By Aaron Desentz
We all currently serve in an ever-changing and evolving world. This year, the MME Fellowship Program has made some changes in order to improve. These changes enhance the experience for the students going through the program. They also improve the quality of candidates coming in at the entry level and improve on the deliverables for the host community.
Previously, the MME and its partnering universities offered the Fellowship Program on a rotating basis. Two out of six universities would be offered the Fellowship every three years. The student served for one summer at a host community and was given a stipend of $6,000. However, there have been years where the universities did not have adequate candidates to fill the positions.
The NextGen Committee reviewed this issue against a backdrop of other issues affecting our industry. Many universities are struggling with low MPA enrollment; and many of the students in an MPA program are choosing to focus on nonprofit administration or healthcare. At the same time, we find a number of our members are retiring, with few MPA graduates ready to take on entry-level assignments. The NextGen Committee and the MME Board agreed that the Fellowship Program should change.
The New Fellowship Program
As in years past, the MME and its partnering universities are offering two Fellowship opportunities. This year will be the first year in which the Fellowship Program is offered to any student that is enrolled in an MPA program at any of our six partnering universities. Students across the state will now compete for the two opportunities rather than on a rotating basis every three years. This will help to ensure that the MME is offering the position to the best qualified candidates in the state, regardless of geography.
The overall aim is to provide the student with enough experience to compete for an entry level job in city management. In order to do so, the length of the program has now been increased from a single summer program to a year-long commitment. This allows the student to experience more of the profession as well as the cyclical nature of municipal work. To support this change, communities will now need to contribute $6,000 in order to host a Fellow. This will bring the annual stipend to $12,000 in order to attract some of the best students available.
Community applications are solicited in February and are due by March 1. Then the list of interested host communities is shared with our partnering universities and marketing materials are distributed to students. Applications are due by the end of March. A subcommittee of NextGen members will review the student applications and set up interviews for candidates. A decision will be made by this subcommittee, and Fellows will be offered the choice of which community they would like to work in. The target start date is May 1.
Going Forward
As we move forward, it is important to recognize where we have been. The new program would not be possible without the hard work of a number of city managers that fostered relationships with our partnering universities and built a program that helped to train a number of exceptional managers. This new program represents a changing demand in our profession; a demand for more knowledgeable and capable city managers facing diverse problems in a complex landscape. It only makes sense that we do what we can to prepare the next generation for those challenges ahead.
“To improve is to change; to be perfect is to change often.”
~ Winston Churchill
Aaron Desentz, desentz@cityofleslie.org
City Manager, Leslie
Aaron has served as Leslie’s city manager since July 2015. Previous local government positions in Michigan included village administrator of Shelby and planning commissioner for the Village of Pinckney. Aaron is also the chair of the MME NextGen Committee. You may reach him at desentz@cityofleslie.org or (517) 589-8236.