presented annually to a senior faculty member who exemplifies the university’s commitment to outstanding teaching.

Make plans to join us at the KU Homecoming football game on Saturday, October 27, 2012 vs. Texas (game time TBD) where Dr. Nalbandian will be recognized on the field.

Watch the School’s website for more information: www.kupa.ku.edu.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Distinguished Professor Valedictory Lecture Series on Public Administration: H. George Frederickson

In his Valedictory Lecture Series, Frederickson claims that the practices of modern public administration are far ahead of the development of theories that explain those practices. He therefore reopens and reconsiders core concepts and categories in public administration, including the growing importance of the public in public administration, the declining importance of government in public administration, and the urgent need to reconceptualize organization and management in public administration. You are invited to attend the lectures free of charge. Two additional lectures will be offered in Spring, 2013.

Thick Social EquityTuesday, November 27, 2012 - 3:30 - 5:00 p.m.Kansas Memorial Union in the Malott Room (6th Floor) (Reception to follow)

2013 Lecture Dates:February 19, 2013 and April 16, 2013Check the next issue of the newsletter for locations and times.

Professor Frederickson has served KU for 25 years and has 48 years in the field of

Public Administration.

Bob O’Neill makes week-long visit to the School

We were honored to host Robert J. (Bob) O’Neill, Jr., executive director of ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, who visited the School of Public Affairs and Ad-ministration on the KU campus during the week of September 24-28. Bob is on sabbatical this fall to reflect on the future of local government, and our School is one of only two institutions he’s visiting during this time.

During his week on campus, Bob engaged with faculty, students and practitioners working in a variety of roles to reflect on the state of the public management profession and the emerging issues that face city and county government leaders. Of particular interest: how to nurture innovation in the field of local gov-ernment, especially during periods of tight budgets? And how do we better disseminate information about those innovations so that other practitioners struggling with the same challenges can more quickly adapt and adopt ideas that work? Of equal importance are questions about how academic programs such as KU’s help in these areas as well as in meeting the professional development needs of local government managers. Bob touched on all of these issues during a public presentation on September 26th at the KU Edwards Campus in Overland Park, focusing on the connections between local governments and KU’s strategic initiative in the area of Building Communities, Expanding Opportunities.

In his talk, “Unity, Disparity, Division: The Role of Local Government Managers,” Bob emphasized his view that this truly is a historically pivotal moment in local government. The intersection of fiscal chal-lenges, an aging population, the power of technology and social media, and the polarization that is characteristic of our current political envi-ronment – together, these factors are remaking the local government landscape. While the issues are daunting, Bob sees a heightened role for local government leaders in the next decade, providing opportuni-ties to lead the community toward getting to yes around meaningful solutions to these challenges.

As we approach the 100th anniversary of professional management in local government, Bob challenged his audience to define the value proposition local government leaders will offer their communities for the 21st century. He asserted that it has to be more than efficient and effective public service. Instead, Bob suggested that community build-ing will be central to the manager role. Managers will have to work to create and connect communities of interest who see their commonali-ties rather than their differences. Universities, meanwhile, can serve as neutral conveners to bring disparate communities together to help create space for the commonalities to emerge. Prior to joining ICMA in November 2002, Bob O’Neill served as presi-dent of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), was on temporary assignment at the Office of Management and Budget as counselor to the director and deputy director on management issues and served as Fairfax County executive. Bob’s “reinvention” of the government of Hampton, Virginia, where he served as city manager between 1984 and 1997, has been widely recognized by organizations such as the National League of Cities and Public Technology, Inc.

Mastering Job Applications: A Panel of HR Professionals and Executives on How to Make Your Master’s Degree Work for YouWednesday, November 14th, 5:15-6:15 p.m.225 BEST, Edwards Campus, Overland Park, KS

As a Master’s student or a Master’s program alum, you possess a wide array of skills, knowledge, and capabilities, but how do you translate these into a strong application in an increasingly competitive job market?

Panelists working in local government, nonprofits, consulting, and local corporations will share their insights on the following questions and more: What do HR professionals and executives look for when slogging through an application slush pile? How can you make your resume stand out? How can your cover letter best convey what you can do? How can you translate your academic credentials into terms a prospective employer can quickly understand?

This panel is open to all interested KU graduate students and Master’s alumni. Please RSVP to Lesley Owens by phone (913-897-8510) or email (laowens@ku.edu).

At the School we think about public service every day! We think about how to improve public service, how to teach about it and, most importantly, how to inspire it. Increasingly students arrive at the School already inspired--by their high school service experience, by the public service values expressed in their parents’ work, or even by the recognition that there is important work

to be done. Recently, more of our students are active members of the military and have a different perspective on public service, one informed by experience overseas in environments where public service has a very different and significant meaning.

Back in May, the School sought to focus the public’s attention on the contributions of public servants and to inspire the public servants themselves as they endeavor to serve under difficult budget times. During Public Service Recognition Week, we partnered with our colleagues at the Wichita State University’s Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs to to remind citizens of the State of Kansas about the importance of this work. For a link to the article, click here.

During the school year we participated in the University’s service learning classes through Dr. Ho’s work supporting practitioner projects in Johnson County and the City of Topeka. Our faculty serve on over twenty professional organizations and have provided expert consulting services to over fifteen organizations in the past year. For each of the last two years, the School has taught two courses in an interdisciplinary master’s program in Interagency Studies at Fort Leavenworth. This year our military students include special forces officers from the Army as well as a Navy Seal and an analyst from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency. It is a pleasure to interact with these students introduce them to everything Jayhawk while also supporting their efforts to improve their skills in the service they provide.

We know that our alumni make contributions in their communities informed by their KU experience and rooted in the KU community values! Thanks for all you do!

Marilu Goodyear

Director, School of Public Affairs & Administration

FROM theDIRECTOR

Professional Development Opportunities

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a tale of two cities, two internshipsand One Memorable Experience The International City / County Management Association (ICMA) has emphasized the importance of training the next generation of managers. However, some municipalities believe they don’t have the financial resources available to make this a high enough priority. Despite these difficult times, one University of Kansas student utilized an innovative approach to keep young generational develop-ment a high priority for local governments for a low fiscal impact.

Tyler Burkart is originally from Janesville, Wisconsin and began the full-time MPA program in June 2010. When Tyler completed his first year in the program, he hoped to find an intern-ship in the Wisconsin area for his second year so that he could be closer to family and help his fiancée with wedding plans. As he began talking with administrators in the area, Tyler realized that most municipalities weren’t able to fund a full-time internship.

Not one to give up, Tyler began to investigate the idea of designing an internship between two municipalities. The Cities of Janesville and Middleton, Wisconsin both agreed to hire him as a part-time intern for the next year. He worked with the cities to structure his schedule so that he had assigned days at each. The organizations split the cost on his wage, training, and conferences. And Tyler got the added benefit of working with two experienced leaders: Eric Levitt, City Manager of Janesville (KU MPA 1993) and Mike Davis, City Administrator of Middleton.

“I feel incredibly fortunate to have been granted the opportunity to work with two such well respected administrators,” said Tyler. “They taught me their management practices, ways to maintain a healthy work-life balance, and the importance of being a servant leader. I am grateful to call them my role models.”

While working for the two municipalities, Tyler completed several research and analytical projects. He created a citizen satisfac-tion survey for the City of Middleton that staff will be utilizing this summer to reach out to the public and gather community input. Meanwhile, he assisted the City of Janesville by establishing a work plan to address the Oakhill Cemetery’s IT infrastructure.

Other projects included assisting with the budget process, acting as a staff li-aison for committees, facilitating department retreats, being an active partici-pant in economic development discussions, and applying for national and state awards. Finally, Tyler conducted numerous peer city surveys to investigate local government best practices.

Reflecting on Tyler’s time with Middleton, Mike Davis saw many contribu-tions. “When I first hired Tyler, I suspected he would be a great help in as-sisting me,” said Davis. “However, I had no idea how much more he could accomplish with just a slight bit of direction. He not only greatly exceeded my expectations for my office, but also for our entire City organization.”

Eric Levitt of Janesville shares Davis’s perspective. “Janesville has had a rich tradition in being served by interns, but this was the first time that the City had shared someone with another municipality,” Levitt observed. “Tyler brought a lot of talent and energy to every area where he worked, but he also brought

the flexibility to balance the needs of Middleton and Janesville. This was an excellent example of how two municipalities can work together to further the future of a young professional in the business,” said Levitt.

Looking back at the experience, Tyler notes that there were a few specific things that helped set him up for success. “First, make sure to take the time before starting to sit down and develop a workplan that works for both organizations and the intern,” he recom-mends. Things that should be discussed while establishing the work plan include wages, benefits, training, work duties, work sched-ule, and other expectations.

If you’d like to contact Tyler about his internship experience, feel free to email him at tylerburkart.ku@gmail.com. And if you could support a part-time intern who could be shared with another municipality in your area, contact Ray Hummert at rhum-mert@ku.edu.

Second, Tyler is glad he was encouraged to really invest in the community. Some ways to do this include attending council meetings, volunteering for weekend events, and renting a local apartment. Tyler rented an apartment in Middleton for a year, but he also stayed the night with family in Janesville a few times a week. Finally, clear communication is essential to ensure this a positive experience for everyone involved.

“My favorite thing about the joint internship is that I had two different, but positive experi-ences in one year,” said Tyler. “Janesville and Middleton had different local issues, adopted different management styles, possessed different working atmospheres, and even had dif-ferent forms of government. However, there is no single right way to how you lead an or-ganization, and Mike Davis and Eric Levitt were successful doing it their own ways. It was intriguing for me to compare their contrasting styles but still watch them manage top tier organizations.”

And the joint experience made Tyler an attractive candidate for another position: on April 2, Tyler joined the City of Woodbury, Minnesota as an Assistant to the City Administrator, Clint Gridley (KU MPA 1986). Tyler reports that so far it has been another incredible expe-rience.

AT LEFT: Tyler speaks at his MPA Graduation Ceremony in April, 2012.

Upcoming Opportunities from the Public Management Center

Three-Day Supervisory Leadership Training

This award-winning 3-day training is offered through our Public Management Center. The course is designed to be practical, engaging, and relevant for both new supervisors and experienced leaders. In most organizations staff receive supervisory training when they first take on supervisory responsibilities. But roles evolve, the workforce changes, and new research on effective management practices emerges. Our program is designed to make sure participants walk away with en-hanced skills and new strategies to manage staff effectively whether they are new to a supervisory role or have held those responsibilities for years.

Each class brings together supervisors working in a variety of public service organizations so attendees benefit from the variety of perspectives in addition to gaining new skills and ideas from the course materials. Class size is limited to ensure individual attention.

Where & When: Overland Park, Kanss December 4-6, 2012Time: 8:30a.m. to 4:30 p.m.Cost: $350 per participant for the three-day course.

Visit www.kupmc.org for more information or to register.

by Tyler Burkart, KU MPA 2012

Moving Forward: Tools to Understand and Overcome Resistance to ChangeWithin their organizations, managers and employees alike can point to many things they’d like to change, and manag-ers are called upon regularly to lead or implement organi-zational change. Yet organizational change processes often run into both active and passive resistance. This can come from employees within the organization, from external stakeholders, or both. Participants in this one-day training will learn how to identify different types of resistance, why the usual approaches to overcoming resistance don’t work, how each type of resistance can offer important informa-tion for the change process, and strategies that will work to effectively move projects forward. This workshop is designed to be valuable to both managers and non-mana-gerial staff. Lunch is included with the registration fee.

Where & When: 310 Main Street, Jetmore, Kansas October 24, 2012 (Registration deadline: October 15)Time: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.Cost: $169Presenter: Noel Rasor, Assistant Director, KU Public Management CenterNote: Offered as a CPM with Distinction course, but open to all public sector managers and staff.

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Associate Professor Holly Goerdel was awarded a research sabbatical during the Fall, 2012 semester. She is working on a book length project on the lessons of wartime con-tracting for public managers. Recent behavior to privatize security, reconstruction and the development in Iraq and Afghanistan have led to questions about accountability by elected officials, the public and the international community. Justifications for this behav-ior typically include cost-efficiency and effective building of capacity. However, a closer look reveals that market allocations of this type can also redistribute power, status and resources among public officials (political and managerial) responsible for oversight. Practical aspects from this insight include how contract management can be a vehicle for political-administrative relations; for institutionalizing values held by the public, like fair-ness, transparency and equity, and for reclaiming legitimacy often lost when private provi-sion is used for sovereign transactions (i.e., foreign affairs, amanaging the money supply.

Assistant Professor Jacob Fowles is one of twelve scholars chosen from a national pool to participate in the Institute fo rHigher Education Policy (IHEP) and the Lumina Founda-tion Academic Fellows Program. This prestigious selection allows Dr. Fowles a unique op-portunity to influence the national postsecondary education agendy by evaluating critical research to elevate the current policy discourse in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Fowles’ selection to the program was based on his emergent body of rsearch and inter-ests, recommendations from senior scholars in the fields of higher education and public policy, as well as input from national philanthropic leaders. As an Academic Fellow, Dr. Fowles will be asked to evaluate peer-reviewed articles, write brief summaries of exemplar, ground-breaking and seminal work to be published online, as well as participate in the biennial Research-to-Policy Summit.

Professor John Nalbandian is the recipient of the 2012/13 Chancellor’s Club Career Teaching Award. The award is presented annually to a senior faculty member who exemplifies the univer-sity’s commitment to outstanding teaching.Nearly 20 letters of support from across the nation were received to supplement Dr. Nalbandian’s nomination.

Dr. Nalbandian will be recognized at the KU Homecoming football game on Saturday, October 27, 2012 vs. Texas (game time TBD) where the award presentation will be made.

School of Public Affairs and Administration:

Super People, Activities and Achievements

We’re pleased to report that the members of the in-tern-option MPA class of 2013 have all settled into their full-time internships. Here’s the rundown of where they’ll be spending the year: Ashley Graff – Program Specialist, Douglas County (KS) Child Development Association; Holly Hayden – Man-agement Intern, Honolulu, HI; Emily Kotay – Management Intern, City of Lawrence, KS; Alyssa McMullen - Management Intern, City of Wichita, KS; Ari Klugman – Management Intern, City Manager’s Office, City of Edina, MN; Kyle Burns - Management Intern, City of Overland Park, KS; Davis McElwain – Intern, City Manager’s Of-fice, City of Lawrence, KS and Intern, City Ad-ministrator’s Office, City of Edgerton, KS; Jackie Schwerm – Management Intern, City Manager’s Office, Eden Prairie, MN; Kelly Unger – Management Fellow, City Manager’s Office, Fort Collins, CO; Caitlin Stene – Management Fellow, City Manager’s Office, City of River Falls, WI; and Jamie Shockley – Management Intern, City of Olathe, KS.

Welcome to Dr. Curt Wood who joins us as an affiliate faculty member. Curt earned his MPA at KU in 1980 and then spent 20 years in city government in Kansas, working in Salina, Hays, Pratt and Manhattan. In 2000 he entered the doctoral program in political science at KU, with Dr. George Frederickson serving as his advisor while John Nalbandian and Barbara Romzek played key roles in his education. After completing his Ph.D., Curt joined the public administration faculty at Northern Illinois University. He retired in 2008 as an associate professor. He and his wife have now returned to Kansas where he’ll teach courses for the School and play an active role with his three granddaughters, who live in Overland Park.

In May at the annual awards banquet of the Greater Kansas City chapter of ASPA, the School was well repre-sented among awardees. Graduating MPA student Brian Handshy was recognized with the Stanley Fisher Me-morial Award, presented to a student who has shown interest in public administration beyond their classroom work, has performed exceptionally well in public administration courses, and has applied insights of public administration to their campus activities. Dr. George Frederickson was presented with the L.P. Cookinham Award for his outstanding contributions in public administration over an extended period of time. Dr. John Nalbandian received the Public Administrator of the Year award in the academic category.

Assistant Professor Chris Silvia’s paper, “Collaborative Governance Concepts for Suc-cessful Network Leadership,” was published in last year’s State and Local Government Re-view. The abstract reads: State and local governments across the United States have in-creasingly utilized collaborative, interorganizational approaches to the delivery of public services. This shift in governance structure often necessitates that public managers not only lead the agency in which they are employed, but also work within, and often lead, a network. These two different contexts in which public managers operate require different managerial and leadership approaches. This article discusses some of the differences be-tween hierarchical leadership and network leadership, important aspects of collaborative leadership, and the leadership behaviors that are considered effective within collaborative governance structures. The article concludes with a discussion of some best practices for

collaborative leadership, including the formation of joint commitment, the identification of resources, the creation of a shared un-derstanding, the achievement of stakeholder support, and the establishment of trust.

WELCOME TO NEW FACULTY MEMBER DR. BECKY NESBIT!

Rebecca Nesbit has joined the faculty as an assistant professor in the School of Public Affairs and Administration. Dr. Nesbit earned her MPA at Brigham Young University and received her Ph.D. in public affairs from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana Uni-versity, with a specialization in nonprofit management. Her research explores issues of philan-thropy, volunteerism, public policy and management in the nonprofit sector with a focus on volunteer programs, volunteers’ characteristics and motivations, and volunteer management in public and nonprofit organizations. Her work has appeared in the journals Public Administra-tion Review, the Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Nonprofit and Volun-tary Sector Quarterly, Nonprofit Management and Leadership, and Administration & Society.

faculty recognition

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Alumni Profile:A Career in Foreign Service

Edgar Thornton (1985) is a Foreign Service Officer with the U. S. Agency for International Development (USAID), stationed at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul Afghanistan. We asked him to share his story.

Where were you in your career when you came to the KU MPA program?

Edgar: I had completed my undergraduate degree at Cor-nell College, Mt. Vernon, Iowa and had been working on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. I was at a transitional point in my career and knew graduate school would be helpful, but was unsure about the specific degree. Because I was working with the federal government in Washington DC, KU and the MPA program appeared to be an exciting opportunity to develop an expertise working with urban is-sues and development.

At that time, were you already interested in international development, or did you start out on a local government path?

Edgar: No, I had not begun my international career at that point. My studies at the University of Kansas prepared me to be a strong manager and the degree was flexible enough to assume a variety of roles. In each position my graduate school education helped me to adapt ideas and concepts to address broader major problems of cities in the developing world. Some programs I’ve handled include: US-Mexico border issues, slum and housing redevelopment, public and private sector partnerships, urban youth employment, mu-nicipal financing mechanisms, infrastructure development, and environmental issues in rapidly growing cities in Africa and Asia.

Would you give an overview of the path that led you to your current role with the U. S. Agency for Internaitonal Development (USAID)? What interests and opportuni-ties along the way influenced your decisions?

Edgar: I am proud to be a Jayhawk and very thankful for the excellent education which I received at KU. This ex-perience prepared me to meet the challenges of working on Capitol Hill for the U.S. Senate and then as a political appointee in the administration of President George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Envi-ronmental Protection Agency.

My path moved into the interna-tional area at both agencies. Later I held positions in New Mexico with the U.S. Department of Energy’s – Los Alamos National Laboratory and as Deputy Cabinet Secretary for the New Mexico Environment Development.

The critical factor for me was that in each of these rolesI started to work more and more on urban development in cities from the international perspective. Ultimately, as a Bush appointee to USAID I found my true passion. I be-came totally involved in a broad set of international urban development issues, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, The Caribbean and Latin America, and Asia.

What is the focus of the work done in by the Office of Eco-nomic Growth and Infrastructure in Afghanistan? What does the Office prioritize in the face of so many needs?

Edgar: The Office of Economic Growth and Infrastructure is a $3 billion organization focused on reducing poverty by promoting economic growth and expanding access to im-proved economic and social infrastructure for the people of Afghanistan.

The primary goals of USAID/Afghanistan’s Economic Growth programs are to promote a thriving economy -- as more stable political conditions reduce terrorism. Among other things USAID promotes privatization of state-owned enterprises, encouraging private sector competitiveness. For example, we are developing industrial business parks, assisting Afghan firms in the global market, and encourag-ing small and medium-sized businesses.

On the Infrastructure side, USAID is building the capacity of the Afghan government to provide basic services for its people. We began building roads, schools, and clinics in

Edgar Thornton and a colleague in Afghanistan.

2002 to demonstrate immediate progress. While these proj-ects continue, we are now shifting our focus to improved energy and power supplies. Without energy, the economy can’t grow and families can’t be prosperous. We are also working with the Afghans to boost agricultural yields, con-nect rural Afghans to services, and provide schools, clinics, and justice systems.

Is there such a thing as a typical day for you?

Edgar: No. Because this is a war zone, one must be very flexible. We usually work more than a 10 hour day and are on-call 24 hours a day. Also, my office is responsible for the wise use of an incredibly large amount of government funds. Thus we are daily monitoring the effectiveness of existing programs and working closely with other interna-tional donor organizations to strengthen the capacity of Af-ghanistan’s federal and state government operations as we move towards transition.

How did the MPA coursework and experience affect your approach to your work?

Edgar: As a Foreign Service Officer and in my work at USAID since 2002, I have frequently utilized the lessons I learned from my KU coursework in public administration, public management, human resources, municipal finance and budgets, as well as organizational theory and policy analysis.

Unfortunately, because of my international travel, I have only kept in touch with a few classmates. For example, I have worked during the past two years with programs of the U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan in Kabul and Kandahar, and previously on a project in South Africa for a USAID fund-ed effort. But I have paid attention to campus happenings.

The International City Management Association (ICMA) is one of my key contractors, and I have found it interesting to read in their publications about what is happening in cities back home, seeing articles about the work of former KU graduates.

How often do you get back to the US?

Edgar: My wife and I are based in Iowa City, Iowa where we live with our two teenage children and two cats. Since 2002, I have been travelling extensively for USAID, either com-muting between Iowa and Washington DC, or living abroad for large chunks of time. I am very fortunate to have a very loving and supportive wife and family!

Now as a Foreign Service Officer, USAID and The State Department provide generous leave, and I am home for 2-3 weeks at a time, about every 10 weeks. We also talk by phone almost every day, though the 8.5 hour time differ-ence sometimes makes that tricky. I receive e-mails almost daily from the children’s school, social, and athletic activi-ties, and from my wife on critical issues. When I was in Kandahar we were able to Skype frequently. It’s much better for both civilian employees and the U.S. military than it was even as recently as 10 years ago. Cell phones are a miracle!

Edgar routinely meets with officials in Afghanistan.

DID YOU KNOW...

The United States Agency for International Development was formed during President John F. Kennedy’s administration via pas-sage of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

For more information on USAID, including career opportunities, visit their website at www.usaid.gov.

FALL 2012 12 FALL 2012 13

school hosts collaborative workshop WITH CH2M HillThe first CH2M HILL Conference on Collaboration was held as part of The Alliance for Innova-tion’s Transforming Local Government Conference in Kansas City on April 17th, 2012. The Confer-ence is part of the School’s partnership with CH2M HILL which was formed in 2011 to:

• Educate emerging local government leaders in new strategies for delivery of services

• Develop thought leaders and collaborative capacity in local government organizations

• Conduct research on excellence in public-private collaboration

The conference began with a presentation on local government contracting using the City of Cen-tennial, Colorado as a case study. The study focused on Centennial’s contracts with private sector, non-profits and other governmental organizations. Preliminary results from the study indicate the importance of developing informal accountability in these types of collaborations.

The day then featured keynote speaker David J. Kaufman. He serves as director of the Office of Policy and Program Analysis, U.S. Department of Homeland Security/FEMA. In a creative and forward-looking pre-sentation, Mr. Kaufman discussed the partnerships needed with local

government to strengthen community resilience in a time of change. Focusing on world-wide trends and their implications for emergency management, Mr. Kaufman led the group in discussing new ways of collaborating for the benefit for local communities.

Conference attendees also engaged in a simulation on how leaders make decisions to collaborate. The simulation clearly showed the trade-offs of trust and breadth of collaborations formed by orga-nizations The complex role of trust in forming collaborations will continue to be a focus of research in the future.

SPAA Assistant Professors Heather

Getha-Taylor and Chris Silvia are recipients of a research grant from

CH2M Hill.

EMERGING LEADERS ACADEMY:Supporting Succession Planning in Public Sector Organizations by Noel Rasor, Assistant Director of the KU Public Management Center

With so many baby boomers approach-ing retirement, public organizations are becoming concerned about preparing an adequate leadership pipeline. Yet they often lack capacity to do so themselves. The Emerging Leaders Academy, offered through our Public Management Center,

addresses this need by combining skill enhancement around topics that are essential to effective leadership—and that can be used immediately in any position—with career planning to help participants identify the role(s) they seek in the future and prepare to successfully compete for those roles.

ELA differs from many other leadership development programs in that we target promising, non-managerial staff—those who show the potential to be leaders in their organizations but who may not yet hold a managerial or supervisory role. Staff at this level often receive only technical, job-based training. The op-portunity to participate in a program that encourages them to think about their future with their organization can recognize performance and encourage them to stay.

We use the StrengthsFinder assessment to provide insights about areas of natural interest and talent. Participants also com-plete a mentor-shadowing process and prepare a professional portfolio designed to highlight their competencies and identify skill gaps.

Program graduates cite these activities as crucial to their learn-ing about themselves and how to achieve their goals. Specific class topics include effective communication, generations in the workplace, introduction to budgeting, ethics, and more.

Who should attend?Staff from any departments in public sector/public service or-

ganizations and who show leadership potential are welcome to participate. Our spring 2012 session included police sergeants, a 911 dispatcher, HR specialists, probation officers, an IT staffer, a storm water engineer, a procurement officer, an EMT, and staff from internal audit, a water quality lab, and account-ing units just to name a few.

Program ValueThe program fee for ELA is $1,150; this covers all training days and materials. The additional cost to organizations sending staff is the staff time away from the office for the 10 days of training. The PMC recognizes this challenge so we work to en-sure an immediate return for agencies in skill enhancement and engagement. ELA graduates bring new ideas and a renewed sense of commitment to their work, and this is evident to their supervisors. Once an organization or department sends 1 or 2 staff to ELA, they generally prioritize sending additional staff to future sessions because of the results they see.

More InformationThe next Emerging Leaders Academy will begin in March, 2013. For more information, visit the KU Public Man-agement Center’s website at www.kupmc.org or contact program director Noel Rasor at noel@ku.edu or at 913-897-8460.

“ELA has taught me that leadership is a verb. It’s about listening, learning, and focusing your strengths

to be an inspirational force for positive change.”

Amanda Halstead, Program AnalystUS Environmental Protection Agency Region 7

Susan Mays (at left), Vice President for Marketing &

Strategic Initiatives at CH2M HILL (headquartered in Englewood,

Colorado) with David J. Kaufman, Director of the Office of Policy and

Program Analysis with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/

FEMA and Marilu Goodyear, Director of the KU School of Public

Affairs and Administration.

FALL 2012 14 FALL 2012 15

Giving Back: THE BOB LOwRY SCHOLARSHIP

Bob was appointed in July 2011 to be the Director of Public Works for the City of Col-leyville, Texas. Prior to that, he served for nearly seven years as the Director of Public Works and Transportation in Arlington, Texas. He also served nine years as the Public Works Director for Overland Park, Kansas and before that held public works positions in Lenexa and Leavenworth, Kansas. Bob is a native Texan and received his bachelor’s degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He began his municipal government service in 1991 in Leavenworth, Kansas, after a twenty-six year career in the US Army Corps of Engineers. He has masters’ degrees in civil en-gineering and applied mechanics from Stanford University. He earned his MPA from KU in 1996. Bob served as the Practitioner-in-Residence for the intern-option class of 2004.

In addition to numerous military awards and decorations, Bob was selected as the Federal Engineer of the Year by the US Army Training and Doctrine Command in 1986 and was designated a Top 10 Public Works Leader of the Year by the American Public Works Association in 2000. In 2003 he was awarded the Distinguished Leadership Award for a public sector employee by the Design-Build Institute of America and in 2011 he was designated a Leadership Fellow by the American Public Works Association.

About his scholarship, Bob said:

“After I retired from the army and began my second career in local government it became obvious to me that if I was going to maximize my contributions I needed to get an MPA. Being located so close to Law-rence made it easy for me, and KU’s excellent reputation made it even more enticing.

Little did I realize what a difference it would make. There is a world of difference be-tween the way the federal government works and the way local government works. Even though I had several public works assignments in the army, I didn’t know a thing about plats and zonings and special use permits and all the stuff that goes with devel-opment and a lot of other things unique to local government as well.

The first four city managers I worked for were KUCIMATS – Mark Pentz (1980), Da-vid Watkins (1978), Don Pipes (1955) and John Nachbar (1980) – and I firmly believe that being enrolled in and graduating from the program opened the doors for me that

allowed me just to get to work for them. Even though the focus of KU’s program is city man-agement, the things one learns are applicable to any managerial position in local government. Since virtually all of my post high school education was paid for by the government (the army, the GI Bill and tuition assistance from my employers), I see the scholarship as a way to give back some-thing that I got from someone else.”

Supporting the next generation of public servants:THE jOHN & CAROL NALBANDIAN SCHOLARSHIP

The John and Carol Nalbandian Scholarship will support MPA students preparing for careers in local government.

The scholarship recognizes the myriad of contributions the Nalbandians have made to students, local government

professionals and elected officials over the past five decades. Through their teaching and consulting, as well as their work

as citizen volunteers, they have exemplified the spirit of public service, bringing credit to themselves and the University of

Kansas.

Please join the Nalbandians in supporting our future city, county and local government administrators by making your

contribution to the scholarship fund today.

You can help us reach our goalof fully endowing

The John & Carol Nalbandian Scholarship!(Clicking on the Make a Gift button will direct you to the KU Endowment giving page)

Make a Gift

WHAT ARE ENDOWED FUNDS?

Endowed funds are extremely important to the present and future of the School of Public Affairs and Administration. They can be used to recruit promising students, attract and retain renowned scholars, launch promising research, or can be established for any other purpose of your choice. An endowed scholarship can be established with a gift of $30,000 given in full or pledged over a five-year period. The scholar-ship then exists in perpetuity, providing annual support for generations to come.

Endowed funds can be established in a variety of ways: donating cash; donating securities; creating a planned gift such as a bequest in your will; or a combination of any of these. You may decide how to name the fund, whether for yourself or for someone you wish to honor. In some cases, you can also contribute to existing endowed funds. To learn more about how your gift can help, contact LaRisa Lochner at the KU Endowment Association, llochner@kuendowment.org.

“In class, Dr. Nalbandian did a masterful job explaining how our roles as local government staff, elected officials and citizens led us to place varying emphasis on the four critical democratic values of local government service: efficiency, representation, social equity and individual rights. These competing values would provide the framework I would work within to help councils and city staff find solutions to conflict.”

Bo Ferguson (KU MPA 1997)City Manager of Hendersonville, North Carolina

“John taught me how to question assumptions and how to navigate complex administrative systems. I remember a professor who had time for the most challenging and profound conversations - all of which made me a better manager, a better leader and, more importantly, a better person.” Karma Ruder (KU MPA 1979)

Director of Community CollaborationCenter for Ethical Leadership, Seattle,WA

“John and Carol are at once expansive in their ideals for public affairs and focused in their analy-sis of specific public problems. They have the unique ability to bridge philosophy and practice, and they share a unique ability to articulate fundamental principles inherent in even the most mundane administrative problems. They help public leaders both do the right thing and do things right.” David Warm

Executive Director, Mid-America Regional Council

FALL 2012 16 FALL 2012 17

Letter from the KUCIMAT President

Phil Smith-HanesAhh, fall… time for football, the World Series, colorful leaves (for those of you that have deciduous trees), and here along the coast for the fog to finally break and warm weather to begin. It’s also the time for students to return to campuses, and for many of us to gather with colleagues at professional conferences (including the ICMA confer-ence and the annual KUCIMAT banquet, this year on Sunday, October 7 at the Phoenix Convention Center). And it’s time for me to end my term as your board president and prepare for a transition to Bo Ferguson.

First, I have to say what an honor it has been to serve this past year. I remember being one of those on-campus students and looking at the distinguished alumni with graying hair, dreaming that I would one day live up to the standards of KU’s #1 in the nation MPA program. To have had the chance to work on your behalf to keep that tradition alive (complete with a commemorative ball cap from Ray Botch!) is truly a dream come true.

Second, I want to thank all of you: the alumni, the students, and the faculty. I believe we have built some new partnerships over the past 2-3 years that will help us keep KU at the top in public administration. I am particularly proud of the work done by our board subcommittee to facilitate regional gatherings of alumni between the annual ICMA conferences.

Fall is a time of endings, and we have certainly experienced that. Last year at this time we celebrated the retirement of Professor George Frederickson. This year when we gather in Phoenix we will begin the process of saying farewell to Dr. John Nalbandian. But fall is also the season of harvest, when we finally get to reap what we have sown. I am excited when I meet the new faculty and staff, and especially the new crop of students. I have been fortunate enough to travel back to Lawrence three times during my tenure as president, and I am truly proud of what I have seen from the faculty and stu-dents while there. I want to encourage all of our alumni to remain engaged, to help ensure bountiful harvests of dedicated public servants for years to come.

Phil Smith-Hanes (‘98), ICMA-CMKUCIMAT Board PresidentCounty Administrative OfficerHumboldt County, California

KUCIMATters

During a visit to the University of Kansas campus in September, Phil (second from left) met with Danny Anderson, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (far left), along with Bo Ferguson and Marilu Goodyear, Director of the School of Public Affairs and Administration.

Reflections from thePractitioner-in-Residence

Thirty seconds. Thirty seconds is about how long it to me to respond to Ray Hummert’s email asking me to be Practitioner-in-Residence for the 2011-2012 on campus students. But after sending my message accept-ing the role it occurred to me – are they sure they want me? Some days it feels like I just left campus. Interestingly, soon after accepting this opportunity I accepted my first city administrator position. The students and I both learned a lot this year.

At one of our first meetings, the students and I sat together in Ray’s living room and brainstormed the topics they wanted to know more about – available career paths, economic development, interview and resume skills, media rela-tions, etc. – and used those to set our sessions for the year. Over the academic year we met about once a month to explore one of these topics. I took that opportunity to call on several of my fellow KUCIMAT experts in the various fields to help me.

One of my favorite sessions was our meeting in Milwaukee in September at ICMA where I listened to them recount their first ICMA experience includ-ing the people they met, the banquet and tremendous KUCIMAT network, and the clear commitment by the profession to continued learning. I don’t know about you, but my first ICMA trip is one of my most vivid memories of my time on campus. In January, the students got valuable advice and tips on resume preparation and interview skills from KUCIMATS who specialize in human resources and recruitment. During our last session together I got to show off my own community and talk about economic development and city

administration in the context of a small community (pop. 1,617).

As a new city administrator and mother of two toddlers, often I get bogged down in the daily routine of work and home life. My experience as Practitioner-in-Residence reminded me about why I came to this profession. The students’ thirst for the knowledge about why people chose this path and what challenges lie ahead for them inspired me. One of my favorite things about working with the students is their enthusiasm for the profession. They have yet to be scarred by the incivility of the public or raked through the coals by a misinformed blog. My goal through this experience was to supplement their academic training; in return they rejuvenated my commitment to public service.

To the Class of 2013: Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your KU MPA foundation. I enjoyed every minute. I wish you all well and know you will go far.

Beth Linn, KU MPA 2003City AdministratorCity of Edgerton, KS

The intern class of 2013 spent a day in Edgerton, KS with Beth Linn (in the white Jayhawk polo shirt)

in early May getting acquainted with the context of her role as Edgerton City Administrator. This

included a visit to the site of theBNSF Intermodal Facility.

About the Practitioner-in-ResidenceThe KU MPA combines a tradition of academic excellence with a continuing concern for the practical aspects of public man-agement.  Since the 1990s, the Practitioner-in-Residence is one of the ways we seek to assist the intern-option students in their transition from academic life to professional careers. The Practitioner serves as a resource for the students over their two years in the program.  During the first year, the students and the Practitioner agree on an agenda of topics and issues, ranging from hands on questions about budgets and personnel matters to concerns about career progression.  In the second year, the Prac-titioner participates in portions of the professional development seminars, assisting the students in reflecting on and learning from their internship experiences. For the intern class of 2014, Quinn Bennion, City Administrator of Prairie Village and 1999 MPA graduate, will serve as Practitioner-in-Residence.

KUCIMATters

We are on Facebook!

The School of Public Affairs and Adminis-tration now maintains a Facebook pres-ence, posting updates about our pro-grams, links to professional development resources, and other great information for both aspiring and practicing public admin-istrators. Find us at: www.facebook.com/KUSPAA

FALL 2012 18 FALL 2012 19

KUCIMATS around the U.S.

On September 18, School Director Marilu Goodyear met up with some of our DC-area alumni at the Liberty Tavern in Arlington, Virginia.

Catherine Tuck-Parrish (1990, The Novak Consulting Group) reports that eight hearty souls showed up despite tornado warnings earlier in the evening and torrential rain.

The wide array of professional tracks represented by the attendees made for lots of great stories to tell as they compared notes.

The other attendees included: Genee Unger (2006), America’s Cities, Pew Center on the States; Sheri Warren (2004), Potomac Health Foundation; Shannon Portillo (PhD 2008), George Mason University; Shelly McAllister (1988), Office of Management and Budget; Brian Handshy (2012), Presidential Management Fellow with the Department of Housing and Urban Development; and Robert Burns (1992), Neighbor Works America.

first-ever kucimat gathering in washington, d.c.

kucimats reconnect at ku-niu football game

Some Topeka KUCIMATs got together on Tuesday, October 2 at the Celtic Fox to trade tales from the Capitol City. Together with Public Management Center di-rector Charles Jones, attendees included Roger Moore (2007, Kansas Public Em-ployees Retirement System), Diana Siegal (1969, retired), Maggie Thompson Doll (2008, Kansas Department of Transportation), Claudette Johns (2009, Kansas Na-tional Education Association), and Danielle Martin (current MPA student, Kansas Department of Transportation). Ringleaders Roger Moore and Claudette Johns are planning another gathering for November.

An estimated 48 alums gathered in the parking lot of the KU vs. NIU football game in DeKalb, Illinois on Saturday, September 22. Some came specifically to say hello to John and Carol Nalbandian, while others enjoyed some pregame tailgaiting while reconnecting with old classmates.

Also joining the group were members of the NIU Public Administration program. Though they earned bragging rights after their team bested the Jayhawks, both groups enjoyed comparing program and academic notes.

Attendees from KU also included Marilu Goodyear, School director and Ray Hummert, MPA student advisor.

Pictured at right: KU MPA alums Greg Johnson (left, 1999) and wife Lyndsay (2004), with Wally Douthwaite (1979).

About Board MemberPenny Postoak Ferguson

Penny Postoak Ferguson (KU MPA 1994) is a 2010-2012 KUCIMAT board member and has been re-cently promoted to the po-sition of Deputy County Manager at Johnson County Government. She previ-ously served as Assistant County Manager since June 2010. Penny assists in the management of the 34 de-partments/offices and five

agencies that comprise the County’s operations. The County employs approximately 3,800 staff and has an annual budget of more than $810 million.

Prior to her appointment with Johnson County, Penny served as assistant city manager for almost four years in the City of San Antonio. Before her move to San Antonio, she worked for the city of Overland Park, Kansas for four years, serving as a deputy city manager and assistant city manager overseeing operations. Her career also includes serving as core manager and execu-tive director of budget and research (2000-2002) for the Uni-fied Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City, Kansas, and being the assistant city manager (1997-2000) for the city of Hays, Kansas.

A native of Lawrence, Kansas, Penny attended Haskell Indian Nations University (1991-1992), located in Lawrence, and is a member of the Choctaw Tribe of Oklahoma. She received her bachelor’s degree in business administration (1992) from the University of Kansas, also in Lawrence, and a master’s degree (1994) in public administration from KU.

She and her husband, Dwight, have a daughter, Peyton and live in Johnson County.

On the KUCIMAT board, the past-president, president, and president-elect each serve to lead areas of connections among KUCIMATS.  One works with alumni/alumni relations, one on alumni/faculty connections, and the third with alumni connections to on-campus students.

KUCIMAT 2011-2012BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Phil Smith-Hanes (Class of 1998), PresidentCounty Administrative Officer, Humboldt County, CA

psmith-hanes@co.humboldt.ca.us

Clay Pearson (Class of 1992), Past PresidentCity Manager, Novi, MI

cpearson@cityofnovi.org

Bo Ferguson (Class of 1997), President-ElectCity Manager, City of Hendersonville, NC

bferguson@cityofhendersonville.org

Alan Morris (Class of 1970), Secretary-Treasurer (2011-2013)Retired, Topeka, KSamorris15@cox.net

Board Members, 2011-2013Catherine Tuck-Parrish (Class of 1990)

Associate, The Novak Consulting Group, Cincinnati OHctuckparrish@thenovakconsultinggroup.com

Claudette Johns (Class of 2009) Executive Director, Kansas NEA, Topeka, KS

claudette.johns@knea.org

Jon Amundson (Class of 2005) Assistant City Manager, Richland, WA

jamundson@ci.richland.wa.us

Ray Botch (Class of 1968) Retired, Mount Vernon, ILraymondbotch@gmail.com

Board Members, 2010-2012Penny Postoak Ferguson (Class of 1994)

Assistant County Manager, Johnson County, KSpenny.postoakferguson@jocogov.org

Jeremy Smith, (Class of 2004) Town Manager, Sussex, WI

jeremysmith@wi.rr.com

Harold Stewart (Class of 2007) City Manager, Knoxville, IA

citymanager@discoverknoxville.com

Tyler Burkart, Ex Officio Member2010-2012 Class President,

t691b820@ku.edu

Jacqueline Schwerm, Ex Officio Member2011-2013 Class President

jackie.schwerm@gmail.com

Caitlin Stene, Ex Officio Member2011-2013 Class President

Cstene07@gmail.com

Beth Linn (Class of 2003) Ex Officio MemberCity Administrator, Edgerton, KS

2011-2013 Practitioner in Residenceblinn@edgertonks.org

KUCIMAT DuesYour dues make a difference by supporting students, professional development of KUCIMATS, enhancing relationships with the fac-ulty and the MPA program, and supporting the profession. The dues form or a link to pay online can be found at http://www.kupa.ku.edu/alumni/kucimat/index.shtml.

topeka group meets at the celtic fox