National Council Elections

Dr. S. Nicole Diggs is an Associate Professor and Associate Department Chair of Public Administration at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), a Historically Black College and University, where she co-leads the MPA program and NASPAA reaccreditation efforts. She earned her Ph.D. in Public Administration from Florida Atlantic University and an MPA from Old Dominion University, specializing in public policy, administrative theory, and urban research and planning.

She has been an active member of ASPA since 2010 and currently serves on the National Council (2025–2027). She holds membership across five sections, including the Conference of Minority Public Administrators (COMPA), Democracy and Social Justice (former board member, 2020–2023), Health and Human Services Administration, Public Administration Education, and Women in Public Administration. She is the Immediate Past President of the COMPA, following terms as President-Elect, Vice President, and Electoral District III Representative, and hosted the COMPA 2026 conference, exceeding fundraising targets. Her leadership extends beyond ASPA as she co-chaired NASPAA's Diversity and Social Equity Committee and serves on the board of the Consortium for International Management, Policy & Development (CIMPAD). She is a strong believer in housing equity and is a mayoral appointee to the Durham Housing Authority Board of Commissioners, serves on the Governance Board for Housing for New Hope, and sits on the leadership committee for the Coalition for Affordable Housing and Transit.

Her scholarship centers social equity and justice in public administration, examining how power, privilege, and systemic barriers shape marginalized communities and institutions, with widely published work on gender and leadership, intersectionality, community and neighborhood development, and public procurement — including her case study on equitable neighborhood development in Durham's Southside. Her accolades include NCCU's Excellence in Teaching and Excellence in Research awards, the COMPA Best Paper Award, the Trailblazer Award, and the Patricia Yearwood Section Award. Dr. Diggs is known for bridging scholarship and practice, mentoring the next generation of public servants while translating research into actionable policy.

Malcolm K. Oliver, Ph.D., MPA, is Dean of the John S. Watson School for Public Service at Thomas Edison State University, where he leads graduate and undergraduate programs serving more than 450 adult learners preparing for and advancing careers in public and nonprofit service.

A former city planner, Dr. Oliver has spent his career connecting public service practice, higher education, and the development of working adults. He began his academic career at the former College of New Rochelle, where he helped establish and lead the Master of Public Administration program, and later held academic and leadership roles at National Louis University and California Lutheran University.

Before joining Thomas Edison State University, Dr. Oliver served as Associate Dean in the School of Graduate Studies at Excelsior University, helping oversee seven master’s degree programs serving more than 2,000 nontraditional learners. Across these institutions, his work has emphasized expanding access to high-quality education and helping adult learners recognize that they belong in higher education and in the public service profession.

Dr. Oliver currently represents District I on ASPA’s National Council, serving a term through Spring 2029, and serves as Vice President for Academic Programs with the New Jersey Chapter of ASPA. His ASPA service has also included national committee work, international engagement, and efforts to connect students, educators, practitioners, Chapters, Sections, and institutions across the association.

His broader professional service includes leadership with NASPAA, where he has served on the Executive Council and contributed to work involving teaching and learning, student services, undergraduate education, and artificial intelligence in public service education. In 2026, he was selected to the National Academy of Public Administration’s Class of Fellows.

Dr. Oliver’s scholarship examines public service motivation, spirituality and public service, ethical leadership, artificial intelligence, and public service education.

Across his career, a consistent philosophy has shaped his work: help people belong, connect people across boundaries, and create opportunities for them to contribute to public service and the public good.

Alexander (Alex) Trembley serves as the Analytics and CQI Strategy Manager for Hennepin County Human Services, the primary human services agency supporting Minneapolis and its surrounding suburbs and serving a population of more than 1.2 million residents. In this role, he leads data-informed strategy, organizational learning, and performance improvement initiatives across a wide range of human service programs.

Before entering local government, Alex worked as a paramedic and later as a paramedic supervisor at a nonprofit ambulance service in the Twin Cities, where he developed a strong commitment to community-centered service and operational excellence.

Alex holds a bachelor’s degree in quality management from the University of Wisconsin–Stout and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. He is currently completing his Doctor of Public Administration dissertation at Valdosta State University, where his research focuses on applied public-sector learning and improvement systems. He is an active member of SECM and serves on the board of SPAR. At the time of election, Alex will be an outgoing member of the national council, representing District IV.

Alex lives in the Saint Paul suburbs with his wife, Lauren, and their daughter, Joelle.

Christina S. Barsky, Ph.D., M.P.A., is an Associate Professor and Director of the Master of Public Administration program and Community Resilience and Planning graduate certificate at the University of Vermont (UVM). Since she joined UVM in the Fall of 2024, enrollment in the NASPAA-Accredited MPA program has grown by more than 70 percent. An award-winning educator and Fulbright Specialist, she brings a “prac-ademic” perspective to the field: scholarship grounded in a practice career in community development and social policy and shaped by sustained collaboration with public servants and local communities.

Barsky’s research focuses on the public servants and institutions that sustain public life, from election officials to local governments and agencies that serve communities in times of crisis. Her work appears in leading public administration journals, edited volumes, and practitioner-facing reports. She regularly translates research for public audiences through local, national, and international media, and has been invited by the U.S. Department of State to speak on American democracy and election administration with audiences in Bahrain, Belgium, China, and Nepal.

Barsky works alongside students and practitioners to tackle the complex problems facing communities through client-focused projects, simulations, and community partnerships. She has also held public roles herself, including chair of the Missoula County Election Advisory Committee.

Barsky’s public service career began as a Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA). She went on to lead a regional nonprofit policy collaborative and the Montana operations of a western-states public affairs firm before joining the faculty at the University of Montana. Active in ASPA and several ASPA sections, Barsky regularly presents at the Annual Conference, mentors in the Founders’ Fellows program, and served as a 2025 conference track reviewer. She holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Northern Arizona University, an M.P.A. from the University of Montana, and a B.A. from Skidmore College.

Dr. Jason D. Rivera is a Professor of public management and a core faculty member of the M.S. in Emergency Management program, the M.S. in Security Management program, and Master of Public Administration program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY. He earned his Ph.D. in public affairs with a concentration in community development at Rutgers University - Camden, and his research focuses on the intersection of public administration, emergency management, and social equity. Over the last several years, he has severed as the Chair of the Department of Public Management at John Jay College, the Chair of the American Society for Public Administration's (ASPA) Section on Emergency and Crisis Management (SECM), a Co-Chair of the Network for Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration's (NASPAA) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Accessibility (DEIJA) Committee, and as a Fulbright Specialist.

Phillip has served as Washington English Center (WEC)’s director of development since 2022. He works to foster community among long-time donors while building new bridges to private foundations and corporate partners. Phillip oversees WEC's individual giving, estate planning and event programs, and is responsible for raising more than $1 million in annual revenue. Previously, he worked at the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), the nation’s largest association for public administrators. Phillip served most recently as ASPA’s director of strategic development and advancement. In that role, he oversaw ASPA’s Founders’ Fellows program, supported its executive director on board governance and endowment-related work, and significantly grew its institutional membership program.

Shaoming Cheng is a Professor in the Department of Public Policy and Administration at the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs of Florida International University. Previously, he was the Department Chair, Director of the NASPAA-accredited Master of Public Administration (MPA) program, and Interim Director of Ph.D. in Public Affairs program. He received his Ph.D. degree from the School of Public Policy, George Mason University. He is an active and dedicated member of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and an enthusiastic supporter of ASPA’s South Florida Chapter. He currently serves as a District III Representative on the ASPA National Council and has contributed to ASPA in leadership roles, including member of the Finance Committee, Program Co-Chair of the 2023 Annual National Conference, and Board Member of the Section on Chinese Public Administration. He has also served the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) as Chair of the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA) and former COPRA Commissioner, Chair of the Eligibility Committee, member of the Data Committee, and accreditation site visitor and site visit team chair. In addition, he served on the Graduate Education Committee of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and was the faculty advisor to FIU’s ICMA Student Chapter (ICMA@FIU). He currently serves as Managing Editor of Public Administration Quarterly. His research, funded by the NSF, USDA, EDA, DOJ, Kauffman Foundation, Florida Center for Cybersecurity, Florida League of Cities, and Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, focuses on evidence-based and data-informed decision-making to advance effective and efficient public policy and public management. Through innovative analytical approaches, his work informs policy design, strengthens governance, and enhances administrative practice.

Dr. Erica Ceka is an Assistant Professor of Public Administration and Nonprofit Management at Governors State University in Illinois, USA. She earned her Ph.D. in Political Science from Northern Illinois University in 2019. Her research focuses on the management and performance of public and nonprofit organizations, with particular attention to public budgeting during economic downturns and the implementation of public administration reforms in ex-Soviet countries. Dr. Ceka has also co-authored several studies that contribute to the discourse on justice reform and equity-focused policy, as well as the development of tools to support budgeting education. Her scholarship has been published in respected journals, including the International Review of Public Administration, Journal of Public Affairs Education, Public Organization Review, International Journal of Public Administration, and Policing: An International Journal.

Alexandra Fercak has more than 20 years of public sector experience across federal, state, and local government, specializing in performance auditing, program evaluation, and service delivery improvement. Her career combines analytical expertise with hands-on experience working directly with communities through federal disaster deployments, service with the American Red Cross, and her current work in Oregon’s child welfare system.

Most recently, Alexandra served as Chief of Program and Service Delivery Enhancement at FEMA, where she led efforts to modernize disaster assistance, improve customer experience, and integrate trauma-informed approaches into service delivery. Previously, she spent more than a decade as a Performance Auditor with the City of Portland Auditor’s Office and the Oregon Secretary of State’s Audits Division. Her work has been recognized with the 2021 Knighton Award from the Association of Local Government Auditors and the 2025 Service to the Citizen Award.

Alexandra currently works in child welfare with the Oregon Department of Human Services. She was recently appointed by the Mayor of Portland, OR to the Focused Intervention Team Community Oversight Group, which provides oversight of Portland Police Bureau’s efforts to reduce gun violence. She serves as President of the ASPA Cascade Chapter and is a former board member of the Association of Local Government Auditors. Alexandra holds a Master of Public Administration from Portland State University.

Dr. Vanessa Lopez-Littleton is Professor and Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the University of Washington Bothell. A nationally recognized scholar, educator, and public service leader, she brings more than two decades of experience in higher education, public administration, healthcare, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement. She is a Registered Nurse and veteran of the US Army.

A dedicated member of the ASPA, Dr. Lopez-Littleton has built a strong record of service to the organization through scholarship, leadership, and professional engagement. She served as Chair of ASPA’s Section on Democracy and Social Justice (2021-2023) and has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Section on Health and Human Services Administration since 2017. She has also held multiple leadership positions within ASPA’s San Francisco Bay Area Chapter, including Chair-Elect, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Board Member. As a member of ASPA’s COVID-19 Task Force, she helped coordinate webinars, symposia, and research initiatives focused on public administration, systemic inequities, and crisis management during the pandemic.

Her scholarship focuses on social equity, public health, organizational leadership, and public service education. She has authored numerous journal articles, book chapters, professional reports, webinars, and conference presentations and currently serves as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Health and Human Services Administration and on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Social Equity and Public Administration.

Dr. Lopez-Littleton is committed to strengthening the public service profession, supporting emerging leaders, and building meaningful connections among ASPA members, chapters, sections, and academic programs. As District Representative, she would bring collaborative leadership, strategic vision, and an unwavering commitment to ASPA’s mission of advancing excellence in public service.

Edgar Ramirez is a Professor in the School of Public Policy at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. He served as director of the Public Administration Division at the Center for Research and Teaching in Economics (CIDE) in Mexico City until 2002. Before working at CIDE, he was an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Affairs at Arizona State University. He earned his Ph.D. in Public Administration and Policy from the Askew School at Florida State University. His primary interest as a researcher is urban governance. His research has been published in some of the most prestigious journals in the field, and he has participated in and edited various notable journals. During his professional career, he has worked as a consultant for public, non-profit, and public universities in Mexico and the United States. In his service to ASPA, he organized and hosted the 4th and 6th International Young Scholars Workshop in Mexico City and Patzcuaro, Michoacan, Mexico. He has served on the SIAM and SICA Executive Committees and participates in several committees of ASPA, including the Executive Committee and the Committee on International Engagement.

ASPA awarded Dr. Ramírez the 2019 International Public Administration Award.

Jim Grant is a career public administrator and Life Member of ASPA, having first joined in 1978.

A Los Angeles native, he served the city for 30 years, beginning as a Management Assistant with the Department of General Services and retiring as a Crime and Intelligence Analyst II with the LAPD.

He worked in the Office of the Inspector General at the Police Commission for eight of his 30 years, tasked with providing civilian oversight over the department's disciplinary process.

He helped uncover the infamous Rampart Division Corruption Scandal among his other notable cases.

Post retirement he remains active in ASPA and local civic organizations including Leadership Southern California and the Los Angeles World Affairs Council.

He also volunteers for a national pet rescue, Best Friends, serving on their Emergency Response and Legislative Response Teams.

He presently serves as Vice President of Membership for the ASPA Southern California Chapter and is a past chair of the Section on Ethics and Integrity in Governance (SEIGov).

He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with an option in Public Service from the University of California at Santa Barbara as well as a Masters Degree in Public Administration (Option in Public Works) from California State University Long Beach.

He holds certificates in Crime and Intelligence Analysis and Hazardous Materials Management from CSU Fullerton and UCLA respectively.

A member of ASPA for nearly two years, Riley was selected as a 2026 ASPA Founders’ Fellow and is a member of Pi Alpha Alpha, the global honor society for public affairs and administration. She also represented her MPA program at CSUCI’s inaugural graduate research poster session. Some of her academic interests include administrative ethics, nonpartisan public service, institutional resilience, and effective shared governance.

Riley has extensive experience in shared governance and active board service. She has served on the CSUCI Academic Senate, Academic Programs and Planning Committee, President’s Operational Effectiveness Committee, and Staff Council, including as chair of its Governance Committee. Through Staff Council, she helped secure a $10,000 donation for professional development, establish a development punch card program, create three staff recognition awards, and advance a campus resolution recognizing staff expertise. She also founded a club that provides weekly academic and peer support for university employees pursuing degrees.

Previously, Riley served on the FIUTS Board of Trustees, a non-profit fostering international understanding and cultural exchange in the Seattle area, where she supported fundraising, marketing, events, and membership engagement during a challenging period for international students. She began her public-service career supporting international students and continues to center belonging, inclusive representation, and connection in her leadership. Riley would bring to ASPA’s National Council a collaborative spirit, strategic perspective, and demonstrated ability to translate ideas into meaningful action.

Ahmed Eraky is a Ph.D. candidate in Public Administration and Management and a Teaching Fellow at the University of North Texas. He serves as president of UNT's Public Administration Doctoral Student Association, where he works with students and faculty on professional development, communication, and community service.

His research focuses on eviction, housing instability, institutional property ownership, neighborhood governance, and the effects of public investment on communities. He uses administrative records, GIS, spatial analysis, and causal-inference methods to study how public policies and governance arrangements affect residents. His research has received UNT's Dissertation Research and Creative Works Award, the Hiram J. Friedsam Applied Interdisciplinary Research Fellowship, and an ICPSR Opportunity Scholarship.

Eraky teaches courses in negotiation, mediation, workplace conflict, cultural competency, and urban governance. He also supports research on transit, neighborhood change, and emergency communications. Before beginning his doctoral studies, he spent more than a decade in Egyptian public administration. His roles included section head in the Investor Services Department at the Suez Canal Economic Zone and project manager for government digitalization initiatives at Egypt's Ministry of State for Administrative Development.

He holds master's degrees from KDI School of Public Policy and Management and Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea. Having studied and worked in Egypt, South Korea, and the United States, he brings an international and practitioner-informed perspective to public administration. As ASPA Student Representative, he would focus on mentoring, professional development, and stronger participation pathways for doctoral students, international students, and emerging public-service professionals.

Ronald Gonzales-Lawrence has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of politics, public policy, and government, building a career grounded in service to people and communities. Much of that work has taken place on the ground, building relationships, solving problems, and connecting communities with the institutions that serve them. These experiences have shaped his understanding of government and the importance of effective public administration.

His career began as an intern for a California State Senator. He went on to serve in the Office of the Speaker of the Assembly and eventually as Chief of Staff to a member of the State Assembly. During his legislative career, Ronald helped advance public policy and secure more than $30 million in state funding for local communities. He also served as an elected school board member, gaining firsthand experience with the responsibilities of governance and the difficult decisions facing public institutions.

Today, Ronald serves as Director of Governmental Relations for Pomona Unified School District. While governmental relations is central to his position, his work extends into the everyday responsibilities of public administration. He advises district leadership, helps develop and implement policy, and works across departments to address organizational challenges and advance strategic initiatives. His work has included helping develop a $385 million school facilities bond, modernizing Board governance policies, and connecting public investments in school facilities with local workforce development opportunities.

After establishing his career in public service, Ronald returned to higher education, earning his Bachelor of Science in Public Administration with departmental honors from the University of La Verne at age 41. The experience was about more than earning a degree. It gave him a new perspective on work he had been doing for years and helped connect his practical experience with the principles and research behind effective public administration.

Now pursuing a Master of Public Administration at the University of La Verne, Ronald continues to build on that foundation. His interests in public leadership, governance, and organizational effectiveness are rooted in the challenges he encounters as a practitioner. For him, education is an opportunity to ask better questions, make more informed decisions, and become a more effective leader.

As a working professional and graduate student, Ronald understands that there is no single path into public administration. He hopes to bring his experience in advocacy, leadership, and public service to representing students and new professionals within ASPA. His commitment reflects a belief that public service is both a privilege and a responsibility, and that strong public institutions depend on people who are willing to learn, lead, and dedicate themselves to serving others.

Salman Bin Habib is a PhD candidate in Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Dallas, where his research focuses on nonprofit finance, public finance, and administrative burden. His dissertation examines how reliance on donative and commercial revenue shapes nonprofit financial vulnerability and growth in the United States and Canada. He has taught undergraduate courses in public administration and research methods and presented his research at ASPA, ARNOVA, ABFM, and APPAM conferences.
An ASPA member since 2023, Salman has participated in and presented at the Society's annual conferences from 2024 through 2026. He serves as an at-large board member of ARNOVA's Nonprofit Finance and Financial Management Section. At UT Dallas, he coordinated the doctoral colloquium, represented his school in the Graduate Student Assembly, and served as a Global Ambassador supporting international students. In 2026, he received the Susan Macaulay Public Service Award.
Originally from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Salman brings an international and first-generation perspective to his academic and professional service. He is particularly interested in strengthening opportunities for students and new professionals through mentorship, career development, meaningful participation in professional associations, and stronger connections between scholars and practitioners.

Kemuel J. Rodríguez Montalvo is a Master of Public Administration candidate in Public Management and Human Resources at the Roberto Sánchez Vilella Graduate School of Public Administration, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, where he holds a 4.00 GPA in a NASPAA-reaccredited program. He holds the student seat in title on the Campus Administrative Board, which governs an annual budget of approximately $170 million, and coordinated its Strategic Planning and Budget Committee. He served as Treasurer of the Puerto Rico Public Administration Association and as the elected student representative on the Río Piedras Urban Core Community Board. In academic year 2025-2026 he held 36 representative positions across seven governing bodies. He holds a BBA in Operations and Supply Chain Management and an MBA, both from UPR Río Piedras, and works as a consultant in economic and public policy analysis, with thirteen client projects for Puerto Rico municipalities and Commonwealth agencies. He co-founded the first on-campus food bank for resident students.

Ana Luiza Ferreira Terra Pinto is a third-year Ph.D. student in Public Affairs at Florida International University (FIU) and a licensed attorney in Brazil. Her path into the field started in practice. Before her doctorate, she worked in all three branches of Brazilian government: in the federal Chamber of Deputies, the Minas Gerais State Department of Tourism, and the State Court of Justice.

She is an ASPA 2026 Founders’ Fellow, she presented her research on leadership development and youth civic engagement at ASPA’s 2026 Annual Conference. She also serves as Student Representative for ASPA’s South Florida Chapter. At FIU she chairs the Graduate and Professional Student Committee, represents graduate students in the Student Government Association, and is a Graduate Fellow at the Maurice A. Ferré Institute for Civic Leadership. She is also a Graduate Assistant with the Volcker Alliance’s Next Generation Service Corps. Her research asks how young people find their way into public service. She speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish, and Italian.

Sarah Somerville is an accomplished public sector professional and a dedicated advocate for student engagement in public administration. She recently earned her Master of Public Administration (MPA) with a specialization in Hazard Mitigation from the University of New Orleans (UNO) in May 2026. During her time at UNO, Sarah demonstrated strong leadership as the Vice President of the Public Administration Student & Alumni Association. Her academic excellence earned her inductions into Pi Alpha Alpha, the National Public Administration Honor Society, and Phi Kappa Phi. She also holds a Graduate Certificate in Disaster Management & Community Resilience from UNO and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Communications from Louisiana State University.

Professionally, Sarah brings over 15 years of experience intersecting legal operations, compliance, and public administration. She currently serves as the Legal Administrative Supervisor for Public Records & Compliance Operations at the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, where she manages division workflows, leads administrative personnel, and collaborates closely with executive leadership. Her extensive background includes serving as an Open Records Paralegal and Custodian of Records for the City of San Antonio Police Department, alongside a decade of managing high-volume portfolios in regional private legal practices. An active member of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), Sarah is eager to bring her deep commitment to community resilience, operational accountability, and student advocacy to the ASPA National Council as your Student Representative.

George S. Welch is a doctoral student in Public Policy and Administration at Jackson State University and a public-service professional with more than two decades of experience spanning correctional administration, federal service, military leadership, nonprofit management, and public-sector operations. He holds a Master of Arts in History and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, cum laude, from Jackson State University.

Welch previously served as Warden and Deputy Superintendent with the Mississippi Department of Corrections, where he provided executive leadership in security operations, personnel management, policy implementation, regulatory compliance, incident response, and institutional accountability. His career also includes service with the U.S. Census Bureau, county correctional institutions, and the Mississippi Army National Guard.

As a scholar-practitioner, his research interests include public administration and management, state and local government, public finance, public policy implementation, organizational theory, correctional administration, administrative accountability, and nonprofit management. His scholarship has been presented at the American Society for Public Administration Annual Conference and the Conference of Minority Public Administrators, and his writing has appeared in PA TIMES Online.

Welch is the founder and president of Influential Men of Mississippi, a nonprofit organization advancing youth leadership, career readiness, entrepreneurship, skilled trades, and financial mobility. He also serves in student leadership within Jackson State University's Public Policy and Administration Student Association.

His career reflects a commitment to connecting public-service practice, scholarship, and community leadership while helping develop the next generation of public-service professionals.

Emma White is a recent MPA graduate and researcher from the University of Vermont who looks to incorporate equity and compassion in her work, encouraging feasible management to wicked problems. Following the completion of her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History, Emma chose to pursue an accelerated Master of Public Administration to bridge the gap between academic theory and tangible practice; hoping to not only expand the knowledge base but contribute to community well-being through academic practice. She approaches her work through a progressive framework, practicing uncompromising self-expression and a critical approach to traditional systems. Her research focuses on the impacts of politicization and resource constraints on democratic institutions and those who serve within them. Through this work she has explored various topics, including queer advocacy, election integrity, and public workforce wellbeing. Deeply interested in protecting the institutions that serve those in need, Emma hopes to serve as an advocate for public service within the academic world. Understanding knowledge as paramount in preserving democratic values, she hopes to make academia accessible and oriented toward service. She sees it vital to approach both professional and academic service through a radical social justice lens, looking to serve those most in need and rewrite historic inequities.