Meet Fran, an alumna and now faculty member of our MPA program!
Fran Burns, Villanova alumna BA ’97, MPA ‘99, joined Villanova’s MPA program in Fall 2017 as a Professor of Practice after two decades of leadership in the City of Philadelphia. Professor Burns previously served as Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority (PICA), Commissioner of the Department of Licenses and Inspections, Executive Director of the Manayunk Development Corporation, Assistant Director in the City Budget and Managing Director’s Offices and most recently as the Chief Operating Officer for the School District of Philadelphia. She was the co-recipient of the 2017 COO Distinguished Service Award, a national award, from the Council of Great City Schools.
- Tell us about your professional background and experiences.
I had the privilege of working for and with some very talented leaders and I paid attention to their work. Studying good leadership is invaluable so take every opportunity to learn from your everyday interactions. How people make decisions, who they surround themselves with, who has formal and informal organizational power are all factors to learn from and to help you navigate your organization successfully.
The other thing I’ve done is worked very hard to do the job I was hired to do. I didn’t complain, look for excuses or want more. I wanted to give the best I had for the job I was hired to do. This ultimately proved rewarding in my career moves.
I strongly affirm that public administration is a profession served well by apolitical administrators that have a strong ethical and moral compass and understand the necessity of navigating the political arena. Public administration is a service and when in the service of the public it is important to always keep forefront that you work for the citizens or in the case of the School District of Philadelphia for the children.
- How/what made you join the Villanova MPA faculty?
Every time I step foot on Villanova’s campus I feel a sincere sense of honor and excitement. I wanted to join Villanova primarily because of the good team of people that built and are leading the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program and the strong team of faculty. As a graduate, Villanova feels like “my Villanova” and I have a personal connection that I share with hundreds of thousands of alumni so it’s both personal and community.
- What course(s) are you teaching? What can students expect to learn in it/them?
I am teaching Effective City Management, Urban Politics and Government and Managing Public Networks for the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. I will also be teaching City and Suburbs, an undergraduate course.
Students can expect to learn an appreciation of the history and development of our local government structures and the complexity of issues facing local municipalities. They can expect to learn about the relationships and impact of intergovernmental affairs between federal, state and local governments. They will learn about decision making, the community, diversity and leadership. It’s imperative that we understand history and theory and just as imperative that we learn how to apply our knowledge. Students can expect to learn a practical application of the study and some “war and success” stories along the way. Hopefully, students will also learn about themselves and find their voice in the work.
- What advice do you have for current MPA students?
Be true to yourself and take personal accountability. You get what you give in the program, in your professional career and in life. Be hopeful about the good in government and in public service and know that the Villanova MPA program is extraordinarily formative in building strong public administrators and the relationships you build with fellow classmates will be invaluable.
Leaders' Lounge 