MPA Faculty & Staff

Faculty Dedicated to Student Learning

The MPA faculty are experienced teachers. Many have significant experience working in the public sector prior to coming to Evergreen. Some teach and do research full-time; some are still practitioners in local public agencies and nonprofits; some are involved in community service, training, research, and/or consulting.

Faculty are drawn to Evergreen because they love teaching. They are interested in the process of learning and they want to work with students in an environment that rewards that interest. They see themselves as members of a learning community, and they value what they learn from our students as much as what the students come to learn from them. Students should expect a lot of interaction with program faculty--you will come to know them well, and they will know you and your work. As a result, our faculty often mentor our graduates long after they complete the program.

If you would like more information about our faculty, such as email addresses, phone extensions, office locations, personal websites, etc., click on their names below. Adjunct faculty can be contacted through the MPA Program Assistant.

MPA staff information is listed below. To contact staff via email, click on their names.

MPA Faculty

Lee Lyttle, B.A., Fine Arts; Architecture, University of New Mexico, 1974; M.U.P., Urban and Regional Planning, University of New Mexico, 1985; M.P.A., Public Administration, 1985; M.L.I.S., Information Sciences, University of Hawaii, 1991.  Lee has served The Evergreen State College as the Dean of First Year Studies 1998 – 2001, and as the Dean of Library and Media Services 2001 - 2008.  Lee served as the Environmental Planner for Kitsap County, Washington 1976 – 1978 and continues his interest in environmental issues. He also has a background in international development, serving in the U.S. Peace Corps in the Caribbean, and with the United Nations Development Program in Papua New Guinea and Zimbabwe, Africa.  Besides his teaching and leadership roles at the college, Lee’s love of the arts has led him to serve as Chair of the Olympia Arts Commission and the city’s Arts Walk Festival and also on the Washington State Arts Commission. His interests continue in public policy issues regarding the arts.

Laurance R. Geri, B.A., Economics, University of Washington, 1980; M.P.A., Policy Analysis and Evaluation, George Washington University, 1982; D.P.A., University of Southern California, 1996. Larry's research interests include international administration, nonprofit administration, public finance, and organizational change. In Spring 2005 he was the College's Kobe Exchange Faculty in Kobe, Japan.

Amy Gould, B.A., Planning, Public Policy and Management with a minor in Women's Studies, University of Oregon, 1997; M.S., Public Affairs, University of Oregon, 2000; Ph.D. Political Science, Northern Arizona University, 2005. Amy has worked in various public organizations, most recently as an Appeals Officer/Special Projects Manager in Parking and Shuttle Services at Northern Arizona University. Her research interests include culture and the internal dynamics of public organizations; leadership and decision making processes; Federal, state and tribal constitutions; and managing change within non-profit organizations.

Cheryl Simrell King, B.A., Psychology/Sociology, University of Texas, 1981; M.A., Experimental/Testing Psychology, University of Colorado, 1987; Ph.D., Public Administration, University of Colorado, 1992. Cheryl's current teaching, research and consulting interests include democratic governance, alternatives for public and nonprofit management, government performance, community development, and tribal community/economic development.

Doreen Swetkis, Ph.D., is a member of the MPA program faculty at The Evergreen State College.  Her areas of specialization include public and nonprofit administration, urban studies, housing studies, and research methods.  Previously, she was a Visiting Instructor as Cleveland State University.  Her dissertation topic examined the relationship between residential property tax abatement programs and change in urban neighborhoods.  Dr. Swetkis has seven years’ experience in the non-profit sector, including serving as the associate director of development & research for a local fair housing organization.  Dr. Swetkis is published in the Journal of Genetic Psychology and Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Housing News Service.

Alan Parker, B.A., Philosophy, St. Thomas Seminary, 1964; J.D., University of California, Los Angeles, 1972. Alan has been Director of Northwest Indian Applied Research Institute since 1999. He was President of American Indian National Bank, 1982-87; Staff Director and Chief Counsel of the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, 1977-81 and 1987-91; and he currently serves as one of the lead faculty in the Tribal Governance concentration of the MPA program.

Linda Moon Stumpff, B.A., Political Science, University of California, Berkeley; M.A., Public Administration and Regional Planning, University of Southern California, 1991; Ph.D., Public Administration and Regional Planning, Land Management and Public Policy, University of Southern California, 1996. Linda's research interests included environmental policy, political science, public administration and Third World studies. She currently serves as one of the lead faculty in the Tribal Governance concentration of the MPA program.

John David Gates, J.D.  An enrolled member of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, John was born and raised in Gallup, New Mexico, which is located 135 miles west of Albuquerque.  His primary areas of professional expertise lie in the areas of federal Indian law and policy, and international indigenous human rights.  John received his undergraduate degree from the University of New Mexico, and his law degree from the University of Iowa College of Law.  After graduating from law school, John served as prosecutor for the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, where he is an enrolled member, and served on the bench, as Judge Pro Tem for the Laguna Pueblo, located in New Mexico.  John has taught courses in Native American Studies at the University of New Mexico, and the Central New Mexico Community College.  In 2004/05, John taught courses in federal Indian law and international indigenous human rights at the University of Bonn, Germany under a J. William Fulbright Senior Scholar award...He currently is a full time faculty member in The Evergreen State College Master of Public Administration/ Tribal Governance Program.

MPA Adjunct and Occasional Faculty

• Mary Campbell, Adjunct Faculty; formerly Special Assistant for Quality and Performance to Washington Governors Locke and Gregoire
• Victor Colman, Adjunct Faculty, co-principal of Uncommon Solutions, Inc.
• Sharon Curley, Adjunct Faculty; Human Services Director, Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
• Dick Cushing, Adjunct Faculty; Vice President, Waldron & Company
• Stuart Elway, Adjunct Faculty; President, Elway Research, Inc.
• Karen Fraser, Adjunct Faculty; Washington State Senator
• Colleen Gillespie, Adjunct Faculty; Financial Consultant, Smith Barney
• Joan LaFrance, Adjunct Faculty; independent consultant, Mekinak Consulting
• Russ Lehman, Adjunct Faculty; Managing Director, First American Education Project
• T.S. (Steve) Marshall; Adjunct Faculty, President, T.S. Marshall & Associates
• Helena Meyer-Knapp, Member of the Evergreen Faculty
• Sylvie McGee, Adjunct Faculty; Principal, All For A Good Cause Consulting
• Michael Mucha, Adjunct Faculty; Director of Public Works, City of Olympia
• Pam Peters, HR Manager at South Sound Intertribal Planning Agency (SPIPA)
• Michael Shadow, Adjunct Faculty; trainer/coach in persuasive communication, Shadow & Associates
• Marcee Stiltner, Adjunct Faculty; Certified Professional Co-Active Coach, Radius
• Faith Trimble, Adjunct Faculty; President and principal consultant, FLT Consulting
• Jeanne Ward, Adjunct Faculty; President, Ward Consulting

MPA Staff

Lee Lyttle, MPA Director

(360) 867-6678; Lab 1, Room 3011

Randee Gibbons, Assistant MPA Director, Public/Non-Profit Administration and Public Policy concentrations

(360) 867-6554; Lab 1, Room 3024

Puanani Nihoa, MPA Student Services Assistant, Tribal Cohort

(360) 867-6202; Lab 1, Room 3020

Jan Hays,  MPA Program Assistant

(360) 867-5939; Lab 1, Room 3019