Jonathan Blanton

In 2013, I graduated with my undergraduate degree, and I was torn as to whether to pursue a Juris Doctorate or a Master’s Degree in Public Administration (MPA). Ultimately, I decide to pursue my Juris Doctorate. During my second year in law school, a dual degree program with UNC Charlotte was announced, which provided the opportunity to transfer credits that I had obtained in law school towards an MPA degree at UNC Charlotte. I happily accepted the opportunity after many fantastic conversations with then MPA Director Suzanne Leland, which she shared the tremendous successes that the program had yielded across the field of local government in North Carolina.

The MPA Program provided me the opportunity to attend my first North Carolina City and County Managers’ Association for free of charge during my first semester in the program. During that time, I had the opportunity to meet numerous municipal managers across the state and learn more about the career path of a city manager. Also, during my time at UNC Charlotte, I was able to connect and learn from some of top professionals in the field who were teaching at the time. From career to academic experts, I could not have asked for a better bedrock to prepare me for a career in local government.

I was fortunate to be recruited into the program and continue to connect periodically with my friend, Dr. Suzanne Leland. Also, Dr. Jaclyn Piatak was an incredible resource to me during my time at UNC Charlotte, particularly as it pertained to expanding my knowledge of personnel and human resources-related issues. I also had the opportunity to serve as a Graduate Assistant for Dr. John Szmer and Dr. Cheryl Brown, both of whom were of tremendous support to me during my time at UNC Charlotte.

I was fortunate enough to meet and know the namesake of the MPA program, Gerald G. Fox, during my time at UNC Charlotte. My favorite UNC-Charlotte memory is the first time that I met Jerry. He and I had breakfast together at a UNC Charlotte NCCCMA alumni breakfast. At the time, he knew nothing about me, yet it felt like we were old friends, and he took a deep interest in my goals, aspirations, and interest in the field of public administration. It was a remarkable experience and something that I remember fondly having now been in the profession of local government for nearly a decade.

Always aim high, work hard and never underestimate your abilities and capabilities. I landed my first city manager job within four months of graduating with my MPA degree. Be open to unique opportunities and be flexible during the early years of your career after graduation. Show humility and ask for help when needed. I have learned that those that are in the local government profession always enjoy helping when they can and sharing their experiences to be able to see fellow professionals succeed.