In March 2019, faculty member Leisha DeHart-Davis received the Cornia Award from the Brigham Young University (BYU) Marriott School. DeHart-Davis gave a lecture as part of the Gary C.
![Leisha DeHart-Davis Leisha DeHart-Davis](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/_MG_5785.jpg)
In March 2019, State Employees’ Credit Union (SECU) Foundation and the UNC School of Government announced the expansion of Lead for North Carolina, an effort to train and place young graduates in local governments across North Carolina. Made possible by a gift of $500,000 from SECU Foundation, the UNC School of Government will train and place 20 young college graduates in city and county governments in Tier I communities across the state.
![SECU Foundation invests in Lead for North Carolina SECU Foundation invests in Lead for North Carolina](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/images/2019_03_22_SECU1_ADJ.jpg)
School faculty members Leisha DeHart-Davis and Kimberly Nelson are advising on the advancement of women in the local government profession.
![Leisha DeHart-Davis and Kimberly Nelson Leisha DeHart-Davis and Kimberly Nelson](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/20190249_NewsItem_DeHart-Davis_Nelson_-01.png)
Donald F. Kettl, author, editor, and professor, will deliver the 2019 Deil Wright Lecture at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, April 4 at the UNC School of Government. An expert in public sector personnel management and intergovernmental relations, Kettl is professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Volcker Alliance and the Brookings Institution.
![Dr. Don Kettl, 2019 Deil Wright Lecture Dr. Don Kettl, 2019 Deil Wright Lecture](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/DonKettl--hi%20res.jpg)
The Master of Public Administration program hosted at the UNC School of Government is ranked among “America’s Best Graduate Schools” by U.S. News & World Report. The program improved two positions since the 2020 rankings, ranking 19th overall in the public affairs category and maintaining its ranking as second in the nation in the local government specialty area.
![](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/usnwr2.jpeg)
When an event affects the supply or safety of drinking water, local governments are on the front lines to assist with a variety of needs, from obtaining alternative water supplies to getting reliable information about health risks.
![Drinking Water Working Group](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/DWWG_0.jpg)
The UNC School of Government will host North Carolina's first Criminal Justice Summit on March 15, 2019 at the Carolina Club in Chapel Hill. National and state experts with broad-ranging ideological perspectives will discuss key issues capturing attention in North Carolina and around the nation: bail reform; overcriminalization; and barriers to re-entry, including fines and fees and the crimin
![](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/20190106_CrimJustSummit_3-01.png)
Starting January 2019, UNC School of Government faculty member Anita Brown-Graham is hosting a new television show that highlights community solutions across North Carolina.
![Faculty Member Anita Brown-Graham Launches Television Show Highlighting North Carolina Communities](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/NC_Impact_Logo_v2.1_White_Map_EXPORT-1.png)
On January 16, 2019, School of Government faculty member Jonathan Morgan was a featured speaker at the launch of Homegrown Tools for Economic Development, a database created by NCGrowth, an affiliate center of the Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at UNC-Chapel Hill.
![Faculty Member Jonathan Morgan Advises on Economic Development Tools Faculty Member Jonathan Morgan Advises on Economic Development Tools](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/cover_images/32917858498_2f20cbd0f9_o_Crop.jpg)
In January 2019, School of Government faculty member Norma Houston was named an advisor to the leadership team of the newly formed North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency. Houston will continue her work at the School of Government but serve in an advisory capacity on issues such as FEMA programs and local government procurement.
![](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/Houston_Norma_2011%20web.jpg)
The Social Services Working Group (SSWG) will meet on Thursday, December 20 from 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. The meeting will be held via conference call. The SSWG will review and revise the Stage Two draft report and will likely vote on the final report.
Meeting Details: Members of the public are welcome to listen to the meeting. Call 1.800.920.7487; enter code 61152452#
In November 2018, the N.C. Department of Commerce released an updated master plan outlining the redevelopment of 800 acres at the historic Broughton Hospital campus, located within a state-designated Opportunity Zone census tract, in Morganton, North Carolina. The updated Broughton District master plan, which was facilitated by the School’s Development Finance Initiative (DFI), was presented to local officials in November 2018.
![DFI Facilitates New Vision for Historic Broughton Hospital Campus DFI Facilitates New Vision for Historic Broughton Hospital Campus](https://www.sog.unc.edu/sites/default/files/images/HotelAveryRendering.jpg)