Practitioner Advisory Council established

Students pursuing their M.P.A. degree at Wayne State have long benefited from the involvement of practicing professionals in their education. Such involvement has traditionally involved teaching one of the required professional development courses, notifying the program of internship opportunities, and mentoring students during their internships.

Based upon feedback from the accreditors and the M.P.A. community, faculty concluded that a more structured vehicle for integrating practitioner perspectives into the program was desirable. In 2014, a Practitioner Advisory Council was established. The PAC meets semi-annually to discuss a wide range of issues related to the mission of the Wayne State graduate program in public administration.

Roughly half of the membership of the PAC consists of practitioners who earned their M.P.A. degrees at Wayne State. The members of the committee are pursuing, or have pursued, careers in the public or not-for-profit sectors. Members are appointed by the M.P.A. director. They serve two-year staggered terms and are eligible for reappointment. The terms of half of the current membership of the PAC will expire in June 2016.

Below is the list of current PAC members:

Eric Adelman, MPA '08 - executive director, Kadima

Jane Bais-DiSessa - deputy mayor, City of Pontiac

Susan Bristol, MPA '81 - retired, director of human resources information systems, Detroit Medical Center

Bettie Buss - retired, Citizens Research Council of Michigan

Dr. Robert Heuton, M.P.A. '98, Ph.D. '05 - retired, Windsor public manager

Charo Hulleza, M.P.A. '92 - managing director, Wayne State University Center for Urban Studies

Kevin Kelley - director of senior and veteran services, Wayne County, Michigan

Tracy Utech - associate vice-president for individual giving, Wayne State University

Howard Whitney, M.P.A. '11 - Michigan Department of Treasury

Mark Wollenweber - City Manager, City of Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan

The faculty of the graduate program in public administration very much appreciates the commitment these practitioners have made to help strengthen the program and enhancing the educational experience of our students.