MPA Director’s Letter

MPA Program Newsletter

November 2024

Greetings,

I wanted to introduce myself, my name is Meghan Doughty and I’m the new Director of the MPA program. This is my seventh year at Evergreen and I have served the last two years as Associate Director. I was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and I am glad to found a home at Evergreen. I’m proud to be able to serve our students and alumni.

Fall is a season of change, and The Evergreen MPA program sees plenty of change on the horizon. We just concluded an important election that will help determine the face of public administration in all levels of government and in the nonprofit sector. In response to these changes, the MPA has focused on our mission to imagine new possibilities to accomplish positive change in our workplaces and in our communities. This mission requires us to think critically, work collaboratively and advocate powerfully on behalf of the public. We see this drive to “be the change” in the efforts of our current students, and alumni.

This year we welcomed 42 new students in the fall and currently have 87 students in our Olympia, Tacoma and Tribal Governance cohorts. We are also excited to have welcomed two adjuncts to teach in our core courses this fall. We are honored to have returning adjunct and MPA graduate, Kandi Bauman join our first-year teaching team in Olympia. Kandi is the Assistant Director of Research and Curriculum at the University of Washington Brotherhood Initiative and received her PhD in Higher Education Administration from the University of Washington. Our second core adjunct, DeAnn Dillon, taught in the first-year teaching team in the Tribal Governance concentration. DeAnn is new to teaching in the program but is not a stranger to education or our program. DeAnn is a graduate of the MPA program with a concentration in Tribal Governance, and current professor of history at South Seattle College. DeAnn received her Doctorate of Education in Education Leadership from the University of Washington-Tacoma. The MPA program is lucky to be able to invite two of our distinguished alumni back into the classroom in new roles.

Our current MPA faculty and staff continue to remain committed to the well-being of the program. Faculty are offering a variety of relevant courses this fall including Election Administration with Associate Director Mike Craw and Strategic Planning with former Representative Larry Seaquist. Lacey Chen, our Program Assistant, has been updating and improving the MPA’s online presence and ensuring the nuts and bolts of the program runs smoothly. Our Assistant Directors, Puanani Nihoa and JC Core, are hard at work supporting current and potential students with their multi-faceted needs as they navigate the program and application process. They have attended Tacoma’s Lyceum, the South Sound Graduate Fair hosted by Evergreen, and diverse events around the region.

JC also hosts virtual information sessions every other week for potential applicants for the program. Applications are currently open for academic year 25-26. Please feel welcome to let people in your life know about our program. You can find more information about upcoming MPA information sessions at https://sites.evergreen.edu/mpanews/mpa-information-sessions/.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your continued support and engagement with our program. Your achievements and contributions in various public service fields are a testament to the quality of education and the spirit of service that Evergreen instills in its students. Thank you for being an integral part of the Evergreen community. If you would like to be further involved, please reach out. We have a place to indicate interest in the newsletter. Together, we can make a lasting impact on society and continue to uphold the values that define our institution.

Best,

Meghan Doughty

Faculty and MPA Director

The Evergreen State College

Pronouns: She/her