What's New in the Hatfield School of Government - Spring II Edition

April 2025 Issue

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Message from the Director

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Happy Spring!
For those of you in Oregon, I hope you've been enjoying the beautiful spring weather we have had over the past few weeks.

It’s been a busy season at the Hatfield School. On March 26, we held our second Friends of Hatfield Speaker Series event, featuring Portland City Administrator Mike Jordan in conversation with Lake Oswego City Manager—and Chair of the Hatfield School Advisory Board—Martha Bennett. Then, on April 9, we hosted a public webinar with Professor Theda Skocpol, the Victor S. Thomas Professor of Government and Sociology at Harvard University. Both events drew strong attendance and generated thoughtful, engaging discussions. You can read more about them in this month’s issue.

Looking ahead, we invite you to join us for our Public Service Recognition Event on May 7 at the University Place Hotel in downtown Portland. Each of the six units within the Hatfield School—the Department of Public Administration, the Department of Politics and Global Affairs, the Center for Public Service, the National Policy Consensus Center, the Center for Cybersecurity & Cyber Defense Policy, and the Center for Women’s Leadership—has nominated a community member to be recognized. These honorees will participate in a facilitated discussion on the significance of public service. If you're in the Portland area, please save the date—we’d love to see you there as we celebrate public service.

We recognize that this is a challenging time for public service and government employees, marked by uncertainty and change. Yet we remain hopeful. The deep roots of public service spirit we have cultivated over the years continue to ground and guide us.

Just as spring brings renewal and growth, we stay resilient and committed to serving the public good. As our value statement reminds us, we are “making a difference together through public service.”


HSOG Unit Spotlight

In this newsletter, we are featuring

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The Department of Public Administration (PA) at Portland State University is a vibrant community of scholars, educators, community partners, and students dedicated to tackling public service leadership challenges on local, state, national, and global scales. Our faculty are actively engaged in research, teaching, and public discourse, specializing in areas such as local government policies and practices, nonprofit organization leadership and program evaluation and policy analysis.

A New View: Our Collective Future

Phase 1: Strategic Planning
PA began this academic year with our recently created strategic plan 2024 - 2027.

Phase 2: Strategic Action
In Fall 2024 & Winter 2025, the Department reviewed and revitalized our entire MPA curriculum to address the evolving changes occurring in the public service space.

Click here to read PA's Strategic Plan

PA's Programs & Impact

Our programs prepare students for careers in nonprofit organizations, government, advocacy, business, and beyond. We offer:

✅ Master of Public Administration (MPA): Turn policies into action by leading teams, managing resources, and building stronger communities.

✅ Master of Public Policy (MPP): Craft bold, data-driven policies that address society’s toughest challenges.

✅ Executive Master of Public Administration (EMPA): Designed for experienced professionals, our cohort model and cutting edge curriculum combines policy, leadership, and management with engaged, experiential learning to accelerate public service careers.

Come join us, Apply now!

Our Core Design Principles

  • Career-Focused, Interdisciplinary Education Gain expertise and practical experience in local, state, national, and global governance, nonprofit leadership, energy and natural resource policy and more.
  • Critical Thinking & Analytical SkillsDevelop the ability to analyze real-world challenges and evaluate policy options and solutions.
  • Experiential Learning Culminate your graduate program with an impactful capstone project, access internships, study abroad programs, and faculty-led research in key governance & policy areas.
  • Professional Development & Community Engagement Connect with government and nonprofit leaders, policy professionals, and global changemakers.

PA Graduates in Action

🏛 Government agencies (local, state, federal, global)
🌍 Nonprofit organizations
⚖️ Legal advocacy organizations
📢 International organizations (United Nations, World Bank, NGOs)

PA's Trailblazing Alumni

Nikoyia Phillips - EMPA Graduate

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Phillips serves as Director of Community Impact at the Port of Portland, where she leads efforts to shape and implement the community vision for the Shared Prosperity Division. Previously, she spent five years as Equity & Engagement Manager for the City of Portland, guiding organizational change strategies and equity initiatives. Nikoyia holds an Executive MPA from Portland State University and aims to bring a creative, community-centered approach to public leadership.

Andrew Russo - MPA and PAP Doctorate

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Russo is completing a visiting fellowship at Erasmus University in the Netherlands following the completion of his doctoral degree in Public Affairs and Policy at Portland State University. His research will focus on the relationship between crisis events and governmental legitimacy in liberal democracies, with plans to launch and secure funding for a new research initiative. In addition to his PhD, Andrew holds a Master of Public Administration from Portland State University.

Stacey Dalgaard - MPP Graduate

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Dalgaard serves as Associate Climate Project Coordinator for the City of Vancouver, WA, where she advances emissions reduction and climate resilience through strategic planning, community partnerships, and policy development. Her work includes updating the City’s greenhouse gas inventory, launching a Youth Climate Leadership Program, and developing an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy. She previously held roles at Oregon Environmental Council and the National Farm to School Network. Stacey holds a Master of Public Policy from Portland State University.

Mayra Arreola - MPA Graduate

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Arreola, Chief Shared Prosperity Officer at the Port of Portland, leads efforts to promote transparent and inclusive practices across the agency. Her career spans leadership roles at the Oregon Department of Education, Prosper Portland, and United Way of the Columbia Willamette. She actively serves on several nonprofit boards, including RACC, Hacienda CDC, MESO, and LCC. Mayra holds a MPA from Portland State and is completing the CHRO program at Wharton.

Recent PA Faculty Accomplishments

Rafeel Wasif: Government Advisory Group Appointment
Dr. Wasif was invited to serve as one of the inaugural members of the Oregon Department of Education’s Data Justice Stewards Advisory Group, effective January 3, 2025.

Frankline Muthomi: ICMA Publication
Dr. Muthomi published "Informed, Empowered and Engaged: Citizen Participation in Local Government Budgeting" in ICMA's PM Magazine February 2025 issue.

Billie Sandberg - 2nd Edition of Reframing Nonprofit Organizations
Dr. Sandberg's 2nd edition of Reframing Nonprofit Organizations: Democracy, Inclusion, and Social Change was published in November 2024.

Hal Nelson: Portland Professorship
Dr. Nelson has been selected as the next recipient of the prestigious Portland Professorship in Environmental and Natural Resources at Portland State University.

Shane Day: Congressional Fellowship
Dr. Day was awarded an American Political Science Association’s Congressional Fellowship in December 2024.

Honoring Decades of Public Service

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At the end of this academic year, Dr. Phillip J. Cooper and Dr. Jack Corbett have both announced that they will be retiring. We thank them for their immense contributions to the field of Public Administration and for their many years of service and mentorship.

Click here to check out PA's website


Events & Community Engagement

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On March 26th 2025, Portland City Administrator Michael Jordan served as the featured speaker in a candid conversation about the recent changes in Portland’s governance. The discussion was facilitated by Lake Oswego City Manager Martha Bennett, who guided the conversation with thoughtful questions and insights.

Portland is undergoing a historic transformation in its local government structure, shifting from a commissioner-based system to a new model with 12 district-based council members, a mayor, and a city administrator. While the transition has had its rocky moments, Michael Jordanemphasized the long-term potential of the new system to deliver more efficient and responsive governance. With clearer roles, faster decision-making, and stronger internal coordination, the city is already seeing signs of progress. They encouraged deeper partnerships with PSU to research the impacts of this change and prepare future public leaders for the complexity—and promise—of modern urban governance.

Click here to read the article

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In a webinar hosted by PSU’s Hatfield School of Government, Harvard Professor Theda Skocpol delivered a sobering yet hopeful analysis of the ongoing threats to American democracy. Drawing on decades of research, she traced how elite-driven networks have weakened traditional party structures and fueled the rise of authoritarianism within the GOP. Skocpol argued that Donald Trump’s political success reflects a convergence of top-down agendas with bottom-up grassroots movements, resulting in a change of democratic norms.

Despite this shifting landscape, Skocpol emphasized that hope lies in grassroots civic action, state-level leadership, and engaged public institutions. She called on universities, civil society groups, and everyday citizens to build alliances and speak plainly about what’s at stake for them. Her message to public universities was clear: they are essential in strengthening trust and democratic resilience, while also preparing the next generation of ethical public leaders.

Click here to read the article


Upcoming Events - Mark your Calendar!

How to Govern AI for Governments & Nonprofits

Date: Wednesday, April 30th
Time: 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm
Location: Smith Memorial Student Union, Room 327/328 (3rd Floor)

This event will explore the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in the public and nonprofit sectors, with a focus on how to implement AI in ways that are thoughtful, ethical, and aligned with organizational values.

Public Service Recognition Ceremony: Honoring Creative Community Engagement

Date: Wednesday, May 7th
Time: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Location: University Place Hotel & Conference Center, 310 SW Lincoln St

In honor of Public Service Recognition Week, this event will feature a panel discussion with individuals nominated by each of the units within the Hatfield School for their notable contributions to public service. The discussion will highlight their perspectives on the current state of public service, the roots of their passion for serving the public, and many more.

The panel will be moderated by Wendy Willis, National Policy Consensus Center / Director, Oregon Kitchen Table and the panel feature:

The Department of Public Administration

Peter Newbegin, Executive Director, Pacific Refugee Support Group

The Center for Public Service

JT Flowers, Director of Government Affairs & Communication, Albina Vision Trust

The National Policy Consensus Center

Karina Guzman-Ortiz, Partner Engagement Specialist, Department of Early Learning and Care / Board Director, Salem-Keizer Public Schools

The Cybersecurity and Cyber Defense Policy Center

Ron Silver, Former US Attorney with the US Department of Justice / Chief of the Civil Division in Oregon

The Center for Woman's Leadership

Ellen Rosenblum, Former Oregon Attorney General

The Department of Politics and Global Affairs

David Yadin, Former Chair of Oregon Board of Higher Education


Other Faculty Accomplishments

Chris Shortell (PGA Faculty) - Elected to serve as the Chair-Elect for the Pre-Law Advisors National Council

Shortell's appointment starts July 1st with the body gathering leaders of the regional professional associations to advance professional development in the field and speak on behalf of pre-law advisors around the country. Shortell will serve for two years as Chair-Elect before taking over as Chair of the council for two years, followed by two additional years as Immediate Past Chair. During that time, Shortell will serve as part of the executive council, steering policy and helping others navigate the ever-changing landscape of law school admissions. In August, Shortell will also be finished with his three year term as President of the Western Association of Prelaw Advisors.


Legacy in Action: In Memory of Brent Canode

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Brent Canode, who graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Political Science from Portland State University, was a transformative leader in the national recovery movement. As Executive Director of the Alano Club of Portland, he built the largest non-clinical recovery center in the US, pioneering peer support, advocacy and wellness programs that touched thousands of lives. His visionary work extended to co-founding Oregon’s recovery high school initiative called the Oregon Recovery High School Initiative which aims to bring together the best minds in Oregon across education, healthcare and youth treatment and recovery support to build Oregon’s first high school exclusively for students impacted by substance use disorders. Brent’s legacy of compassion, innovation, and tireless service continues to inspire communities across the country.


Get Involved: Hatfield Futures 2025

Hatfield Futures is a free, statewide summer program that brings together high school students from across Oregon to imagine and design solutions for the state's most pressing social, environmental, and economic challenges. Through workshops, mentorship, and a culminating showcase, students collaborate to create innovative proposals envisioning Oregon's future in 2050. The program is a partnership between Oregon’s Kitchen Table and Portland State University’s Mark O. Hatfield School of Government.

Volunteer as Guides + Experts
Hatfield Futures 2025 is looking for volunteers to support the highschool student teams as they move through the program. We are looking for people to be Team Guides, Skills experts, and Topic experts.

Team Guides - Adult allies for the teams as they work through creating their futures proposals, checking in regularly with the students and encouraging them along the way.

Skills experts - People to help us lead workshops at Camp that will teach the teams helpful skills around framing problems, developing solutions, implementing plans, etc.

Topic experts - People with expertise in the topics that students are exploring

If you are interested in being a Guide, please email Eliot Feenstra at feen@pdx.edu.

If you’re interested in being a Topic Expert or Skills Expert, please email Sarah Giles at sagiles@pdx.edu.

Work as Camp Counselors

Camp Counselors provide overnight residential supervision to the highschool students who are participating in Hatfield Futures. This is a paid position, with meals and lodging included.The weeklong camp takes place at the Portland State University campus from June 22nd to June 28th, with orientation and training to be scheduled in mid May and June.

To apply: please email a resume and short cover letter in a single document to ninapami@pdx.edu. The subject line should state your first and last name followed by “Hatfield Futures Camp Counselor.”

Apply by April 30th.


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