Gregory S. Allison receives lifetime achievement award for budgeting and financial management scholarship from ABFM

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By Andy Bradshaw

The UNC School of Government Master of Public Administration faculty consistently work to advance the study and practice of local government management. One such faculty member, Gregory S. Allison, was recently honored for this work with the 2025 S. Kenneth Howard Award from the Association for Budgeting & Financial Management. This honor is a lifetime achievement award for advancement in the field of budgeting and financial management.

The honor stems from Allison's critical scholarship and teaching to both traditional students and working practitioners. At the School, he served as the director of Municipal and County Administration for 22 years; this program is a flagship practitioner course providing local leaders with foundational knowledge of the roles, rules, and operations of local government.

Allison's scholarship has made a significant contribution and is a go-to for students and practitioners. He is a co-author of the textbook Governmental and Nonprofit Accounting: Theory and Practice, published by Prentice Hall and currently in its tenth edition.

He also authored all or part of several publications published by the Government Finance Officers Association, including A Preparer’s Guide to Note Disclosures and the illustrative financial statements for the Blue Book for the 1994 and 2000 editions.

He played an instrumental role in the creation of a financial condition benchmarking tool for local governments in North Carolina. The tool allows local officials to calculate key financial metrics for the general fund, water and sewer fund, and electric fund over five years, including the ability to benchmark these metrics against other local units, providing key comparative data.

The receipt of this honor is well earned by Allison. On receiving this award, Allison reflected: "I never expected to be recognized by such an esteemed national organization as the Association for Budgeting & Financial Management. Being celebrated by one’s peers is humbling, but the S. Kenneth Howard Award has special meaning for both myself and the UNC School of Government," Allison said. "Professor Howard was a faculty member at UNC and my former School of Government colleague, Jack Vogt, was also presented with this award in 2003. I am indeed honored to join their ranks."

UNC MPA congratulates Allison on this honor. His award serves as an example of the scholarship our faculty undertake every day.

Published September 12, 2025