Alumni News
New Grad Becomes Executive Director of Books for Keeps
2013
Jun
2013
Jun
Leslie Hale (MPA '13) was hired as the inaugural Executive Director of Books for Keeps. For the past four years Books for Keeps has been a volunteer-run nonprofit, collecting books to distribute to children in Athens-Clarke county schools with the highest percentages of children receiving free or reduced lunches.
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Bryan Fanning Promoted to Major
2013
May
Bryan Fanning has been promoted to Major and will officially begin his service on June 1st. As a result of his promotion, he will attend the Command and General Staff Officer Course (CGSOC) in August at Ft. Leavenworth. The CGSOC is an 11-month military art and sciences master-level program for mid-grade officers. Following the CGSOC, he will return to the operational force to serve in a key developmental position as either a battalion operations officer or executive officer.
Currently, Bryan is the Chief of Leader Requirements at the Mission Command Center of Excellence. Army doctrine recently adopted Mission Command as the Army's philosophy of command. The philosophy of Mission Command encourages senior leaders to clearly communicate their intent to subordinate leaders. In turn, junior leaders can exercise disciplined initiative and act resourcefully in the absence of direct orders from superiors. As the Chief of Leader Requirements, Bryan's duties include identifying and integrating Mission Command training requirements throughout all levels of professional military education for the ranks of sergeant to colonel.
Christine Henderson Brodnan Among 2013 Nonprofit Leaders Under 30
2013
May
Christine Henderson Brodnan (MPA '11) was named as one of the recipients of the 2013 Nonprofit Leaders 30 Under 30 Awards by the Georgia Center for Nonprofits and the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Atlanta. Christine is the Education Partnership Manager for The Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta.
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Kathy Pharr Named Chief of Staff for UGA President-Elect
2013
Apr
Dr. Kathy Pharr was named Chief of Staff for The University of Georgia President-elect Jere Morehead. Dr. Pharr is a “Triple Dawg,” having earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism in 1987, her MPA with a Specialization in Higher Education in 2005, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Management from the Institute of Higher Education in 2011. She presently serves as Assistant Vice President for Finance and Administration and Director of Health Sciences Campus Administration at UGA. She has worked with the University for 19 years, having previously served as an Assistant to the President and as Communications Director for the School of Law. Prior to Pharr’s career change to higher education administration, she served as a television news reporter and anchor for NBC affiliates in Louisville, Kentucky and Savannah, Georgia.
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SPIA Event: February 20, 2013
2013
Feb
The University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs Alumni Board of Directors presents its 2013 Georgia Legislative Outlook. Speaker of the House David Ralston and President Pro Tempore David Shafer will participate in a discussion moderated by Charles S. Bullock, Richard B. Russell Professor of Political Science. The event will be held at the Commerce Club in Atlanta on Wednesday, February 20th from 5:00-7:00pm. For more information you are encouraged to contact Sarah Baines.
Former MPA Student Hired as an Assistant Manager of Athens-Clarke County
2012
Dec
Blaine Williams (MPA '93) has been hired as an Assistant Manager of Athens-Clarke County, and will begin his duties in early January 2013. Just prior to this appointment, Blaine worked for Floyd County for seven years, and was appointed Floyd County's Manager on January 1, 2012. He has also worked as the Director of Public Administration for the Middle Georgia Regional Commission and as the Director of Downtown and River Development Director in Rome, the Floyd County seat. In addition, Blaine taught Public Administration at Berry College near Rome.
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Focus on Faculty Highlights Phaedra Corso
2012
Oct
Focus on Faculty, a University of Georgia online publication, recently highlighted Phaedra Corso. Dr. Corso graduated from the MPA program in 1991, and then went on to earn a PhD from Harvard University. She returned to The University of Georgia in 2006 and from 2009-2012 she served as the founding head of the Department of Health Policy and Management in the College of Public Health. Dr Corso is currently a tenured professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management and adjunct professor for the Department of Public Administration and Policy at UGA.
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SPIA Alumni Events: DC and Atlanta
2012
Oct
Network with fellow alumni and friends and current SPIA faculty, staff and students and support a worthwhile cause: scholarships and internship stipends for SPIA students!
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Betsy Fretwell Visits with MPA Students
2012
Sep
Betsy Fretwell visited UGA Athens Campus on Friday, September 28th and met with a group of MPA students. The students thoroughly enjoyed their discussion with Ms. Fretwell and listening to her experiences as the City Manager of Las Vegas, Nevada.
Betsy Fretwell (AB ’89, MPA ’91) is the City Manager of Las Vegas, Nevada. Sworn into the position in 2009, Ms. Fretwell managed to reduce the structural deficit of the city by more than 80 percent within her first three years of service. She and her team accomplished this by using a combination of performance management and performance based budgeting, community engagement, sustainability and program reductions, and a large reorganization of their unit. They came to new agreements with the city’s four unions, which saved $36 million over the next two fiscal years and averted hundreds of additional layoffs.
Ms. Fretwell also serves as the executive director of the Las Vegas Redevelopment Agency, charged with the economic revitalization of downtown Las Vegas. She received both her political science and masters of public administration degrees from The University of Georgia.
Patricia Nobbie receives Kennedy Fellowship
2012
Aug
Patricia Nobbie, PhD (’01) has been selected to receive the 2012 Kennedy Foundation Public Policy Fellowship. Out of 55 applicants this year, she is the only one to receive this honor. Upon receiving the Fellowship, Nobbie commented, "I have always wanted to do this, it's the thing many in our field aspire to." As a Fellow, Nobbie will actively participate in public policy development through work on the staff of a congressional committee, or a federal agency.
Since its founding in 1946, the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation has supported the creation of practical programs to benefit persons with intellectual disabilities, their families and their communities. The Foundation has always worked with national leaders who understand the promise and realities of government. The need for skilled leadership in government and public policy has never been greater. In response to this need, the Foundation initiated the Public Policy Fellowship Program in 1980. Fellows receive first-hand knowledge and experience in the development of public policy and the opportunity to participate in an advocacy training workshop, national disability policy seminars and the intensive week-long Bioethics course at Georgetown University’s Kennedy Institute of Ethics.
Dr. Nobbie is the Deputy Director of the Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities. She is responsible for conducting research on Council programs and initiatives, tracking state and federal budgets, and coordinating the Council's legislative agenda. She describes this role as "trying to support good public policy and prevent bad things from happening." She coordinates the Unlock the Waiting Lists! Campaign for home and community based services, the contracts for the Partnerships for Success Inclusive High School Community project, and The Academy for Inclusive Adult Education at Kennesaw State University. She coordinates a Statewide Transition Steering Committee with the Department of Education, and is a member of the team that writes the State Plan for Transition services each year. She served on the State Advisory Panel for Special Education for four years as a parent.
Dr. Nobbie has conducted or led research on evaluation of family support projects in Vermont and Georgia, in special education funding, and managed care. She is the lead staff at the Georgia General Assembly each legislative session, and has worked on amendments to the Nurse Practice Act to enable people with disabilities to receive health maintenance services from their caregiver of choice, supported appropriations for home and community-based services, the Children's Freedom Initiative and Multi-year funding plan resolutions.
Dr. Nobbie is a founding Board Member of Georgians for a Healthy Future, a health policy and advocacy nonprofit organization, and an advisory board member for the Inclusive Education Department at Kennesaw State University. She was the recipient of a Heart of Gold Award from All About Developmental Disabilities in spring of 2010. Dr. Nobbie also received Advocate of the Year from the Arc of Georgia in the spring of 2011.
Dr. Seang-Tae Kim leads NIA to excellent performance evaluation
2012
Aug
Dr. Seang-Tae Kim, President of the National Information Society Agency (NIA) in the Republic of Korea, sent news that NIA has been rated as excellent in this year's performance evaluation of government-affiliated public agencies. NIA is the only such public agency to be assessed as excellent in the performance evaluation of both the agency and its leader.
During the past decade NIA initiated many global cooperation projects aimed at bridging the digital divide, and has achieved the UN Millennium Development Goals. NIA invited over 3,000 foreign officers to participate in training programs, sent over 4,000 volunteers to improve digital literacy in over 70 countries, and established 29 Internet Access Centers to promote access in developing countries.
Dr. Kim earned his PhD from the Department of Public Administration and Policy at the University of Georgia in 1989 and became the first president of NIA for in 2009. He was the Dean of the Graduate School of Governance/Graduate School of Public Administration at Sungkyunkwan University from 2005 to 2008.
Meet our 2012 Socialization Alumni Panel
2012
Aug
Rachel Austin
Rachel graduated from Rhodes College in 2007 with a BA in Political Science. In 2010, she received her MPA from UGA where she specialized in Nonprofit Management and Public Policy. During the summer of 2009, she interned at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. For the 2010-2011 school year, she was a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar to Singapore where she studied Health Policy at the National University of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Currently, Rachel is the Program Analyst for Higher Education and Public Safety at the Georgia Senate Budget and Evaluation Office.
Giles King Eady
A native of Griffin, GA, is Director of Project Identity at Morehouse College. In addition to these duties, Giles serves as Coordinator of Special Admission Projects and coordinates special admissions and recruitment efforts for the Morehouse Office of Admissions and Recruitment. Prior to his current position, Giles served as Assistant Director of Admission at Morehouse. Giles earned the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from Morehouse College in 2007 and the Master of Public Administration from the University of Georgia in 2012. He is currently a board member of the Atlanta Future Leaders in Higher Education and The B.E.S.T. Academy Collegiate Board. Giles has a passion for increasing college attendance awareness, access and preparedness for minority male students. He is a trained percussionist proficient on the drums, piano, xylophone, vibraphone, marimba and tympani. During his spare time, Giles plays as much golf as possible.
Sarah Langford
Sarah graduated from UGA with a bachelor's degree in International Affairs. She earned her MPA from UGA in 2010 with a concentration in health policy while serving as a teaching assistant for the Political Science Department. During this time, she completed an internship with the U.S. Social Security Administration, Office of Income Security Programs. Sarah currently lives in Atlanta and works as a program analyst for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
Alex Morrison
Morrison is a 2010 MPA from UGA with a concentration on Local Government. Previously, he received a BA in Journalism and Philosophy at Mercer University in Macon, GA (the greatest city in GA). Alex returned to Macon upon graduation from UGA to be the Business and Economic Development Specialist for the City of Macon and is currently the Executive Director of the Macon Bibb County Urban Development Authority.
Kathy Rogers Pharr
Kathy is a "Triple Dawg," having earned her bachelor's Degree in Journalism in 1987, her MPA with a Specialization in Higher Education in 2005, and a Doctorate in Higher Education Management from the Institute of Higher Education in 2011. She presently serves as Assistant Vice President for Finance and Administration and Director of Health Sciences Campus Administration at UGA. She has worked with the University for 19 years, having previously served as an Assistant to the President and as Communications Director for the School of Law. Prior to Kathy's career change to higher education administration, she served as a television news reporter and anchor for NBC affiliates in Louisville, Kentucky and Savannah, Georgia.
Tatiyana Webb
Tatiyana earned her bachelor's in Biological Sciences from the University of California Irvine. In 2011 she earned her master's in Public Administration from the University of Georgia. She has a passion for non-profit work, particularly related to youth development and human service programs. Currently, Tatiyana in transitioning into a new position, starting August 1, where she will be working hands on with high school students and their families to assist them in reaching educational and career related goals.
MPA Alumn among Augusta Magazine’s Most Outstanding Young Professionals
2012
Jun
John Paul Stout (MPA '10) was included in Augusta Magazine's showcase of 10 outstanding young professionals in Augusta, Georgia. Stout is the Sustainable Development Manager for the City of Augusta and is commended for his goal to help Augusta and the CSRA realize their full potential through progressive development that utilizes institutions of higher education, major economic engines, natural resources and strong workforce.
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Beth Gazley Tenure and Promotion
2012
Jan
Beth Gazley was tenured and promoted to associate professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University during 2011. Gazley received both her MPA ('01) and PhD ('04) from the Department of Public Administration and Policy at the University of Georgia. Her research addresses volunteerism, management capacity, governance, and organizational collaboration in nonprofit and governmental settings.
Sergio Fernandez Tenure and Promotion
2012
Jan
This past year Sergio Fernandez was tenured and promoted in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University. He graduated in 2004 with a PhD from the Department of Public Administration and Policy at Georgia. His professional interests lie in public management and organization theory, including a focus on privatization and contracting out; public sector leadership; and organizational change and innovation.
David Pitts Tenure and Promotion
2012
Jan
David Pitts was recently tenured and promoted in the Department of Public Administration and Policy in the School of Public Affairs at American University. Pitts received his doctorate from the University of Georgia in 2005. His research interests include representative bureaucracy, racial/ethnic diversity in public management and policy, LGBT issues in public policy, and higher education.
MPA Alum Honored in Georgia Trend Magazine
2011
Oct
Georgia Trend Magazine listed Jae Brown (MPA '08) among the Top 40 Under 40. Currently working at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Jae acts as the only Emergency Response Coordinator in the US. Jae is also very involved in public service, volunteering for Auditory-Verbal Center, United Way Atlanta’s African American Partnership, Children’s Health Initiative for Learning and Leading and 100 Black Men of America (South Metro Chapter).
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Carol Lowman, Newly Appointed Committee Member
2011
Sep
President Obama appointed Dr. Carol Lowman, 2008 Public Administration and Policy PhD graduate, to a key Administration post. She will serve as a member on the Committee for Purchase from People Who Are Blind or Severely Disabled. Lowman is currently the Deputy Director of the U.S. Army Contracting Command, headquartered at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.
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President Obama Appoints Alumni to Administrative Posts
2010
Nov
President Barack Obama has announced several appointments to administrative posts, including two Public Administration and Policy alumni. Dr. Stephen E. Condrey and Dr. Rex L. Facer will serve on the Federal Salary Council, which submits locality pay rate recommendations for federal employees to the President's Pay Agent. Condrey has been appointed Chairman and Facer will serve as a member on the council. More information about these two individuals and other Federal Appointments can be read in the press release issued by the White House.
