Athens, Ga. – Peggy Merriss, city manager of Decatur, recently shared her insights into local government first-hand with a class of University of Georgia graduate students.
Her presentation was part of a course called Public Administration and Policy 7500, but a more accurate title may be “Local Government Management in Today’s Georgia.” It introduces students working to be future public service leaders to the real world experiences of local government professionals.
Merriss advised the graduate students about what to expect in their future careers as managers in city and county governments, drawing on her own experience as a city manager. She gave them pointers on how to improve their competitiveness as future job candidates, and she described what she considers the high points of working in public service.
Merriss was invited to present her experiences to the class by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, which assists in organizing the course. She was among the first of several presenters who will address the students over the course of the semester.
The course is part of the UGA master of public administration program, which is co-sponsored by the UGA School of Public and International Affairs and the Vinson Institute.
