Profile
Douglas J. Watson (Ph.D., Auburn University) is Professor of Public Affairs and head of the undergraduate and graduate programs in Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Dallas.
Dr. Watson teaches courses in human resource management, economic development, organization theory, and local government management in the Master of Public Affairs program and the Ph.D program in Public Affairs.
A former city manager who served three cities over 30 years, Dr. Watson won numerous awards for his work as a practitioner, including the National Public Service Award from the American Society for Public Administration/National Academy of Public Administration, the L.P. Cookingham Award for Career Development, and Orin Nolting International Award, the latter two from the International City-County Management Association.
When he retired from city management in 2003, the City of Auburn, AL named a complex of three buildings in his honor. In his academic career, he serves or has served on the editorial board of six peer-reviewed journals, including the Public Administration Review. He is the author, co-author, or editor of several books on local government in American cities, including Local Government Management: Current Issues and Best Practices.
He is co-author of two books that will be released in 2006: Spending a Lifetime: The Careers of City Managers published by the Carl Vinson Institute of Government at The University of Georgia and Civic Battles: When Cities Change Their Forms of Government published by PrAcademics Press. His 42 journal articles and five book chapters on local government issues have appeared in numerous academic and professional journals and books.
Past Work Experiences
City Manager, City of Auburn, Alabama, August 1982 - December 2003.
City Manager, City of Picayune, Mississippi, August 1978 - July 1982.
Executive Vice President, Chris J. Yahnis Corporation, Florence, South Carolina, May 1976 - August 1978.
City Manager, Florence, South Carolina, June 1973 - May 1976.
Assistant City Manager, Florence, South Carolina, December 1971 - June 1973.
Awards
Outstanding Achievement Award, Pi Alpha Alpha, Auburn University, 2003
Douglas J. Watson Municipal Complex in Auburn, AL designated by City Council Resolution, 2003
Congressional Record, November 21, 2003, citation for service as Auburn city manager
Life Member, International City-County Management Association, 2003
Orin Nolting International Award, International City-County Management Association, 2001
Editor’s Choice Award, Public Administration Review, 2001
25 Years of Service Award, International City-County Management Association, 1999
National Public Service Award, American Society for Public Administration and the National Academy of Public Administration, 1997
Good Citizenship Award, Auburn Rotary Club, 1997
L.P. Cookingham Award for Career Development, International City - County Management Association, 1993
David Cobb Memorial Award for Excellence in Local Government Management- Alabama City Management Association, 1991
President’s Award- Auburn Chamber of Commerce, 1988
Alabama Public Administrator of the Year-American Society for Public Administration, 1985
Mississippi Public Administrator of the Year-American Society for Public Administration, 1982
Pi Sigma Alpha, University of Maryland, Auburn University at Montgomery - Political Science honorary
Pi Alpha Alpha, Auburn University - Public Administration honorary
Professional Organizations
International City Management City-County Management
Texas City Management City-County Management
American Society of Public Administration
Recent Courses
PA 7325 Survey of Public Affairs
PA 6342 Local Government Management
PA 7343 Human Resource Management
PA 6320 Organization Theory
Media Expertise
As a city manager for nearly 30 years, I had daily contact with press, radio, and television media representatives.
publications
recent books
Douglas J. Watson and Wendy L. Hassett, Local Government Management: Current Issues and Best Practices (M. E. Sharpe, Inc, 2003).
Forthcoming Books
Douglas J. Watson and Rollin J. Watson, Spending a Lifetime: Careers of City Managers (University of Georgia Carl Vinson Institute of Government, forthcoming 2005). Sixth book.
Wendy L. Hassett and Douglas J. Watson, Civic Battles: Revisiting the Forms of Local Government (PrAcademics Press, 2006). Seventh book.
Recent Book Chapter
Douglas J. Watson and Catherine Reese, “The Role of Human Resource Professionals in the Budgeting Process” in Stephen E. Condrey., ed., Handbook of Human Resource Management in Government, 2nd ed. (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2005).
Recent Journal Articles
Douglas J. Watson and L. Douglas Kiel, “Introduction: Special Issue on Natural Disasters and Public Works Management and Policy.” Public Works Management and Policy (forthcoming 2006). Symposium arranged by and edited by authors.
L. Douglas Kiel and Douglas J. Watson, “Introduction: Special Issue on Natural Disasters and Economic Development.” Economic Development Quarterly (forthcoming 2006). Symposium arranged by and edited by authors.
Douglas J. Watson and Floun’say Caver, “Searching for Cost Effectiveness in EMS: An Intergovernmental Approach,” Popular Government (forthcoming 2006).
Douglas J. Watson, Wendy L. Hassett, and Donna M. Handley, “The ASPA Journals: Who is Publishing?” Journal of Public Affairs Education, Vol. 11, No. 1, 2005.
Douglas J. Watson and Wendy L. Hassett. “Capitalizing on Student Workers: The City of Auburn’s Student Employment Programs,” Review of Public Personnel Administration, Vol. 25-2, 2005.
Douglas J. Watson, Donna M. Milam, and Wendy L. Hassett, “Financial Distress and Municipal Bankruptcy: The Case of Prichard, Alabama,” Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, Vol 17, No. 2, 2005.
Jerry Davis, Roseann Kuhns, and Douglas J. Watson, “Evaluating Emergency Medical Services: Controlling the Rising Cost of Saving Lives,” Journal of Health and Human Services Administration, Vol. 26, No. 3, 2004.
Douglas J. Watson and Wendy L. Hassett, “The Career Paths of City Managers in America’s Largest Council-Manager Cities,” Public Administration Review, Vol. 64, No. 2, 2004.
Douglas J. Watson and Wendy L. Hassett, “Career Paths: Ways to the Top,” Public Management, Vol. 26, No. 7, 2004.
Editorial Board Service
Board of Editors, Public Administration Review journal.
Editorial Board, Public Works Management & Policy journal.
Board of Editors, State and Local Government Review journal (1999-2002).
Board of Editors, Review of Public Personnel Administration journal.
Board of Editors, Public Performance and Management Review journal
Editorial Board for the ASPA Classics book series.
Board of Editors, Chinese Public Administration Review.
Also reviewed for several other journals during the past year.
Other External Service
Co-Chair of 2007 national conference of the American Society for Public Administration conference to be held in Washington, D.C. in April 2007.
Selection Committee for the Executive Director, American Society for Public Administration, 2005.
Selection Committees (2) for 2004 and 2005 for national awards for Public Administration Review.
Panel member, National Association of Schools of Public Administration and Affairs national conference, Fall 2005.
Panel member, civic group discussion of Dallas form of government, Fall 2005.
Speaker for UTD program in Mexico, Fall 2005.
Speaker for Issues Forum, City of Plano, January 2006.
- Updated: July 26, 2006
