My PWE wraps up this week. Though I am sad to leave my position at town hall, I am grateful to have benefited from working alongside skilled people and gaining practical experience in local government management. Between finishing final papers, preparing presentations, and sheltering in place, I’ve been reflecting about how my experience started. As a final blog post, I am sharing more about how I chose a PWE and the lessons I learned along the way.
While I previously worked in government, I never served at the local level. Given UNC’s highly ranked local government program, a local municipality seemed like a good choice for a PWE. I also interacted each week with a classroom full of Leslie Knopes. As if I needed more convincing, their passion persuaded me that local government would be a great place to work alongside other individuals committed to improving their communities. A few months prior to starting my PWE, I met with an MPA alum for coffee. I wanted to hear about his experience as a graduate of the UNC MPA program living and working in my area. This individual had extensive experience working in private and public positions and multiple levels of government. He explained that he had worked in many rewarding positions but emphasized that “local government is where you can really make a difference.”
Searching for and completing the PWE has been a learning process. The MPA staff shared a list of alumni in my area shortly after my acceptance to the program. Over the next few months, I met with multiple UNC MPA graduates and received some useful advice about surviving the program, finding a PWE, and pursuing a career in public administration. In one of those meetings, an individual recommended someone else who could be helpful in my PWE search. One email later I secured a PWE, just weeks before the spring term started!
I learned two lessons along the way: take advantage of UNC MPA resources and be willing to expand your network. One of the most beneficial resources has been the MPA program staff. (Shout out to Susan Austin, Allison Binkley, and Kristin Pawlowski!) From sharing the list of alumni, to helping tweak my resume, to guiding me through the PWE contract, they offered invaluable assistance throughout the process. I began sending emails immediately after receiving the alumni list, many of whom were gracious enough to meet with me over coffee. During the meetings, I asked for advice and for recommendations of other people I should contact. I also reached out to former coworkers who were incredibly helpful in providing guidance and support. After the meetings, I followed up with a note or email thanking each person for taking the time to share their advice. Those meetings were an important source of information and eventually led to my finding a PWE. Being proactive is not always easy, but (at least for me) it produced great results!
r my ongoing questions, including the ones for this interview! As they explained, to work in these positions, a person must have a strong understanding of local government and “everything that happens in town hall.” Serving in the position of Accounting Clerk involves more than just answering questions; they also process financial transactions and collect payments. Occasionally, their duties take them outside the office where they have participated in everything from working the Labor Day concert to driving a utility vehicle alongside town officials in the Christmas parade.
Meet adjunct professor Kody H. Kinsley, who is part of the team pushing to end the opioid crisis in North Carolina AND teaching Carolina MPA online students. He currently serves as the Deputy Secretary for Behavioral Health & Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS). In his current role, Kinsley focuses on state-wide public policy and operations that promote whole-person health for individuals living with mental illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injuries, and substance use disorders. (To learn more about Kinsley’s work with NC DHHS, click 
I have often heard local government employees explain that they love their jobs because each day brings new challenges and opportunities. The same has been true in my PWE. Last week, the town manager sent me an unexpected and fun assignment. I planned to start this week continuing my research on local ordinances but instead had the opportunity to write a report for the town’s planned upcoming dog park. Prior to this week, I knew nothing about dog parks, so I really enjoyed researching the topic and writing the report. Did you know the top citizen priorities for dog parks are typically cleanliness, shade, and water? I discovered best practices related to everything from amenities to location to surface materials!
experience! Four of the new students utilized our new local government employee tuition match scholarship! Of those four, two were firefighters, one was the head of a local government IT department, and the last one was a town manager. The cohort has two other students with a military background. Also, they have three students transitioning from working in the private sector to working in the public sector. Can you imagine the fruitful conversations that will be happening during their class times?