Message from PA Alumni President
Spring 2026 Updates on Upcoming Events, Engagement Efforts, and New Board Members
The PA Alumni Society exists to convene and serve as an on-going professional association for graduates of the MPA program. To achieve our mission to advance and support public sector leaders, we seek to maintain and strengthen the relationship between the program, current students and alumni.
On Wednesday, April 29, 5:00 – 8:30 pm, the PA Alumni Society will host our Spring Alumni Networking Event at the Raleigh Brewing Company (3709 Neil St, Raleigh, NC 27607). This in-person event is a great opportunity to connect with PA alumni, build professional relationships, and learn from the experiences of those working across the public sector!
In October, we hosted an esteemed panel of NC State MPA alumni at our fall luncheon – John Rodney “J.R.” Griffin II, Emergency Services Branch Manager, NC Dept of Public Safety (MPA ’24); Carlye Wittek, Legislative Director, NC Dept of Justice (MPA ’20); Jill Orr, Executive Director of Philanthropy, CHASS, NC State (MPA ’17); Sarah Mann Willcox, Executive Director, NC Network of Grant Makers (MPA ’09).
“We had an excellent turnout at the 2025 Annual Fall Luncheon. This is the first luncheon where we featured a panel of experienced MPA alumni who gave us their insights on how they leveraged their MPAs in their respective fields. The panelist format was extremely well received and we look forward to leveraging this format moving forward. The fall luncheon continues to be a vital space for networking and engagement between current students, alumni and faculty.”
We also welcomed some new leaders on the PA Alumni Society Board for the 2026 – 2027 academic year. Alexis Addison, Consultant at CREO Consulting, will continue to serve as President. Lindsey Davis, Senior Budget and Management Analyst with Wake County, continues to serve as Vice President, Ryne A. Crout Jones, Assistant Professor at UNC Wilmington, as Secretary, and Diane Upshaw, Senior Budget Analyst for the NC Administrative Office of the Courts, as Treasurer.
Jack Ahern, Director Of Annual Giving at UNC Libraries, will serve as the new Scholarship Chair. We have five returning Directors At-Large: Hunter Huffman, Mitchell Moravec, Savannah Russell, Rayvon Walker, and Gary Wood, Jr. And we welcomed a new Director At-Large, Jessica Bellas.
The PA Alumni Society hosts two events each year with a focus on networking, developing connections across public sectors, and contribution to the MPA Alumni Society Scholarship Endowment. The PA Alumni Society continues to award two scholarships to outstanding students, one to an in-service student and one to a pre-service student. We greatly appreciate everyone who continues to make donations and especially appreciate those who have made a multi-year pledge toward a larger contribution goal. The continued support and investment in our students is a wonderful testament to the generosity of all of you.
If you have ideas about how to help the PA Alumni Society expand and enhance our work, we would love to support you in helping implement that idea. We strive to be the most humble, yet impactful public administration program in North Carolina. The board meets once a month (last Thursday at noon via Zoom) and we welcome you to get involved and stay connected. Join us on LinkedIn (NC State Public Administration Alumni).
Please reach out to [email protected] if you want to become more involved with the alumni society or have any questions.
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