Forging the Next Generation of Public Sector Leaders: Kim Nelson and the PELA Difference

For more than two decades, North Carolina's most accomplished local government executives have gathered in a program that challenges them not just to think differently about leadership—but to lead differently. The Public Executive Leadership Academy (PELA) has long been the School of Government's premier leadership program, and under the direction of lead faculty member Kimberly Nelson, it is entering one of its most dynamic chapters yet. 

Now in her third year at the helm, Nelson brings both scholarly depth and genuine passion to a program built for the professionals who carry some of the heaviest responsibilities in public service: municipal and county managers, assistant and deputy managers, and department directors navigating complex, high-stakes challenges across North Carolina's diverse communities. 

A Leader Shaped for This Moment 

Nelson joined the School of Government in 2013 as a scholar of local government management, and her connection to PELA grew naturally from there. When longtime lead faculty member Carl Stenberg departed in 2024, Nelson stepped into the role as a trusted steward of the program's legacy and a bold architect of its future. 

"It is an honor to take the helm of such an important and distinguished program," Nelson said. "Carl and our colleagues—past and present—have built something that genuinely supports local government leaders across the state. It is a privilege to serve them and to contribute, even in a small way, to improving local government in North Carolina." 

That sense of responsibility is evident in everything she brings to PELA—from how the curriculum is structured to how participants are challenged to grow. 

Beyond the Classroom: A Leadership Journey by Design 

What sets PELA apart from a conventional professional development workshop is its deliberate architecture. This is not a one-time seminar or a passive learning experience. PELA is a rigorous, immersive journey that pairs classroom instruction with real-world application, designed specifically for experienced executives who need more than theory—they need tools that work on Monday morning. 

Participants engage in applied projects tied directly to their organization's priorities, receive targeted one-on-one coaching, and return to their jurisdictions equipped with concrete strategies and actionable plans. Every element of the program is engineered to produce measurable results. 

"Learning should never be an isolated event," Nelson explained. "In PELA, we build experiences that connect classroom ideas to the daily realities of public service—because leadership development is most meaningful when it translates into real community benefits." 

This learn-by-doing philosophy reflects Nelson's conviction that the best investment a public executive can make is one that improves operations, elevates services, and strengthens the institutions they lead. 

A Network That Multiplies Impact 

Leadership development at this level is as much about who you learn with as what you learn. PELA cultivates deep peer networks that extend well beyond the program's formal sessions, creating a lasting community of practice among North Carolina's most senior local government professionals. 

Alumni are invited back as mentors and cohort facilitators, reinforcing succession planning and sustaining a culture of shared growth. This commitment to co-creation also means PELA's curriculum and case studies reflect the realities of communities of every size—from smaller jurisdictions to major municipalities—ensuring the training is relevant, adaptable, and immediately applicable across the state's remarkably varied landscape. 

Building Leaders—and the Institutions That Outlast Them 

At its core, PELA is an investment in something larger than any individual executive. Nelson frames the program as a vehicle for institutional resilience—the kind of deep organizational capacity that allows local governments not merely to respond to complex challenges, but to build systems strong enough to outlast them.

By integrating mentorship, applied leadership projects, peer accountability, and measurable outcomes, PELA develops executives who can lead with confidence in the face of uncertainty, fiscal pressure, and evolving community demands. 

"Ultimately, we hope PELA provides local government administrators with the tools they need to navigate difficult community challenges," Nelson said. "This is accomplished both by the lessons we provide in the classroom and by the peer networks they develop through PELA." 

Published February 26, 2026