Degree: MPA, 2014

Michael W. Smith completed the Auburn MPA Program in the Summer of 2014, where he also earned a graduate minor in Economic Development. Since then, he has held positions in the business office of a major hospital facility and in state government. He currently serves as the Program Manager for two rural health grants at the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH).

Degree: MPA , 2015

Kadedra Smith '15 started working with the State of Alabama as a Program Manager with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs immediately following graduation. As a Program Manager, she administered over 37million in grants to Victims of Crime through the federal program Victims of Crime ACT (VOCA). She currently works as the Volunteer Coordinator with the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center for the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice. As Coordinator, she works with about 64 kids and finds resources that will help improve each student's life and make them more productive citizens in the community.

Degree: MPA, 2019

Tyler St. Clair ’19 currently serves as the Outreach Manager for Common Cause Illinois, where he leads community engagement activities in the Chicagoland area and throughout the state. While his work generally falls into the good governance sector, specific campaigns include ensuring an accurate count for Census 2020, the implementation of Automatic Voter Registration, and expanding mail voting systems in Illinois to prepare for the 2020 general election.

Degree: MPA, 2017

Rajon Hudson '17 has accepted a position as the International City and County Management Association (ICMA) Local Government Management Fellow (LGMF) with the Town of Lexington, Massachusetts. In the previous year, Logan Bradshaw also accepted an ICMA LGMF with the City of Wichita, Kansas. According to ICMA, "the LGMF is a highly competitive career-development opportunity that places fellows in full-time local government management-track positions shaped by direct mentorship under senior government leaders and rotational assignments. Talented professionals with a master's degree in public administration, management, public policy, public affairs, or related area, are given the opportunity to assume real responsibility, thrive in an environment that recognizes potential, and gain unique exposure to local government.” Both Hudson and Bradshaw competed against MPA students from around the country where the applicant pool was well over 100 candidates.

Degree: MPA , 2014

In 2014, Shanté Holley '14 currently serves as a Program Specialist at the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) where she manages federal funds that her office grants to different entities across the state. The federal programs that she manages include the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) and the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

Degree: MPA , 2017

Logan Bradshaw is a Management Analyst for the City of Wichita Housing and Community Services Department/Wichita Housing Authority. Before her role as a Management Analyst, Bradshaw was a Management Fellow (ICMA-LGMF) for the City Manager’s office. After completing a summer internship with the City of Gulf Breeze, she knew she wanted to pursue a career in local government. Working in management on the local level affords her the opportunity to utilize her leadership skills while making the community she lives in a better place for all residents.

Degree: MPA , 2017

Chardae Caine '17 has accepted a position as a research associate with the League of Kansas Municipalities. According to the League, the research associate "oversees research and policy analysis activities for the League of Kansas Municipalities. The position provides comparative data and instructive information about municipal government to our members and assists the League's advocacy efforts. This is accomplished by directing the research program, analyzing fiscal policies and economic activities, conducting research, and assisting local government officials. Other duties include assisting with the development of the annual conference programming and providing staff support to the annual conference, Local Government Day, the Public Policy Committee meetings, and other events.” Read more from Chardae Cain in the Kansas Government Journal's October 2017 edition.

Degree: MPA, 2020

Samantha Bullinger is a 2020 graduate of the MPA program and has held a passion for improving community relationships since she was an undergrad double-majoring in public administration and psychology at Auburn University. During her MPA program, Bullinger was active in the student ICMA chapter, authored an ICMA blog post, attended numerous conferences, and was was recognized for the ICMA Local Government Early Career Service Certificate. Her accomplishments as a fellow with the City of Opelika include overhauling the city's recruitment strategy for ADA-compliance and managing a summer youth employment program. During her third semester of the MPA program, Samantha accepted a position with the City of Sandy Springs, GA, where she currently serves as the assistant to the city manager.

Degree: MPA, 2019

Christopher Beamon ’19 has accepted an entry level position with the Department of Veterans Affairs in the Veterans Health Administration Department. He is currently applying for the GHATP program within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to become a health systems specialist or program analyst with Department of Defense (DOD). Prior to receiving his B.S. in healthcare administration, Beamon served for almost 5 years in the United States Army. He completed his MPA at Auburn University to reach his goal of working for the VA, because like many others, he is not done serving. Beamon wants to serve as part of the federal government, with a focus on telemedicine and sports medicine, which he feels is essential for longevity and quality of life.

Degree: MPA , 2019

Dr. Christien Russell is a native of Louisville, KY. Christien is an eight-year member of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, Related Sciences and served 3 terms as the Region III Graduate Student Vice President. She has been regionally and nationally recognized for her research in culturally responsive teaching through the American Association for Agricultural Education.

In the Spring of 2019, Christien was selected as a fellow with the USDA in the Office of Civil Rights (OASCR). Through this fellowship Christien has been able to marry her policy, analytical skills, community development, and diversity expertise to create programming to assist minority farmers and foster diversity and inclusion within USDA.

She received her B.S. from the University of Kentucky in Community and Leadership Development; Masters in Public Administration from Auburn University and; her PhD in Agricultural Sciences with a concentration in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Her research interest are in Civil Rights, Minority Farmers, Culturally Responsive Teaching, Multicultural Education, and Public Policy.

Degree: MPA, 2016

Caitlin Williams '16 began her career as a Policy Fellow at the Alabama Policy Institute (API), the only state based think-tank, which focuses on conservative values and principles. During her tenure at API, she worked on various projects looking at issues the state was facing. These included federal grants, state funding, and more. Currently, she is the Public Affairs Specialist for the City of Auburn.