Public Management Center Staff

Charles Jones
Director of the Public Management Center

Charles is director of the Kansas University Public Management Center, located in Topeka, Kansas and second-term member of the Douglas County Commission. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Kansas and a Masters of Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government. Charles’ career has spanned the public and private sectors, principally in the area of environmental management. Between 1991 and 1995, he served as the Governor-appointed Director of Environment at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. In addition to teaching graduate courses in KU’s Department of Public Administration Charles teaches in the Center’s Certified Public Manager, Emerging Leaders Academy, and other programs, bringing the perspective of elective, appointed and entrepreneurial success to policy and technical aspects of public management.

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Terri Callahan
Certified Public Manager (CPM) Program

Terri Callahan is an instructor and program director at the University of Kansas Public Management Center. She is program director for the Kansas Certified Public Manager Program, teaching Management Basics; Management Practices I: Leadership and Emotional Intelligence; Innovation and Process Improvement; and Management Practices II: Personal Development Plan. She provides training in a variety of managerial topics for all management levels in the public sector. Terri is a qualified instructor for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, is certified to administer the Emotional Intelligence Quotient (EQi), and is a certified instructor for the Relationship Awareness Theory and the Strength Deployment Inventory. Previously Terri was a staff development specialist in the Department of Administration's Division of Personnel Services for seven years. She holds a bachelor's degree in total quality management from Friends University and is an affiliate member of the American Academy of Certified Public Managers.

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Jonathan Morris
Instructor and Program Manager

Jonathan Morris is an Instructor in the Certified Public Manager Program, and directs KU PMC’s Custom Course Offerings. His training topics include leadership and team building, management practices, organizational behavior, intergenerational communications, succession planning, coaching and mentoring, diversity and harassment. Jonathan worked as director of a training center in New York City and has worked within the public and private sectors. A native Kansan, he attended Kansas State University and Bethany College and did his graduate work in New York. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the American Society for Training and Development–Kansas City Chapter.

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Beverly Vogel
MPA Admissions and Support

Beverly Vogel earned a bachelor of art’s degree in history, with a minor in business administration, from Pittsburg State University in 1984. She has administered the KU master’s degree program in public administration at the K.U. Public Management Center since October 1985.

In addition to administering the masters of public administration, Vogel coordinates, with instructors and staff, the Kansas Certified Public Manager program, Public Health Certificate program as well as various trainings provided by the Center.

Bev’s tenure in state government began at Pittsburg State University. She has also been employed at the Kansas Division of Personnel Services as well as the Division of Information System and Telecommunications in Topeka.

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Sherilyn Cook
Senior Administrative Assistant

Sherilyn Cook is typically the first point of contact when it comes to answering the questions or accommodating the needs of PMC students and clientele.

She earned an Associate of Arts degree from Washburn University where she worked for 17 years in the offices of the President, and Vice President for Student Life. Sherilyn brings her interest in student life to the PMC by creating a joyful office environment that emphasizes student activities and accomplishments.

Sherilyn’s extensive office management skills are used in support of the Certified Public Manager program, as well as all other PMC offerings.

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Les Lauber
Instructor and Program Manager

Les Lauber has been a training practitioner for more than a dozen years in both public and private sector organizations. His resume is diverse, eclectic, and unfocused. After stints as radio disc jockey, factory worker, pizza cook, news reporter, insurance agent, parking meter repairperson, and loan industry analyst he turned to the good side of the Force as a trainer. Currently employed by the University of Kansas Public Management Center, he spends his days as an Instructor and Program Manager. Known for content-rich, highly interactive sessions, Les has made presentations across North America to various corporate audiences and conferences, including the North American Simulation and Gaming Association (NASAGA) and the Annual Conference of the Certified Public Manager Academy (AACPM). Les designs games in such topics as communications, problem solving, clarification of participants' roles in the organization, etc. He collaborated with Sivasailam "Thiagi" Thiagarjan to design and publish a set of card games based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator^®. His new book chapter on principles of effective role-playing was published in The Handbook of Experiential Learning in March 2007. Fiercely loyal to his alma mater, Les has an undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas and has nearly completed his Master’s degree from Kansas State University. Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t look any better in purple than in crimson and blue.

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