Balanoff elected Fellow of National Academy of Public Administration

By Ann Friou
University News Service
October 13, 2011

Howard R. Balanoff, professor of political science at Texas State University-San Marcos, has been elected as a Fellow in the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA).

Fellows are chosen from among outstanding public administration practitioners and scholars across the country. Balanoff will be inducted as a Fellow Nov. 17.

NAPA, chartered by Congress as an independent, non-partisan organization, directs projects and services to improve the quality, performance, and accountability of government. Its 680 Fellows help public sector leaders by evaluating, analyzing, and making recommendations on the nation’s most critical management, governance, policy, and operational issues.

Balanoff, who has taught at Texas State for more than 30 years, holds the William P. Hobby Professorship in Political Science and directs the acclaimed Texas Certified Manager Program (CPM), offered through the university’s William P. Hobby Center for Public Service. The CPM program, accredited by the National Consortium of Certified Public Managers, offers training to government managers to enhance the quality, efficiency, effectiveness, and professionalism of their leadership.

Balanoff is the author of numerous articles on public administration and planning and is the editor of the textbook Public Policy and Administration. He is chair of the American Society for Public Administration’s (ASPA) Section for Certified Public Management. He is a former member of the National Council of ASPA and a former president of the National Certified Public Manager Consortium. He has also served as chair of ASPA's international affairs committee and chair of ASPA's section on professional and organizational development.

Balanoff’s specialty areas are personnel administration, public policy, organizational theory and behavior, human resources administration and professional development, and education in the public sector. He also teaches courses and conducts research in the area of international and comparative public administration. For seven years he served on active duty as a communications-electronics officer and missile combat crew commander in the United States Air Force. He also served for 13 years a member of the Air Force Reserves. He holds the rank of Major USAF-Retired. Balanoff received a B.A. degree in political science and history from Hunter College of the City University of New York, and master’s and Ph.D. degrees in urban and regional planning from Texas A&M University.