Master of Public Administration Advisory Board

Central Michigan University's Public Administration Advisory board is comprised of a diverse group of MPA alumni. Members serve for a minimum of 3 years on the council and help manage the future direction of the MPA program at Central Michigan University. Their mission and vision statements were drafted in 2009.

2024-25 MPA Alumni Advisory Board

Paul M. Conrad
Chief Operations Officer, ASPIN
Paul Conrad on LinkedIn

Dalton Johnson
Regulatory Program Manager, Meta                                                                                                                                                        johnson.dalton.r@gmail.com
linkedin.com/in/daltonjohnson

Natalie O'Hagan
Senior Director of Strategy and Culture, United Way of South Central Michigan
n.ohagan@uwscmi.org                                                                                                                                                                                linkedin.com/in/natalie-o-hagan-mpa-cnp-35b5b6b6                   

Laura Orta
Director of Organizational Equity, City of Ann Arbor
lorta@a2gov.org
linkedin.com/in/l-orta  

Sarita Puri
Director of Services, Disability Connections
saritapuri35@gmail.com                                                                                                                                                                            linkedin.com/in/sarita-puri-0a1338b3

"As a Public Administrator for the Virginia Department of Corrections, the CMU Masters of Public Administration Program provided me with additional tools, tactics and strategies for enhancing my overall effectiveness as a leader."
- Shirley T. Avent

Seeking a Master’s degree has always been a personal goal. With the passing of each year, obtaining the degree seemed to become an insurmountable goal until I explored the options that Central Michigan University (CMU) offered. Attending weekend classes was a perfect option for me to continue to work full-time while going to school full-time. The two year flew by fast! I have found that a Master’s degree in Public Administration combined with my healthcare experience has enabled me to pursue opportunities that have not been available to me before. It is my hope to continue to working in health care systems where I make an impact on population health leading to an improved quality of life. A focus on public administration has assisted me in developing my skills to strengthen my capacity to achieve these challenges.
- Barbara Harding, RN, MPA, CCM, PAHM