ECU MPA Alumni Win Awards from the N.C. Public Administration Alliance

Two alumni from East Carolina University’s Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences recently received awards from the North Carolina Public Administration Alliance (NCPAA). The NCPAA values the hard work that public administration practitioners, students, and faculty put into making North Carolina a better place for everyone. To recognize these outstanding contributions, the NCPAA presents several awards at their annual meeting.

Duane Holder, who earned his Master of Public Administration from the Department of Political Science in 2006, is this year’s recipient of the alliance’s Public Servant of the Year Award. Allysa Rouse, who earned her Master of Public Administration in 2019, is a recipient of the Early Career Public Servant of the Year Award.

ECU’s Master of Public Administration program is designed for both current professionals and pre-service students. The program prepares students for work in the public and nonprofit sectors through a curriculum designed to enhance and develop public management and public policy skills, with the goal of resolving problems in society and within organizations. Students learn the needs and challenges of public service through in-class activities, guided research projects, and engagement with community partners and organizations.

The Public Servant of the Year Award recognizes significant contributions made to the state of North Carolina throughout a career of 10 years or more. Awardees distinguish themselves through active engagement in and contributions to developing public service for the future.

“I would like to thank Dr. Smirnova, Dr. Xu, the entire ECU MPA Program faculty and staff, and the North Carolina Public Administration Alliance for this award,” Holder said. “As a career local government administrator and community volunteer, I consider it a privilege to serve the residents of my community. To be recognized for what I consider to be my reasonable service is truly humbling. I hope that my career journey helps to inspire future public servants. The academic foundation provided by the ECU MPA Program has proven to be a leading contributor to any success I’ve been fortunate enough to achieve!”

Holder serves as deputy county manager for Wake County government, in Raleigh. He has more than 24 years of experience in local government and nonprofit health care leadership and management. He is a member of the National Forum of Black Public Administrators, the National Association of Counties, and the North Carolina City & County Managers’ Association.

His experience as deputy county manager spans more than 10 years, having previously served in the same role for Pitt and Cumberland counties. While in Cumberland County, he also served as interim public health director. His previous leadership experience includes working as the founding officer of PORT Health, a regional nonprofit integrated behavioral and primary health care agency, where he served for eight years as chief financial officer.

A veteran of the United States Air Force and the Persian Gulf War, Holder returned to school following his honorable discharge. While at ECU, he was a recipient of the North Carolina City & County Managers’ Association Donald B. Hayman scholarship.

Holder has demonstrated a commitment to lifelong learning and professional development. He has served his community by participating in various organizations, including but not limited to the ECU Board of Visitors, ECU MPA Advisory Board, the United Way and the Rotary Club. He and his wife Valentina are active members of their church and enjoy spending time traveling, exercising and participating in outdoor sports.

Rouse received the Early Career Public Servant of the Year Award, which recognizes significant contributions to the state during the first five years of the recipient’s career. Awardees also show promise of continued active engagement in and contributions to developing public service for the future.

“The ECU MPA Program helped me realize my passion for public service and government,” Rouse said. “I am thankful for my professors in the program, especially Dr. Smirnova and Dr. Fleming. I also appreciate the curriculum provided that taught fundamentals in analysis, critical thinking and teamwork. As an early career employee, the program helped propel my career.”

Rouse started her career in public service as a public ally under AmeriCorps, working with nonprofits and assisting with a community development initiative. After receiving her Master of Public Administration from ECU, she worked in local government as an NCACC-ICMA County Management fellow. In this role, she learned the value of rural cities and how to do much with limited resources.

She moved on to work with the State of North Carolina CDBG-Infrastructure program under the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality’s Division of Water Infrastructure as a grant representative. In this role, she administered a federal grant to small cities and counties in the western and piedmont areas of North Carolina. She learned about federal regulation, project management and engaging with public officials.

Rouse then began her role as a compliance specialist, where she began to dive deeper into federal regulation and administration. Recently, Rouse accepted a role as a community planning and development representative with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. There, she manages a portfolio of grantees out of the Greensboro field office under HUD’s CPD department. The department gives federal money to the State of North Carolina and entitlement cities and counties throughout the state as well as nonprofit organizations. She acts as the HUD representative to her communities by providing guidance and technical assistance to remain in compliance with their grant’s federal regulations, and tracking expenditures for timeliness, project completion and accuracy.

Rouse said she looks forward to continuing to grow and learn from her experiences.