Athens, Ga. – Alan Reddish, manager of the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government, recently shared his insights into local government first-hand with a class of University of Georgia graduate students.
His 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.
Reddish advised the graduate students about what to expect in their future careers as managers in city and county governments, drawing on his own experience as a local government manager. He gave them pointers on how to improve their competitiveness as future job candidates, and described what he considers the high points of working in public service.
“I always come away from the experience convinced that our democracy is in good hands because these students will be the future leaders in local, state, and federal government,” said Reddish following his presentation. “They are acquiring the tools necessary to deal with the complex issues governments will face in the future.”
Reddish was invited to present his experiences to the class by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, which assists in organizing the course. He 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.