As it commemorates its 100th session, the Administrative Officers Management Program (AOMP) remains committed to developing public safety professionals into proactive leaders who drive meaningful change in their organizations and communities across North Carolina.
Launched in 1989, AOMP is housed within the School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) and is one of four long-term residential police management schools in the country. Among the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ longest-running extension programs, AOMP partners with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and the Wake County Sheriff’s Office to offer management courses on supervision, organizational behavior, police research and other topics. Since its start, nearly 2,600 public safety personnel have graduated or will soon graduate from the program.
As graduates leverage their education for the common good, the program’s impact has a ripple effect on public service administration, helping to set a standard for well-managed municipal governance.
“We try to build a governmental workforce and leadership in government that is not only efficient and effective but also fair in how it deals with the citizenry and public issues,” says James Brunet, director of the program, which is part of SPIA’s nationally-accredited public administration program. “If you’ve got professional leadership in public safety organizations, that tends to create professional law enforcement standards.”
The program’s collaboration with external partners is distinctive as is its longevity and faculty, Brunet adds. As a logical extension of the university’s land-grant mission, the program is dedicated to the needs of North Carolina law enforcement, and its graduates are focused on helping to meet the particular challenges of the state and its citizens. Among them is working with a state population growing and diversifying in some areas and declining in others, and the resultant and ever-changing social, cultural and political demands.
AOMP was started to fill the need for an in-state, long-term residential police management program. In 1987, the North Carolina Highway Patrol reached out to CHASS faculty to meet that need, Brunet explains, adding that the first class was offered two years later.
Col. Freddy L. Johnson, Jr., commander of the State Highway Patrol views AOMP’s 100th session as an important milestone for his agency, its graduates and the people of North Carolina.
“Our relationship with NC State and specifically the AOMP has helped in developing the high level of professionalism demonstrated throughout the years by our patrol leadership,” Johnson says. “Our storied history and national reputation as a leader in law enforcement services can very much be attributed to the training and guidance our members have received as part of the AOMP and our proud partnership.”
Wake County Sheriff Willie Rowe says the same is true for his organization.
“AOMP has had a profound impact on our personnel, equipping them with advanced leadership skills and strategic thinking,” Rowe says .“This has significantly enhanced our service to Wake County residents and visitors, fostering stronger community relationships. As a graduate of AOMP in 2001, session 31, I’ve seen firsthand how this program builds leaders committed to public safety and community trust.”
Rowe and Johnson are among the many notable public safety leaders who have graduated from AOMP during its 35-year history.
Over the years, there have been many notable AOMP alumni. Of its nearly 2,600 graduates, 176 have become what James Brunet, AOMP’s director, calls law enforcement CEOs – from police chiefs and directors to colonels and U.S. marshals.
Some graduates have also transitioned into public administration positions in municipal government, such as town manager. Others continue their education, earning undergraduate and/or graduate degrees in public administration and other fields at NC State or other universities.
AOMP alumnus Glenn McNeill describes the program’s impact on his career path as profound. McNeill is the U.S. Marshal for the eastern district of North Carolina and formerly commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol.
“The AOMP was instrumental in my growth and development as a leader in public safety,” says McNeill. “The unique blend of exposure to first-class professors and an incredibly diverse set of classmates from law-enforcement agencies throughout the state, and beyond, truly shaped my perspective and strategies in leadership roles.
“The lessons I’ve learned and the experiences I’ve had as part of the AOMP have significantly informed and influenced my approach to leadership and team management, thereby greatly benefiting the individuals and communities I serve.”
Notable AOMP graduates.
Chris Blue, town manager, Chapel Hill (session 39)
Benny Boykin, police chief, Wilson (session 53)
Frank Brinkley, police chief, UNC-Wilmington (session 69)
Erik Hooks, deputy administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency FEMA (session 21)
Cary Jackson, police chief, Dunn (session 86)
Freddy L. Johnson, Jr., Col., NC State Highway Patrol (session 46)
William Penn, police chief, Winston-Salem (session 76)
Kelly Page, deputy director, NC State Bureau of Investigation (session 77)
Willie Rowe, sheriff, Wake County (session 31)
Glen Webb, police chief, Pinehurst (session 89)
Donny Williams, police chief, Wilmington (session 50)
Brandon Zuidema, town manager, Morrisville (session 34)
