MPA Program Advisory Boards
The Division of Public Administration formed a new Board of Advisers group to confer with and advise faculty and students on issues of professional trends and developments in the art, science, and practice of public administration. Members shall also provide advice and guidance on curriculum development, field studies, and internship experiences and opportunities. The board will meet twice a year and members serve for a three-year term. Members of the Board of Advisers are:
Current Board Members
- Julie J. Bosma, Executive Director; RAMP, Inc., Rockford, Illinois
- Brian W. Caputo, Director of Finance/City Treasurer; City of Aurora, Illinois
- Julia A. Carroll, City Manager; City of Evanston, Illinois
- Patrick R. Higgins, Village Manager; Village of Western Springs, Illinois
- Valerie L. Salmons, Village Administrator; Village of Bartlett, Illinois
- Doug Scott, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency Director; Springfield, Illinois
- Steven Sheiffer, City Manager; City of Janesville, Wisconsin
- Bridget Wachtel, Village Manager; Village of Flossmoor, Illinois
- Keenan Grenell, Associate Provost for Diversity; Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Susan Johnson, Professor and Department Chair, University of Wisconsin; Whitewater, Wisconsin
- Anne Marie Gaura, Village Manager; Village of Montgomery, Illinois
- Michael Falese, Fire Chief; City of Elgin, Illinois
- Jenna Kollings, Assistant Village Manager; Village of Algonquin, Illinois
- James H. Norris, Village Manager; Village of Hoffman Estates, Illinois
- William Finucane, Transportation Services Manager; Northern Illinois University
- Shayne Kavanaugh, Manager; Government Finance Officers Association, Chicago, Illinois
- Dawn Peters, Research Associate; Regional Development Institute, Northern Illinois University
Emeritus Members
- Rita Athas, Deputy Chief of Staff/Director of Regional Programs; City of Chicago, Illinois
- Charles E. Box, Retired Mayor of Rockford, Illinois
- Sue Clark, Administrator of the Workforce Development Division; Department of Human Resources of DuPage County, Illinois
- James P. Connors, Jr., Business Development Consultant; Patrick Engineering Inc., Lisle, Illinois
- Gerald C. Smith, Assistant City Manager; City of Upper Arlington, Ohio
- Daniel Barreiro, Assistant Chief of Staff in the Mayor's Office; City of Aurora, Illinois
Student-Faculty Advisory Committee
The Student-Faculty Advisory Committee serves as a forum for students and faculty to work cooperatively and collectively to insure a high quality educational experience for men and women enrolled in the M.P.A. program. The committee meets twice a year and students members typically serve a two-year term. Along with current faculty members, student members full-time and part-time students and representatives of all our specializations within the degree program.
- Melissa Bohse
- Ashley Dorsey
- Solonge Herbert
- LaAndra Jones
- Matthew Morrison
- Adam Orton
- Mark Pasignajen
- AJ Reineking
- Jacob Smith
- Katie Starkey
- Sharon Turlek
Human Service Advisory Committee
The M.P.A. program at NIU is proud of its newly created Human Service Advisory Committee. The committee was established to strengthen the human services emphasis. The primary goal of this committee is to gather ideas and suggestions on how the curriculum might be structured and improved to meet the needs of students currently employed or hoping to be employed in the human services area. Another aim of the committee is to work as a means of fostering communication among alumni in human services.
The Human Service Advisory Committee held its first inaugural meeting on April 23 in conjunction with the Awards Day and the 35th anniversary celebration of the M.P.A. program. The participants brought much energy to the meeting and offered many valuable ideas. Members of the committee include:
- Julie Bosma, executive director, RAMP, Rockford
- Royal P. DeLegge, director of environmental health, Salt Lake Valley Health Department, Murray, UT
- James W. Graves, retired, former president/CEO, Kishwaukee Alliance, DeKalb
- Stephen Guedet, director, Management Services, Winnebago County Health Department, Rockford
- JoAnn Hubbard, graduate student, Argosy University
- Russel A. Kinzinger, executive director, Home Sweet Home Bloomington, Bloomington, Indiana
- Anne Mahalik, statewide director of health information, State of Illinois Department of Human Services, Chicago
- Nancy Rivera, health administrator, City of Chicago, Department of Health, Bureau of Community Health, West Town Neighborhood Health Center, Chicago
- Art Roche, director of planning, Mercy Health Center, Dubuque, Iowa
- Bruce Rocheleau, professor, Division of Public Administration, NIU
- Gia Simmons, project coordinator, Midwest Learning Center, Chicago
Information Technology Advisory Committee
The rapidly changing world of information technology is a powerful force confronting governments and educational institutions worldwide. Recognizing the need to stay abreast of these changes, the division has established an Information Technology Advisory Committee. The committee will advise faculty and students on educational and curriculum matters. The committee currently consists of :
- Donald Carlsen, information systems director for the City of Naperville
- Liangfu Wu, director of information services, Village of Downers Grove
- Guangzhi Zhao, database administrator for National Card Control, Inc
