Kimalee Dickerson

Kimalee Dickerson is an assistant professor of public leadership at the School of Government. She is an expert on public leadership, leadership development, and improving organizational culture within the public sector.

Dickerson joined the School of Government faculty in 2021. In her role, she works with North Carolina’s appointed and elected public officials and with graduate students in the School’s Master of Public Administration program.  Dickerson focuses on inclusive leadership in public organizations, facilitates team retreats, conducts research on organizational culture, and provides leadership training and coaching for public officials interested in individual and organizational change. She is the faculty lead on two flagship courses: Fundamental Supervisory Practices and Advanced Supervisory Practices. She also teaches one-day courses such as Navigate Difficult Conversations and Build an Equitable Organization, which she has customized for local government and attorney clients. Dickerson also serves as the lead faculty member for the School’s Engaging Women of Color program, a one-day conference for women of color working in government.

In the MPA Program, Dickerson teaches Social Equity in the Public Sector and serves as the faculty advisor for the UNC MPA Student Diversity Committee.   In addition to teaching, she conducts research and writes for both academic and practitioner audiences.  

Previously, Dickerson worked as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Virginia.  Before that, she served as a law clerk and an attorney for several government organizations. She earned a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development and a J.D. from the UNC School of Law.