Faculty and Staff

Christy Ihlo joined the Environmental Finance Center at the School of Government as the deputy director in 2021. She brings a diverse background including program management, monitoring and evaluation, technical report writing, spatial analysis, and international fieldwork. During her career, Christy established and directed a monitoring and evaluation department for an NGO in rural Tanzania, helped to coordinate a national multi-organization initiative that culminated in the production of...

Willow Jacobson is the director of the UNC Master of Public Administration program and the Robert W. Bradshaw Jr. Distinguished Professor of Public Administration and Government.

She joined the School of Government faculty in 2003. She previously served as Director of the Leading for Results Program, which she helped create in 2011 to develop local government leaders in North Carolina. She was also involved in the 2005 inaugural session of the Public Executive Leadership Academy. Her...

Evan Johnson is a teaching assistant professor at UNC–Chapel Hill. He previously served as a research fellow at the United States Environmental Protection Agency. He holds master’s and doctoral degrees in public policy from the University of Wisconsin and the University of North Carolina. His research focuses on firm innovation and public policy, with specific foci including energy innovation, climate stabilization and the impacts of Federal R&D funding on high-tech firms. His published...

Robert Joyce is an expert on elections law, public employment law, local government law, and the law of governmental transparency.

He joined the Institute of Government in 1980. Previously, he practiced law with Chadbourne & Parke in New York and with Barber & Joyce in Pittsboro, NC.

Joyce is a past member of the executive committees of the Education Law Section of the North Carolina Bar Association and the North Carolina Council of School Attorneys. He has served as...

Clare Kilmartin joined the School of Government as program associate in 2022. Previously, she worked in community organizing and program management.

Kilmartin earned a bachelor's degree from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Ambica Knecht is the director of budget and finance for the School of Government. In this role, she works with the assistant dean for business and finance to provide financial planning, analysis, and budget management for the School. Knecht is responsible for developing, managing, and monitoring budgets for the School, each individual initiative and program, and providing standard and ad hoc financial reports. She joined the School in 2024.

Previously, Knecht served as an...

Joseph Laizure is an assistant professor of public law and government at the School of Government. In this role, Laizure works with court officials, court staff, and attorneys in the areas of civil procedure, the enforcement of judgments and supplemental proceedings, court-ordered attorney fees, order drafting, and the conduct of hearings and trials. He joined the School in 2024.

Before joining the faculty, he worked as the staff attorney at UNC School of Law Clinical Programs,...

Sofia Lawrence serves as program associate for the School of Government. She joined the School in 2025.

In her role, Lawrence supports continuing education programs by managing event logistics, coordinating with faculty, and ensuring excellent client support.

Previously, she served as the staff and wellness director for Rockbrook Camp, a crisis response advocate for the Orange County Rape Crisis Center, and as research assistant for UNC-Chapel Hill. 

Cindy Lee joined the School of Government in 2007. She worked as a program manager and director of programs for 15 years, primarily assisting District Court judges. In addition, she also worked with Superior Court judges, magistrates, clerks of superior court, public defenders, and district attorneys. Prior to joining the School, she was a program manager at Kenan-Flagler School of Business. Lee earned her bachelor's degree from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Caitlin Little joined the School of Government in 2016 as a Legislative Reporting Service (LRS) attorney. Little's LRS duties included analyzing legislation and drafting bill digests for daily publication during sessions of the North Carolina General Assembly. She also assisted the LRS Director in publishing the Daily Bulletin. Beginning in 2017, Little also worked in a research and support role for faculty with short- and long-term projects during legislative interims. Joining the Knapp...

Adam Lovelady is an expert in land use law and community planning.

As a faculty member at the UNC School of Government, he teaches, researches, and advises on topics such as zoning, land subdivision, historic preservation, resilience, and related topics. In 2025 Lovelady was named Albert and Gladys Coates Distinguished Professor of Public Law and Government. 

Markham joined the School of Government faculty in 2007. His area of interest is criminal law and procedure, with a focus on the law of sentencing, corrections, and the conditions of confinement. He was named Albert and Gladys Coates Distinguished Term Associate Professor for 2015–2017. Markham earned a bachelor's degree with honors from Harvard College and a law degree with high honors, Order of the Coif, from Duke University, where he was editor-in-chief of the Duke Law Journal. He is a...

Sonja Matanovic is the associate dean for strategic communications for the School of Government.

She joined the School of Government in 2013. Previously, Matanovic served as director of communications at the International Center for Journalists in Washington, an organization that provides training and support to journalists around the world. Her prior experience includes marketing the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS); promoting philanthropic...

Alecia Matthews serves as assistant director of the School of Government's ncIMPACT Initiative.

Matthews's career in higher education includes project management in the UNC School of Government dean's office, graduate program management at the UNC School of Nursing, and adjunct instruction at NC State University, among other experiences. Previously, she served in the U.S. Army. Matthews earned a BA in public communication from the State University of New York...

Jamie McCall is an adjunct instructor and Vice President of Policy and Research for Carolina Small Business Development Fund (CSBDF), a statewide community development financial institution (CDFI). McCall's work focuses on sustainable economic development, nonprofit program evaluation, and the role of small and medium-sized businesses for effective regional growth. He previously worked as a Senior Research Analyst for North Carolina's nonprofit development entity, the Economic Development...

Kevin McCarthy joined the Development Finance Initiative as a Real Estate Development Analyst in 2025. He holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of South Florida as well as a master’s degree in business administration from Florida State University. He has been a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP) since 2016. 

Tracy Miles is an independent consultant in nonprofit management, operational excellence, strategy development, and human-centered continuous improvement. In a career that includes private, public, and nonprofit-sector experience, from Fortune 100 companies to grassroots nonprofits, the common thread has been connecting, developing, and managing relationships and strategies for organizational success. Tracy’s work focuses on leading teams and empowering individuals of diverse backgrounds...

Kara Millonzi is the Robert W. Bradshaw Jr. Distinguished Professor of Public Law and Government at the School of Government. She is an expert on local government finance law, general county law, school finance, utilities finance, development finance, and incorporation. 

As a faculty member, she administers the Coates’ Canons Local Government Law Blog and has authored well over 100 posts on issues related to local government law and finance. Millonzi also administers NC...

Jonathan Q. Morgan is a professor of public administration and government at the School of Government. He teaches, advises public officials, and conducts applied research on economic development. Morgan's research has focused on industry cluster-based development, the role of local government in economic development, business incentives, development impact analysis, and innovative, homegrown approaches to job creation. Morgan directs the School's Basic Economic Development Course, which is...

Taylor Morris is an assistant professor at the School of Government. In his role, he works to teach, research, and advise in emergency management and code enforcement law. Morris joined the School in 2025.

Before joining the School of Government, Taylor served as an assistant city attorney for the City of Asheville, North Carolina, located in Buncombe County, where he mainly grew up. Previously, he worked as an associate in the Los Angeles office of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart &...

Ricardo S. Morse is a professor of public administration and government at the School of Government. His research, teaching, and consulting focus on public leadership, collaborative governance, and civic engagement. Morse currently serves as Director of the Leading for Results Program, which develops local government leaders in North Carolina. He teaches in a variety of the School’s continuing education programs for local officials as well as a leadership course in the UNC MPA program.