Letter from Dean Plouck

July 28, 2025

Greetings,

Recently, I met with leaders from a statewide trade association to discuss possible areas of synergy between the Voinovich School of Leadership & Public Service and their organization. During the introductions, a woman delighted me by sharing that I’d spoken to her graduate public administration class about 15 years ago, when I was serving as a Cabinet Director in Governor Kasich’s administration. She recounted that, during the lecture, I’d shared insights regarding the importance of public service, some details of my career journey, and how much I loved working for the State of Ohio. She added that she was inspired to consider an internship with the state and eventually had a couple of jobs in state government prior to joining her current organization, where she focuses on government affairs.

This chance encounter was a fantastic reminder of how we all can make a positive impression on the journeys of others.  This is the theme that I’ve taken to heart in my Strategic Leadership & Public Value classes, into which I invite Voinovich School alumni to share their leadership stories with our current Master of Public Administration students. Offering the opportunity for our students to interact with a wide variety of servant leaders (e.g., a local public health director, a prison warden, a disability rights advocate, a local development director) offers many benefits. For our On Campus MPA pre-service students who’ve had limited work experience, it offers insight into the wide variety of careers possible for MPA graduates. For our Online MPA and Executive MPA students who are working in careers, these speakers offer different perspectives on how leadership and management challenges are addressed in different work environments.  In all cases, it exposes our students to rich illustrations of exemplary leadership.

You’re probably aware that our School is named for the late Ohio Governor and U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich, whose 40+ year legacy of public service helped to shape countless programs and policies in Ohio. An »¨¼¾´«Ã½ alumnus, Governor Voinovich led by example and inspired countless public servants in our state who continue to serve today in all levels of government as well as nonprofit and private sectors. He was Governor when I was hired at my first job for the State of Ohio, and I count myself among those people who learned positive lessons from his leadership philosophy and overall strategic stewardship of our state.

It's an honor to serve at the Voinovich School – to help inspire others to pursue careers in the public sector, and, in so doing, to honor the amazing legacy of Governor Voinovich.

Tracy Plouck
Dean
Voinovich School of Leadership & Public Service