In August 2024, Paloma Garcia-Serrano stepped into the Foothills Regional Commission for her first day of work as a Lead for North Carolina Fellow. Lead for NC is a leadership development program that places aspiring public service leaders in fellowships at local government offices across the state.

Former School of Government faculty member David Ammons, Albert Coates Professor Emeritus of Public Administration and Government, has authored a new publication.

Recent graduates from the UNC Master of Public Administration program gathered with faculty, family, friends, and staff on Saturday, May 10, 2025, to celebrate their commencement and coming next chapter in their public service careers.

In total, 41 students graduated from the program during the ceremony, receiving their diplomas from UNC-Chapel Hill.

In 2024, the City of Hendersonville, North Carolina, engaged the Development Finance Initiative (DFI) to assist with increasing the amount of affordable housing in their community. “Like most other cities, Hendersonville is faced with a housing crisis,” said City Attorney Angela Beeker. “In response, city council made housing a top priority.

Jessica Smith retired from the School of Government faculty in April 2025 after 25 years of service to the University and the State of North Carolina.

Smith served most recently as the founder and director of the School’s Criminal Justice Innovation Lab. She has been responsible for some of the School’s flagship publications, like North Carolina Crimes and the digital bench book for Superior Court judges. Her opinion has been sought and valued by public officials in all three branches of state government.

In the early 2000s, the growing town of Morrisville, North Carolina, first began envisioning the value a town center could bring for their burgeoning population. They wanted an area that would have multiple uses: residential space, retail shops, and parks, all within a walkable area. “The town center is meant to activate the area and to create a destination that is distinctly Morrisville. The way we grew, we never developed a natural downtown for people to come to,” said Brandon Zuidema, current town manager of Morrisville.

The UNC School of Government is pleased to welcome Taylor Morris to its faculty ranks. Morris joined the School in March 2025 as a nominated assistant professor, working specifically to teach, research, and advise in emergency management and code enforcement law.

In his new faculty position, Morris looks forward to trailblazing and finding innovative ways to serve the public officials who rely on him for instruction and advice.

The UNC School of Government congratulates Master of Public Administration faculty member and James E. Holshouser Jr. Distinguished Professor of Public Administration and Government Carl W. Stenberg on his recent receipt of the 2025 Elmer B. Staats Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Public Service from the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA).