Alumni

Ursula Hairston has a clear view of her role in public service. "To me, human resources represents the epitome of serving others," she says." When you work in the public sector, it's usually true that you have a passion for service. What I've done is commit my life to serving the people who serve the public."

Ursula's goal when she entered the MPA program was to work in nonprofit administration, but an early role-play exercise in the program's Assessment Center changed her focus. "When I read the job description of the personnel officer, it sounded fascinating to me. I immediately thought: this is what I would like to do." A summer internship in the human relations office of the Environmental Protection Agency in Research Triangle Park confirmed her interest.

After graduation, a two-year public management fellowship in the human resources division of the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) gave Ursula broad knowledge of the field as she rotated through the different functions of the department. She credits the intense fellowship experience and her subsequent two years on staff with HHS as good preparation and the right credentials for her appointment as human resources director for Franklin County, North Carolina. Serving a population of 52,000, the county government employed 500 people. Ursula was the county's first human resources director.

From her experience of working in both county and state government positions, Ursula has a perspective on both. "Local government is closer to the action," she says, "and closer to the politics. You are in a position to really see and meet employees' needs at a grass roots level. If there was a need, I could approach the county commission about it and might see change effected pretty quickly."

In state government, personnel policies are governed by statute, but Ursula's responsibilities are much broader. "In a small office, you have to be able to do global visioning and process a form, juggle between salary administration and career planning, then switch gears to help someone with a benefits problem," she says.

Ursula reflects on the MPA program with a dual lens: as a graduate who still benefits from its rigorous training and as a personnel professional who guides others in their career development. "In all of our MPA courses, no matter what the subject area," she says, "instructors always focused on leadership – how to deal with difficult situations, how to manage people, how to communicate effectively." As a human resources director, she sees firsthand that managers set the tone for an organization. "In the MPA program we learned to encourage, motivate, and negotiate with others in a way that lets you achieve what you're trying to accomplish without diminishing others," she says. "That's a critical skill that will come into play no matter what job you have."