UNC MPA student aspires to serve people of NC
UNC-Chapel Hill introduces Richard Livingston, UNC MPA student, in video about his drive toward public service.
There are many numbers and statistics floating around in Richard Livingston’s mind each day, but one stands out among the rest.
“The statistic is that 50 to 75% of local government workers are nearing retirement age,” he said. “So there’s definitely a dearth of young people interested in local government.
That’s why Livingston, who earned his undergraduate degree from Carolina in 2021, is back in Chapel Hill pursuing a Master of Public Administration from the UNC School of Government. He returns to Carolina after working in local government as a senior project manager for Washington County, about 2½ hours east of Chapel Hill.
With his MPA in hand, Livingston plans to spend his future serving people in a leadership role in local government.
“I wanted to do public service because there has to be somebody sitting in the seat or these communities, they fall apart,” he said.
“These people that I work for, they’re the people that paid for me to go to Carolina through their taxes, and they deserve good governance. I know that if it’s me in the seat that I can learn and give back and give these people what they deserve.”