Ashley Lantz ’12
Ashley Lantz is a native of Hoffman NC and graduated from Wingate University with a major in Spanish and minor in Psychology. She entered the MPA program initially as a Nonprofit Management Certificate student but realized that she wanted the full value and benefits of the MPA degree. Ashley has a rich background working in nonprofit and government programs, starting with Union County Community Action in their Head Start program, then a program coordinator with United Family Services which later became Safe Alliance. She made the jump into upper management when named Executive Director for Turning Point. After 3.5 years, she was named Director of Social Services for Union County in February 2018. She works under another MPA alumna, Michelle Lancaster ’97, who is the Executive Director of Union County Human Services. Ashley is enjoying the challenge of her new position, absorbing the differences between nonprofit management and government management, particularly the multiple layers of state and federal regulations and the ripple effects of the rapid population growth rate in Union County. However, her focus as a leader on creating a culture where staff feel engaged and empowered regardless of their level has not wavered. She notes that the variety of classes offered by the MPA program has been very beneficial in her career success, whether that be human resources, budgeting, grant writing or nonprofit management. The breadth of these classes, as well as the focus at both the micro and macro level, provided a “leg up” not offered by other degrees with a narrower focus. Ashley’s advice to current MPA students is to take advantage of professional networking opportunities. While the education itself is important, you need to get to know people and be recognized for your potential while in the program; this makes the transition to that new or next job much easier.
About Us
The mission of the Master of Public Administration Program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte is to provide education and training for the public and nonprofit sectors, conduct scholarly and applied research to advance the field of public administration, and serve the community.
Contact Us
Master of Public Administration
9201 University City Boulevard
Charlotte, NC 28223-0001
Fax: 704-687-1400
Director
Prof. Suzanne Leland
Phone: 704-687-5937
smleland@uncc.edu
Administrative Assistant
Aileen Brown
Phone: 704-687-5974
abrow315@uncc.edu