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This site was created to fulfill graduation requirements for my Master's of Public Administration at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. My e-portfolio is a multi-dimensional collection of the work I have completed over the years as a graduate student. This e-portfolio showcases the deliverables I have created for my courses in public policy, public management, and public service. In addition, you will also find some of the deliverables I have developed and created as a GIS Technician and Project Management Assistant to a broadband consulting firm. Please use the tabs provided to get to know me and the work that I have completed in my pursuit to become a public servant. / Master of Public Administration

Abstract This study examines state agency leadership and the viability of the traditional politics-administration dichotomy in state government. Despite all the academic theorizing about how appointed public managers should be involved in policy making, the ground truth is much different. Standing at the uncomfortable nexus of politics and administration, senior public managers face a difficult task of managing the political environment while simultaneously leading and managing their own organizations. In so doing, they face the most difficult and sensitive aspect of public sector leadership. Powerful, politically-connected actors seek to influence public sector leaders and have policies formulated and executed in ways beneficial to them. This type of political influence can often have a significant impact on the decisions of these senior appointed officials. This study examines how appointed state agency heads manage political influences to their leadership in the context of the politics-administration dichotomy. The research explores how political influence impacts agency head leadership priorities and examines the strategies developed to accommodate those influences. / A Dissertation submitted to the Reubin O'D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2014. / September 4, 2014. / Includes bibliographical references. / Frances S. Berry, Professor Directing Dissertation; William Earle Klay, Committee Member; Ralph S. Brower, Committee Member.

This dissertation research addresses issues related to how recent and pending public policies reframe the mission, operations, and evaluation of community colleges as a sub-sector of the post-secondary education in Florida. It focuses on understanding the contemporary context in which key organizational members contribute to the organizational change of the community college in the state. It examines if and how those conditions influence administrative behaviors, such as government actions in legislation that affect community colleges, and, in particular, the political, economic, and institutional dynamics leading to the adoption of policies that permit community colleges to grant bachelor degrees. Community colleges offering a stand-alone baccalaureate is a significant change in both the potential consequences and the implications of how it arose. The new policy augurs the possibility of conflict between these institutions and nearby public universities over access to students. These and other dynamics bode a rocky future for the initiative. On another, theoretical, front is the question of how such initiatives arise and succeed in the first place. Politics are clearly part of the answer, but this study is designed specifically to provide a more definitive and nuanced answer. This study integrates grounded theory with frame analysis by selectively coding for policy frames and their related concepts to be emerged in the course of analysis. The analysis is built around the framing activities of a few policy entrepreneurs. It describes the process by which they constructed a principal frame and discusses the frame adjustment activities that the principal actors initiated to make existing systems compatible with the new frame. The theoretical propositions of the study are that framing processes can be associated with first-order and second order change, that frames are never tidy and that the most important feature of a frame is its ambiguity, and that although the framing processes may produce an impression that the punctuated equilibrium model is at play here, it is not because the new policy as well as the frames created by the participants were socially constructed and, hence, prone to further alterations. / A Dissertation Submitted to the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester, 2006. / the 2, 2006. / Policy Frames, Workforce Baccalaureates, Framing Strategy / Includes bibliographical references. / Ralph Brower, Professor Directing Dissertation; Beverly Bower, Outside Committee Member; Lance deHaven Smith, Committee Member; Earle W. Klay, Committee Member.

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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 480-496). / The idea of this thesis was conceived as a result of experiences with the deprived areas of Greater cape Town. It is difficult to have regard to the social, financial and economic problems of a great many of the inhabitants of this area without giving some thought to what should be done to improve conditions and to create a better and more secure life for all the people of the area. Political and structural reform of local government may seem to some to be an incongruous starting point for the objective outlined above but yet, when the matter is considered, it will be realised that local government is a form of government which is closest to the people, and because it renders a range of services directly to people, it is in a good position to know and understand their needs. Likewise, the representative functions of councillors are important in conveying up to higher government levels, those needs which cannot be met locally. It can be said that South Africa is at a cross-roads in regard to political and structural governmental reform. The riots of 1976 and 1980 point in a direction which will be unacceptable to the majority of South Africans, irrespective of colour. If reform is to come, then a strong, vigorous and truly representative local government system will do much to make that reform successful.

Bibliography: p. 245-246. / In l975 it became increasingly clear that the build-up of international political pressures on South Africa could lead to military confrontation with the Republic. Predictably such a possibility accelerated Defence expansion. This necessitated the more effective use of human, material and financial resources of, not only the military but also of the civilian sector of the country. Better performance of personnel could be obtained if they were able to recognise and appreciate the requirements for advancement to their goals in their chosen careers. Viable careers are formulated in career plans - those top management directives containing details of career development programmes, job activities and opportunities, guidance, behaviour patterns and the requirements for advancement in the organisation. No formally structured career plans were found in a number of large hierarchically structured civilian organisations such as Shell, Mobil or the University of Cape Town, to name but a f ew. Moreover, according to W F Glueck (1974) a similar situation existed in the United States of America. Furthermore this was also true of the South African Air Force's pilots and navigators - that vital personnel section of the Air Force's air crews. This enigma is difficult to comprehend. The implementation of the personal practices of manpower planning, attraction, selection, rewards, protection, career development, manpower control and evaluation increases the effectiveness of an organisation. Likewise a formally structured Career Plan would ensure greater development of an organisation's personnel and give them satisfaction and dignity. Moreover, the use of such career plans reduces turnover (and thus costs) and the hoarding of high calibre personnel. The integrity of the last two statements led to the formulation of this dissertation's hypothesis:- If the desirability of.a formally structured Career Plan, containing a career development programme, a counselling guide on the application of the programme, an appraisal system to measure performance and a model for predicting promotion vacancies, were recognised by an organisation, its adoption should be seriously considered. Thus the aim of this exploratory and descriptive study is to demonstrate the advisability and subsequent advantages to an organisation of a career plan, as proposed in the hypothesis, were adopted f or use by their personnel.

"How Do Public Policy Processes Influence Public Fiscal Choices, Tax Politics, and Policy Outcomes?" In order to answer this primary research question, this dissertation investigated the major tax policy issues including TIEAs at the Global level, TELs, and sin tax at the State level. It is based on the motivation that the previous literature showed weak linkages between theories of the policy process and taxation. In addition, since tax policies are highly associated with the policy process, linking policy process to tax policies is essential for future scholarly development. Further, it is will promote understanding dynamics of policy process associated with tax policies in the American states and countries. "Dynamics in Transnational Coalitions for Tax Justice" intends to link coalition theory and TIEAs by applying 2-mode network analysis using country level data from 2000 to 2012. According to analysis, major national coalitions shown in TIEAs are evolved from the U.S. British’s Crown Dependencies, Australia, Nordic countries, and Asia and South America. It is highly associated with the pressure from powerful nations and national alliance, terrorism and global financial crisis. In addition, international relations reflect both realism and idealism. Realism reflects the pressure from the U.S. UK and G20 whereas realism involves the coalition formed by Nordic countries actively participate TIEAs to cope with tax havens. "Comprehensive Process of Policy Adoption: Tax and Expenditure Limitations (TELs) Agenda Setting and Decision Making" intends to link diffusion framework and policy stage model to tax policies but also comparative politics that how states act on each stage of policy process by applying event history analysis (EHA) using state data from 1970 to 2006. According to analysis, this study shows that (1) having a direct democracy initiative continuously affects the adoption process of TELs; (2) states will imitate other similar states’ TELs based on size(expenditure) during the agenda setting process; and (3) defeated TELs is induced by anticipatory competition that states behave strategically, and successful passage of TELs are driven by direct democracy, and professionalized legislature rather than regional diffusion factors. "Why do State Governments Rely on Sin Tax?" intends to integrate the typology of mortality politics and rational choice theory to explain determinants for sin tax reliance across states by applying panel data analysis using state data from 1980 to 2015. According to analysis, this study demonstrates that overall sin tax reliance is mainly determined by industrial (economic) and religious forces interaction with political institutions, wealth maximization of state governments, and first reveals the moderating role of political institutions (forces) in incorporating interests as well as incrementalism of state sin tax reliance Both morality politics and rational choice theory adopted in this study better explains the determinants of sin tax reliance across states. Sin tax dependence across states can be seen as political game along with incrementalism rather than paternalism or promoting welfare for citizens. Overall, this dissertation demonstrates that policy process is highly associated with Global and state tax policy. This dissertation proved that tax policy is a political process that it is directly related to "who gets what", meaning that taxation cannot be detached from political environment. In addition, this dissertation contributes to the scholarship on comparative and global politics, taxation and network by applying policy process theory on taxation. In addition, this dissertation contributes to integrating policy stage model and diffusion framework, morality politics and rational choice theory, and offers the new insights associated with network dynamics. Practically, three papers will provide information regarding each country seeking to make international agreements and maintain its relationship overtime. For state governments, findings from this study also have implications for state governments that intend to adopt tax related policies, and seek to raise revenue or reduce detrimental behaviors as a policy objective. Future research is recommended to analyze dynamics of coalitions in other policy areas. In addition, it is recommended that integrate policy stage model, diffusion framework in other policy areas, and integrate morality politics and rational choice theory as well as analyze cross effects between sin tax elements. / A Dissertation submitted to the Reubin O'D. Askew School of Public Administration and Policy in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2016. / November 3, 2016. / Includes bibliographical references. / Charles Barrilleaux, University Representative; William E. Klay, Committee Member; David Berlan, Committee Member.

There is a vast, and expanding, literature concerning public services contracting. This growing body of scholarship often examines governments’ decisions to outsource service production, as well as the resulting relationships and service outcomes. In the context of local government outsourcing contract management is becoming increasingly important. Holding vendors accountable for service delivery and outcomes is essential in an era of third-party governance. Contract oversight, and monitoring, in particular is highlighted as an essential mechanism. Yet, it is often unclear what monitoring tasks are performed, and who in the contractual relationship is responsible for these tasks. I theorize that, outsourcing high transaction costs services is associated with greater reliance on proxy monitoring when compared to direct government oversight. The characteristics of the outsourced service can create a range of government-vendor relationships, and this is true for monitoring tasks as well. Using data from Florida municipalities I examine the impact of services’ transaction costs on the likelihood public managers rely on proxy monitoring rather than direct government oversight for nine monitoring tasks. I use two-stage Heckman selection estimation to analyze an original dataset of municipal services. The results suggest that, when local governments outsource services that are both asset specific and difficult to measure the reliance on proxy monitoring for some oversight tasks is greater when compared to direct government monitoring. / A Dissertation submitted to the Askew School of Public Administration and Policy in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Fall Semester 2016. / August 10, 2016. / contracting, contract management, contract monitoring, local government, proxy monitoring / Includes bibliographical references. / Kaifeng Yang, Professor Directing Dissertation; Christopher Reenock, University Representative; Richard Feiock, Committee Member; Frances Berry, Committee Member.