PELA Faculty

Kim NelsonProfessor of Public Administration and Government

Expertise: Local government form and structure, local government management, public administration, local government innovation

Kimalee Dickerson Spokesperson, Host, Emcee
Expertise: Public leadership, leadership development, organizational culture in the public sector, inclusive leadership, social equity in government, supervisory practices, team facilitation, and leadership training and coaching for public officials.
Kimalee Dickerson is an assistant professor of public leadership at the School of Government, specializing in leadership development, organizational culture, and inclusive leadership in the public sector. She works with North Carolina public officials and graduate students in the Master of Public Administration program, leading courses on supervisory practices, social equity, and organizational change.

Willow Jacobson Robert W. Bradshaw Jr. Distinguished Professor of Public Administration and Government; Associate Dean for Graduate Studies; Director, UNC MPA Program

Expertise: Public administration, leadership development for public officials, local government management, human resource management in the public sector, strategic planning, organizational performance, and public personnel management.

James JohnsonDirector, Urban Investment Strategies Center, Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise and Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School

Expertise: Urban economics, demographics, diversity, entrepreneurship, poverty issues, small business, welfare reform, outsourcing

Jonathan MorganAssociate Professor of Public Administration and Government

Expertise: Community and Economic Development, Economic Development,
Regional Clusters

Rick MorseAssociate Professor of Public Administration and Government

Expertise: Public administration; community and regional collaboration; citizen participation; public leadership

Tyler MulliganAssociate Professor of Public Law and Government

Expertise: Community development, affordable housing, economic development

Carl StenbergProfessor of Public Administration and Government and Director, Public Executive Leadership Academy

Expertise: Intergovernmental relations, leadership education and training for public officials, local government management and innovation, public administration, regionalism, strategic planning

John StephensAssociate Professor of Public Administration and Government

Expertise: Inter-agency and public policy dispute resolution, citizen participation, group collaboration and facilitation

Valonda Calloway Spokesperson, Host, Emcee

Valonda Calloway is a media and presentation trainer and author of the book Tips From The TV Lady: A Guide For Making A Great Impression On Camera And In
Person. Valonda has spent her entire career in media, holding positions including television news anchor, reporter, and host. Currently, Valonda is a spokesperson for University Ford and University Kia in Durham, and a freelance TV host for Fox 50.You might also catch Valonda on TV or the web acting in commercials and corporate videos. She also teaches dance at North Carolina Dance Institute. Valonda is a proud wife to Randal and mother to Lilyn

Robert Goldberg Robert Goldberg founded Organization insight in 1998 and serves as managing partner. Rob has a long and successful track record designing and facilitating a wide variety of organizational and leadership development processes and programs. He is often asked to work on interpersonally complex and sensitive projects at senior levels. Rob is considered a dynamic facilitator, with an extraordinary capacity to learn and manage complex projects quickly. Rob earned his MBA in organizational psychology from City University of New York.

Valerie LemmieDirector of Exploratory Research at Kettering Foundation

Valerie Lemmie is a distinguished leader with over 35 years of experience leading research, best practice development, and innovation within communities across the United States. She is focused on designing, implementing, and improving models for community building, resulting in places where all individuals want to belong, work, and live.

As the Director of Exploratory Research at Kettering Foundation, Valerie identifies, designs, supervises, and reports on practical research regarding community revitalization. Leveraging her vast network of leaders in schools, universities, municipal governments, law enforcement, and civic organizations, she skillfully guides her colleagues in cross-sector initiatives that address shared community issues.

Robert J. “Bob” O’Neill Jr.Fellow, Joseph P. Riley Jr. Center for Livable Communities, College of Charleston; and Former Executive Director, International City/County Management Association

Expertise: Leadership development, council-manager government, leadership, innovation

Mitchell SavaVice President of EduLab, National Geographic Society

Expertise: Innovation management and culture, human-centered design, social and public innovation, innovation and venture labs and accelerators, innovation and entrepreneurship policy

Mark WeaverPresident, Communications Counsel Inc.

Expertise: News media, crisis communications, media law

Lee Worsley Executive Director of Central Pines Regional Council

Lee Worsley serves as the Executive Director of Central Pines Regional Council, where he leads initiatives to foster regional collaboration and support community development across the member governments. With extensive experience in local government management, Lee is passionate about creating innovative solutions that address the unique needs of diverse communities. His leadership focuses on strengthening partnerships, driving economic development, and promoting sustainable growth in the Central Pines region.