What's New

• Seven students from SPNA become HCPS Leadership Fellows
• SPNA welcomes Margaret Schulte
• Alumnus awarded a Thurgood Marshall Fellowship at WMU
• Administrative Evil Film Festival: Season 2
• Belknap awarded Robert R. Robinson Memorial Scholarship
• LaFave brothers finding success in city management.
• Frasco's "One George" wins second place in NASPAA's MPA/MPP YouTube Public Policy Challenge
• Vander Meulen: Like mother, like son
• Professor Balfour travels to Poland to Teach and meet with students and alumni
• Thirteen inducted into Pi Alpha Alpha
• Oates receives scholarship for study in Germany
• Remembering Jane Sponholz
• Balfour wins Marshall E. Dimock Award

Seven students from SPNA become HCPS Leadership Fellows

Seven students who are public / nonprofit administration majors, minors or MPA candidates have become Leadership Fellows with the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies (HCPS): Megan Sall, Stephen Duckett, Patrick Reagan, Selma Tucker, Gerald Baraza, Allie Bush, and Robert La Fave.

Leadership Fellows will broaden their understanding of effective and virtuous leadership through several means. First, they will attend a series of eight monthly Leadership Academy meetings where local leaders will talk about the challenges of leadership in their arena. These people include Marty Allen, Chairman Emeritus of the Gerald R. Ford Foundation; Richard Breon, President & CEO of Spectrum Health; Chico Daniels, Director of the Guiding Light Mission; Ralph Hauenstein, Founding Benefactor of the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies and the Hauenstein Center at St. Mary's Health Care; Birgit Klohs, President of The Right Place; Kevin Stotts, Executive Director of Leadership Grand Rapids; Bernard Taylor, Superintendent of Grand Rapids Public Schools; and Lucille Taylor, Trustee at Grand Valley State University and former chief legal council to governor Engler. Fellows will also be encouraged to attend the Ralph W. Hauenstein Series -- six evening programs with leading scholars and writers who have studied leadership.

The Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies (HCPS) was established at Grand Valley State University in 2001, to "provide a foundation for influencing present and future leaders through the study of the presidency." The generosity of Col. Ralph Hauenstein -- former presidential advisor and chief of intelligence during World War II --made possible the Center's establishment, and his vision gave it shape.

SPNA welcomes Margaret Schulte

Margaret F. Schulte, DBA, FACHE, is Editor, Frontiers in Health Services Management, a publication of the American College of Healthcare Executives. Previously she served as Vice President of Education for the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society where she was responsible for the professional education programs of this membership association of IT professionals. In this role, she led the development of conference education for the Society's annual conference which is attended by over 25,000 professionals, global conferences in Europe and Asia, and other educational offerings in on-line and seminar formats.

Prior to this, she held positions as Vice President, Research and Development for the publishing division of the American Hospital Association; Director of Education with the Healthcare Financial Management Association, and she served on the faculty of the graduate program in Healthcare Policy and Management at Mercer University in Atlanta, GA where she also served as adjunct faculty to the Mercer University School of Medicine. Previously, she held various management and executive positions in hospitals and in the governmental sector.

Currently, she serves as a Commissioner with the Council for Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), and is adjunct faculty for Northwestern University. Dr. Schulte holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, FL and a Masters in Business Administration from Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Margaret provided the following information for her personal profile:

• To relax, I like to ... walk with my dog, spend time at my house in Ohio, travel, read.
• My musical tastes are ... classical
• My favorite place in the world is ... the countryside or seaside at sunset.
• My favorite quote is ... "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?"
• My best advice to students is ... "Keep your goal in mind, your actions focused on that goal, and go at it with passion. (p.s. Respect people on the path to your goal)"

Alumnus awarded a Thurgood Marshall Fellowship at WMU

LaTasha Chaffin (MPA 04) has been awarded a Thurgood Marshall Fellowship to study for her Ph.D. in political science at Western Michigan University.

The Thurgood Marshall Fellowship is a highly competitive award. Only a limited number of Thurgood Marshall Fellowships are available. Recipients exemplify the values and accomplishments of Thurgood Marshall, the first black Justice of the US Supreme Court.

Administrative Evil Film Festival: Season 2

The Administrative Evil Film Festival is continuing this Fall semester, with a different film featured every odd-dated Friday. The film festival is inspired by the book, Unmasking Administrative Evil by Guy Adams and Dan Balfour. "What is different about administrative evil ... is that its appearance is masked. Administrative evil may be masked in many different ways, but the common characteristic is that people can engage in acts of evil without being aware that they are in fact doing anything wrong. Indeed, ordinary people may simply be acting appropriately in their organizational role - in essence, just doing what those around them would agree they should be doing. ... Even worse, under conditions of what we call moral inversion, in which something evil has been redefined convincingly as good, ordinary people can all too easily engage in acts of administrative evil while believing that what they are doing is not only correct but, in fact, good." (p.xx)

Fall semester's selections include: Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke, A Requiem in Four Acts (8/31 and 9/7); Oscar winner The Last King of Scotland (9/21); The Devil's Miner (10/5); Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (10/19); Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru (11/9); and a double feature The Human Behavior Experiments / Human Remains (12/7)

Belknap awarded Robert R. Robinson Memorial Scholarship

Roger Belknap, currently in the MPA program, has been awarded a Robert R. Robinson Memorial Scholarship from the Michigan Townships Association. There will be a presentation at the August MTA Board meeting in Lansing on August 24. Roger is a graduate of Sparta High School and has a bachelor's degree in public administration from GVSU.

The Michigan Townships Association administers a scholarship fund established in memory of Robert R. Robinson, former executive director of the association. The purpose of the scholarship fund is to help students in Michigan who are preparing for a career in public administration. The scholarship is awarded on a competitive basis, as determined by the applicant's academic achievement, community involvement and commitment to a career in local government administration.

LaFave brothers finding success in city management.

At age 25, Doug LaFave (MPA 06) became one of Michigan's youngest city managers when the Grant City Commission offered him the permanent City Manager position at a special meeting on June 27. Doug had started as an intern with Grant (Newaygo County) in March. Doug is a 2000 graduate of Forest Hills Northern High School and has a bachelor's degree in political science from Indiana University. He was a graduate assistant with SPNA in 2005-06.

Doug's brother Bob, currently in the MPA program, is working as an intern in Cedar Springs, having been awarded a Fellowship from the Michigan Local Government Management Association. "In some communities, interns are considered a burden," City Manager Christine Burns said in the Grand Rapids Press. "For us, he's been a godsend." LaFave has worked alongside city crews and even dug a grave at Elmwood Cemetery. He also has worked with the Downtown Development Authority's facade improvement committee and on code enforcement. "I've done some things I never dreamed I'd do," said LaFave. The overall goal of the MLGMA Fellowship is to foster an interest in local government management from MPA students around the State of Michigan with an eye towards developing the future city managers that will lead Michigan's communities. Bob is a 1999 graduate of Forest Hills Northern High School and has bachelor's degree in political science from from James Madison College, MSU.

Frasco's "One George" wins second place in NASPAA's MPA/MPP YouTube Public Policy Challenge

Jenny Frasco, currently in the MPA program, won second place in NASPAA's MPA/MPP YouTube Public Policy Challenge. Her entry was "Battle on the Home Front" and featured the slogan "One George." She says "Passion has its place in public administration as well as the ability to apply that passion into practical application. Passion is essential to making change and technology plays an important role in reaching out to those we inspire. As a student it will be important to know and understand the use of technology when I begin my career in public administration.” Jenny is a graduate of West Catholic High School and has a bachelor of arts degree from Michigan State University.

The "MPA/MPP YouTube Public Policy Challenge" asked for a 60 second video describing a public policy problem, current topical issue or societal challenge and a solution. The winning videos were judged on topic choice, content and creativity, and how well they communicate their message and proposed solution.

Vander Meulen: Like mother, like son

In June, Joe Vander Meulen, currently in the MPA program, was named assistant city manager and public services director for the City of Buchanan (Berrien County). Joe spent the last 3 1/2 years as an administrative assistant for the city of Rockford. Joe was chosen by city manager Meg Mullendore. In The South Bend Tribune, she said personality is what put Joe over the top. "When you hire people attitude is crucial. You can always train a skill," Mullendore said. Joe is a graduate of Rockford High School and has a bachlor's degree from Central Michigan University.

When needed, Joe can call his mother for advice. Cathy VanderMeulen, a SPNA alunus (MPA 99), has been employed in local government for over 25 years. Of those twenty-five years, fourteen of them have been with the City of Walker. Prior to her promotion to the City Manager’s position in January of 2004, Cathy held the positions of Deputy Assessor, Planning Director, and Assistant City Manager.

Professor Balfour Travels to Poland to Teach and Meet with Students and Alumni

Prof. Dan Balfour traveled to Krakow from May 24 to June 4, 2007 on a trip partially funded by a Partnership Sustenance Grant from the Padnos International Center. Coincidentally, that week marked the 750th anniversary of the founding of the market square of the city of Krakow, a classic historical example of urban design.

It was a very productive trip and contributed in a number of ways to SPNA's partnership with the University of Economics (CUE) and the Malpolska School of Public Administration. On 25-26 May, Balfour participated in the III International Scientific Conference: International management and world social and economic transformation (program attached), which was hosted by vice Rector Janusz Tezcke. He presented a paper entitled, “Leadership, the Market State, and the Ethics of Incompetence.” During the conference Prof. Balfour presented to Prof. Teczke and Prof. Hausner (director of the PA program at CUE) copies of the 2007 SPNA Review (best graduate student papers) which included two papers by graduates of CUE who are now also GVSU MPA alumni (Alicja Boryczko and Rafal Hejne).

During the week of May 28 Balfour met Prof. Lukasa Mamica who is the main contact in the MPA program there, and with the new MPA students who are coming to GVSU this fall as part of the mutual agreement with CUE to plan their program of study. Later that week he met with some of the MPA alumni who are living in Krakow and formed the GVSU MPA alumni association and elected its first president, Dominka Novak. Finally, Prof. Balfour spent the weekend of June 2-3 teaching strategic management to this year’s cohort (10) of part-time MPA students at CUE. The course focused on how to formulate a strategic plan and ethical issues in strategy implementation.

Thirteen inducted into Pi Alpha Alpha

At SPNA's annual Spring Celebration, 25 April 2007, the Grand Valley State University chapter of the Pi Alpha Alpha Honor Society inducted nine new student members. Three new faculty members and one new honorary memeber were also inducted. The ceremony was held in Loosemore Auditorium of DeVos Center.

The honorary inductee was Tom McQuillan, who is Director of Information Technology for the City of Grand Rapids. He has held this position since April 1982. Tom was awarded the "Leadership Award" at the 2006 Michigan Digital Government Summit. He has led the department from "Punch Card" to "Mobile WI-MAX" technology. Tom has been featured in local, state, and national publications with the most recent articles regarding the WI-MAX project. Tom serves as the CIO for the City and reviews all computer and telecommunication transactions. He has over thirty years of experience on a multitude of projects and negotiating contracts and outsourcing agreements. Tom has worked for Financial, Manufacturing, and Governmental organizations. Tom has worked collaboratively with State, County, and local governments on issues of emerging technologies, sharing best business practices, and strategic directions. He has lobbied on behalf of local government with the Michigan Legislature regarding the Michigan Telecommunications Act. Tom is a frequent speaker at local, state, and regional conferences regarding a variety of technology and management issues. Tom is a graduate from Michigan State University.

Also honored during the ceremonies was Heidi L. DeRoo who received the 2007 Best Student Paper Award for "Recognizing the Paradox: Restructuring an Intentionally Multinational - North American NGO." Heidi has had great experiences with nonprofit organizations. She organized World Refugee Day 2005, quadrupling the number of church volunteers attending the event from previous years. She wrote and was awarded grants to expand program capacity in areas of outreach and community involvement to reduce infant mortality while working at a Chicago community health center. She developed and taught a class on "Managing Change and Complexity" at Uganda Christian University as well as lead workshops on the same subject matter in both Bucharest and Cluj, Romania. Heidi has a bachelors of social work from Calvin College. She completed her MPA in Fall 2006.

Dr. Balfour was recognized with a plaque presented by by Dean Mulder for his eleven years of service as Director of the School of Public and Nonprofit Administration. Dan said, "There can't be many better jobs than working to advance public service education in the great environs of West Michigan nd Grand Valley State University. Nonetheless, I'm going to enjoy getting back to a focus on teaching, scholarship, and contributing to the school as a faculty member."

The student inductees, who were graduating in 2007, were chosen for their outstanding scholarship. Inductees were (from left to right): Louis Canfield, Katherine Fuller, David Bleckley, William O'Donnell, Alyssa Vasquez, John Ranville, Melia Tourangeau, and Rafel Hejne. (Inductee Noel VanNess is not pictured.) The faculty inductees were Seong Gin Moon, Quincy Williams and Ramya Ramanath

Oates receives Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program scholarship

Reggie Oates is in Germany with the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange Program. This program was set up in 1983 between the United States Congress and German Lower House. It is currently being administered in America through the US State Department. This program is a scholarship offered to American college students that provides for a calendar year of study in Germany. The program year includes time spent in language school, a German university that varies depending on course of study, and an internship.

Reggie explains how he got the scholarship: "I came across the description of the scholarship while looking at the Grand Valley Political Science Department blog (http://gvps.typepad.com). I was, at the time, in the process of filling out several applications for international study and decided to take a chance. I finished the application with the help of Prof. Darren Walhof (PLS) who wrote one of my recommendations and Prof. Donijo Robbins (SPNA) who helped me with my application essays. In early January I was notified that I was chosen for an interview. I received help with interview as well as politics and government structure by Prof. Heather Tafel (PLS).

Remembering Jane Sponholz

Jane K. Sponholz passed away on April 10, 2007. She had been a part of the SPNA faculty since 2003. She is survived by her daughter, Kathleen (Dr. Kyle) Custis; son, Joseph (Melanie) Sponholz Esq.; three grandchildren; four sisters; three brothers; several nieces, nephews and cousins. Jane chose to use her skills as a leading health industry consultant to educate students in the Masters of Health Administration Program (MHA). When Professor Sponholz was asked to join the faculty, she saw more than an opportunity to help build one of Grand Valley's newest graduate programs. She also recognized a chance to funnel her years of personal experiences in health care consulting into practical lessons. "As a management consultant, I would see the same problems over and over," she said, noting that those experiences gave her unique insight into health care management issues. "I feel I have something to contribute in my experiences and welcome the chance to teach the new generation of management." Jane loved cooking and travel eventually becoming a Chef and seeing six continents. Memorial contributions are suggested to Faith Hospice Trillium Woods, 8214 Pfeiffer Farms Dr. SE, Byron Center, MI 49315.

Balfour wins Marshall E. Dimock Award

Dan Balfour and his coauthors, Guy Adams and George Reed, received the 2007 Marshall E. Dimock Award, presented for the best lead article in Public Administration Review (PAR) during a volume year. The award was presented at the annual conference of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) in March. Their article, "Abu Ghraib, Administrative Evil, and Moral Inversion: The Value of 'Putting Cruelty First' was published in the September 2006 issue of PAR. A quote from the article: "Before and surrounding overt acts of evil, there are many more and much less obviously evil organizational activities that lead to and support the worst forms of human behavior."