Christine Edwards Pitkin 

The knowledge and skills gained from an MPA with an urban management focus are foundational to my expertise in government affairs, community development, and leading full-scale community engagement plans, all of which are central to my business. Even before knowing I wanted to build a business, I wanted to work in local government and eventually become a city manager, and the MPA Program at UNC Charlotte is one of the best in the nation for its network of professionals working in the Charlotte region and many managers and leaders having matriculated from the program. This paid off tremendously because I was able to get a fellowship with the City of Charlotte.

Building a career in civic innovation, where you are often pushing against established systems for the sake of equity and community dignity, requires immense grit. That resilience was forged during the toughest parts of my program. I actually failed the mandatory statistics class twice. Having to re-register, study harder, and push through that barrier to meet a core academic requirement was a true lesson in tenacity. Also, I received a non-passing score on my original group capstone project. That meant I had to regroup, put in extra work, and complete the program over the summer to finally earn my degree.The whole experience taught me that success isn’t about avoiding failure; it’s about how quickly you pick yourself up, learn what went wrong, and adjust your strategy.

The program helped me build connections that I still have to this day. The management fellowship I had with the City Manager’s Office in 2012-2013 led me to be one of the youngest people assigned to work on Charlotte’s 2012 Democratic National Convention. My fellowship led me to my first role at Charlotte Water and subsequent roles in the City of Charlotte organization. These relationships allowed me to confidently navigate my career and ultimately open my company, Civility Localized and hire students and recent grads from the program looking to launch their urban policy/community engagement careers as well!

Yes, I worked as a graduate assistant at the UCAE – University Center for Academic Excellence and taught professional development classes like learning styles and time management. This really helped me develop my people skills and presentation skills as well as help me manage work and education lifestyle.