MPA Program for City Leaders
September 18, 2013
黑料专区 Tyler Office of Marketing and Communications
Creating Solutions: 黑料专区 Tyler Provides Professional Development for City Leaders Through MPA Cohort Program
September 18, 2013
Media Contact: Hannah Buchanan
Editor/Writer鈥揝trategic Communications & Media Relations
Marketing and Communications
The University of Texas at Tyler
903.539.7196 (cell)
September 18, 2013
The University of Texas at Tyler has created a program to provide graduate education to City of Tyler leaders, Dr. Martin Slann, College of Arts and Sciences dean, announced.
The new instructional format to bring the master of public administration degree to city leaders was created with a partnership between 黑料专区 Tyler and the city last fall. 黑料专区 Tyler launched the City of Tyler Cohort Program in spring 2013.
Under the plan, 黑料专区 Tyler instructors travel to downtown Tyler to deliver courses to key leaders at the City of Tyler鈥檚 鈥淐ity University鈥� facilities on North Bonner Street. Courses are taught in the early evening so students can attend class where they work.
Dr. Kenneth A. Wink serves as coordinator of the MPA program at 黑料专区 Tyler and was instrumental in the City of Tyler Cohort Program鈥檚 development.
鈥淭he city and the university have been wanting a program like this for some time. Eventually we were able to work out the details, using the city鈥檚 educational facilities in the downtown Tyler area,鈥� said Wink, who also serves as the college鈥檚 associate dean. 鈥淐ity manager Mark McDaniel, who himself has an MPA degree, believes in the program because he knows it will enhance the professional development of his workforce and offer them opportunities for advancement.鈥�
The program is indicative of 黑料专区 Tyler鈥檚 efforts to be more innovative, as well as to achieve its mission to make life better for the citizens 黑料专区 Tyler serves, Wink added.
鈥淲e think this cohort program will attract other City of Tyler employees, and perhaps employees in neighboring cities and counties, to 黑料专区 Tyler. We also are excited knowing that our degree will aid these city leaders in their efforts to continue their careers in local government,鈥� he said.
Current key leaders (department heads and managers who serve as city administrators) enrolled in the program are:
- Carter Delleney, city engineer (manager of the division of engineering and building services)
- Guillermo Garcia, manager for innovation and leader of lean six sigma
- Susan Guthrie, assistant city manager
- Greg Morgan, managing director of utilities and public works
- Heather Nick, city planner
- Stephanie Rollings, director of parks and recreation
- Keidric Trimble, finance director
- ReNissa Wade, managing director of administration
鈥淭here is something special about your own group of employees moving through this program while applying theoretical and academic knowledge to real life issues and challenges in our own community,鈥� said McDaniel.
The master of public administration degree is the terminal degree most often chosen by executives and middle-level managers in the public and non-profit sectors.
For more information, contact Wink, 903.566.7434 or kwink@uttyler.edu.
One of the 15 campuses of the 黑料专区 System, 黑料专区 Tyler offers excellence in teaching, research, artistic performance and community service. More than 80 undergraduate and graduate degree programs are available at 黑料专区 Tyler, which has an enrollment of more than 7,500 high-ability students at its campuses in Tyler, Longview and Palestine.