GFRC in the news! The GFRC's very own Deborah Carroll was featured in an article in FOX 32 Chicago!
Did you know? Deborah Carroll, director of the GFRC, was recently featured in a #FOX32 article! Scan the QR code in the image or visit this link to read it! www.fox32chicago.com/news/2026-pr... @uiccuppa.bsky.social @christelle-khalaf.bsky.social
Happy #TaxDay!
Capstone Projects for Certified Public Managers (an example from the Fall 2025 cohort) Digitizing the Building Permit Process at the City of Oak Forest by Mike Forbes The Problem The City of Oak Forest relies on in-person, paper building permit applications. This process is inconvenient and time-consuming for both city staff and applicants. The Goal Using the City’s current permit processes, develop recommendations for an online web-based permitting platform to improve efficiency, transparency, and accessibility.
Today we'd like to highlight one of our #IllinoisCPM Fall 2025 cohort's #capstone projects. Introducing "Digitizing the Building Permit Process at the City of Oak Forest" by Mike Forbes! @christelle-khalaf.bsky.social @uiccuppa.bsky.social
MCRSA (Mid-Continent Regional Science Association) 2026 MCRSA Conference/IMPLAN Summit AT UIC! Open call for papers/abstracts CLOSING SOON! DEADLINE: APRIL 15 56th Annual MCRSA Conference 18th annual IMPLAN Summit Midwest Public Affairs Conference June 10-12, 2026 UIC College of Urban Planning & Public Affairs
The Mid-Continent Regional Science Association #Conference and IMPLAN #Summit is happening soon on UIC's campus, and the open call to submit papers is closing soon! For more information, visit the MCRSA website: www.mcrsa.org/conference/ @christelle-khalaf.bsky.social
Capstone Projects for Certified Public Managers (or, All About the CPM Capstone Project) The Capstone Project is the culminating experience of the Illinois CPM program, allowing cohort members to apply what they’ve learned in the program to a real-world issue in their field. Participants have the chance to tackle a need faced by their employer, demonstrate strategic thinking and evidence-based decision-making, and develop actionable recommendations or tools that could support public sector performance. Keep an eye on our page as we feature examples from our current cohort!
Part of the Illinois #CPM program involves developing a #capstone project, applying one's learnings to a real-world issue in their field. These projects support #publicsector #decisionmaking and #strategicthinking. Keep an eye on our page as we feature the Fall 2025 cohort! @uiccuppa.bsky.social
Mark your calendars! The class schedule and curriculum for the Fall 2026 Illinois Certified Public Manager® cohort is now available on our website! If you’re interested in the program, check it out! Registration is open until July 31st, 2026!
Ever wondered what kind of work goes into a career in #publicmanagement #finance #government? Check out the Illinois CPM curriculum schedule on our website to see the work you'd be doing in the program! And if you're interested, apply today! @uiccuppa.bsky.social @christelle-khalaf.bsky.social
One of the best ways to stay in-the-know about current events is to read a variety of perspectives. That’s what the Government Finance Research Blog is for! https://gfrc.uic.edu/the-government-finance-research-blog/
Recently, on our X account, we've been highlighting GFRC blog posts that correspond to #currentevents. But, you don't need to be on X to be in on the fun! The Government Finance Research Blog has years' of posts, many of which can apply to events happening today. gfrc.uic.edu/the-governme...
gfrc.uic.edu/training/ill...
The fall 2025 CPM cohort sits around a conference table, engaging in discussion.
The fall 2025 CPM cohort met on the first day of #spring to discuss impactful #communication in #publicservice and #management. These in-person conversations give cohort members an opportunity to produce healthy dialogue in a positive learning environment. Sign up for the fall 2026 cohort today! 👇️
From all of us at the GFRC, we would like to wish you a very restful and relaxing Spring Break!
Meet the Illinois Certified Public Manager® Program Advisory Board: Benjamin Superfine Senior Director of the Institute of Government and Public Affairs at UIC Professor in the Department of Educational Policy Studies Former Assistant Vice Provost for Faculty Relations Bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania J.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan First year on the board A fun fact about Benjamin is that he's a lifelong comic book fan!
The Illinois CPM® Advisory Board consists of seven working professionals who oversee, advise, endorse, and support the Illinois CPM® program. Advisory board members hold a variety of positions in research, finance, local government, academia, and more— but all are connected by their desire to serve and improve the public sector! The next CPM® cohort begins August 2026— in line with the start of the academic year. That means you have plenty of time to check out our website to learn more (and apply before July 31)!
To close off our Illinois CPM Advisory Board series, we'd like to feature Benjamin Superfine of our very own UIC! The CPM Advisory Board oversees the progression and development of Illinois’ ONLY Certified Public Manager® Program. #publicmanagement #government #finance #research #academia
The Government Finance Research Center presents A Conversation With... Terry McKee, Director of Procurement at Knoxville, Tennessee’s Community Development Corporation. Available now on the GFRC website!
The latest entry in our "A Conversation With..." series is finally here! In this series, we talk with experts to dig deeper into their perspective on the past, present, and future of #government #finance. Check it out on our website! gfrc.uic.edu/a-conversati...
Meet the Illinois CPM Advisory Board: Junfeng Wang Associate professor at the School of Public Management and Policy at UIS (15 Years strong!) Formerly in management at the China University of Mining and Technology PhD in Public Policy from UNC Charlotte Taught at UNC Pembroke for two years This is Junfengs first year on the board, and in her free time, she enjoys gardening and cooking.
The Illinois CPM® Advisory Board consists of seven working professionals who oversee, advise, endorse, and support the Illinois CPM® program. Advisory board members hold a variety of positions in research, finance, local government, academia, and more— but all are connected by their desire to serve and improve the public sector! The next CPM® cohort begins August 2026— in line with the start of the academic year. That means you have plenty of time to check out our website to learn more (and apply before July 31)!
The CPM Advisory Board oversees the progression and development of Illinois’ ONLY Certified Public Manager® Program (details on slide 2!). The next Advisory Board member we're featuring is Junfeng Wang of UIS! #publicmanagement #government #finance #research #academia
UI STUDENT INTERNSHIP APPLICATIONS OPEN NOW! Open to incoming sophomores, juniors, and seniors at UIC, UIS and UIUC Public policy, communications, public service, government, and journalism Paid year-long program APPLICATION DEADLINE: MARCH 29
The Charles P. Wolff #Internship application is now accepting applications! Open to any non-graduating student in the UI system (UIC, UIS, UIUC) with an interest in #publicpolicy! To learn more, visit the website: igpa.uillinois.edu/programs/the...
Meet the Illinois CPM Advisory Board: Thomas Snyder -Clinical Professor in the Department of Public Administration at UIC -Former Director of Graduate Studies for the MPA and MPP programs at UIC -Bachelor of Arts from UCSC -Master of Science from Oregon -Master of City and Regional Planning and PhD from Harvard As an undergraduate, Thomas was on the committee that chose the mascot for his school. To this day, UCSC is still the Banana Slugs!
The Illinois CPM® Advisory Board consists of seven working professionals who oversee, advise, endorse, and support the Illinois CPM® program. Advisory board members hold a variety of positions in research, finance, local government, academia, and more— but all are connected by their desire to serve and improve the public sector! The next CPM® cohort begins August 2026— in line with the start of the academic year. That means you have plenty of time to check out our website to learn more (and apply before July 31)!
The CPM Advisory Board oversees the progression and development of Illinois’ ONLY Certified Public Manager® Program (details on slide 2!). The next Advisory Board member we're featuring is UIC's own Thomas Snyder! #publicmanagement #government #finance #research #academia @uiccuppa.bsky.social
Want to know more about research at the GFRC? GFRC Research Briefs and Policy Bites are short (1-2 page) summaries of our published research projects, highlighting important and policy-relevant findings. While mainly intended for use by policymakers and legislative staff, they’re an easy and quick way for everyone to get to know about our research!
The GFRC website is full of hidden surprises! Our #research briefs and #policy bites are meant to teach people about our #projects in a quick and easy way. Check them out on our website! @christelle-khalaf.bsky.social
HOT THIS WEEK! Cities are facing growing demands for modern, sustainable infrastructure... but traditional public funding alone isn’t enough to meet them. Federal funds can help, but they aren’t a long-term solution. This is where public-private partnerships (P3s) come in! What are the pros and cons of these unique partnerships? Check out “Public-Private Partnerships For Funding Infrastructure” on the Government Finance Research Blog!
Have you checked out the Government Finance Research Blog yet? This post, written by faculty from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and Georgia State University, was one of our top-viewed blogs of the week! Check it out here! gfrc.uic.edu/the-governme... #p3 #publicprivate #partnership #business
Meet the Illinois Certified Public Manager® Program Advisory Board: Nancy Ouedraogo -Manager of the Illinois Extension Local Government Education program -Recipient of five service awards through Illinois Extension -B.A. in Political Science from UIUC -M.S. in Applied Community and Economic Development, Politics and Government from ISU -Nancy’s parents were both archaeologists, and she has an archeological site (“Nancy’s Point”) named after her!
The Illinois CPM® Advisory Board consists of seven working professionals who oversee, advise, endorse, and support the Illinois CPM® program. Advisory board members hold a variety of positions in research, finance, local government, academia, and more— but all are connected by their desire to serve and improve the public sector! The next CPM® cohort begins August 2026— in line with the start of the academic year. That means you have plenty of time to check out our website to learn more (and apply before July 31)!
The CPM Advisory Board oversees the progression and development of Illinois’ ONLY Certified Public Manager® Program (details on slide 2!). The next Advisory Board member we're featuring is Nancy Ouedraogo of UIUC! #publicmanagement #government #finance #research #academia
Transparency Stars SHINE in Texas! Launched by the Texas Comptroller’s office in 2014, the Transparency Stars program recognizes local governments that go above and beyond in providing downloadable data, clear visualizations, and contact info for officials. Learn more about it on the Government Finance Research Blog! “Now more than ever, we in government must, in the interest of transparency, make government data accessible.” - Glenn Hegar, former Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
This 2021 GFRC blog post by Glenn Hegar discusses the importance of government transparency as it relates to reliable data. What do you think? Read the blog post on our website and comment below with your thoughts! 👇
gfrc.uic.edu/transparency...
A one-pager introducing Joe Ferguson, a member of the Illinois CPM Advisory Board. He is the current president of the Civic Federation and has a J.D. from Northwestern University's Pritzker School of Law. Fun fact: Joe believes that Neapolitan pizza is the only pizza!
The CPM Advisory Board oversees the progression and development of Illinois’ ONLY Certified Public Manager® Program (details on slide 2!). The next Advisory Board member we're featuring is Joe Ferguson, president of @civicfederation.bsky.social !
Interested in the Illinois CPM® program, but don’t know where to start? The GFRC website has multiple videos about the CPM® program, including a SparkTalk with Deborah Carroll, the director of the Government Finance Research Center!
Our website is full of little-known resources and tools, such as our informational videos about the Illinois Certified Public Manager® program! If you're interested but want to learn more, check out our website, which has two great videos introducing and explaining the program!
NEW REPORT! The University of Virginia Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service, in partnership with the Joyce Foundation, breaks down the impacts of data centers in the Great Lakes region, complete with fact sheets and FAQs to help communities better understand what’s at stake. The GFRC’s own Christelle Khalaf served on the advisory board for this report-- check it out at coopercenter.org!
The report website has multiple fact sheets to make learning accessible for all!
To round off our data-themed week, we'd like to highlight a report supported by GFRC associate director Christelle Khalaf and our partners at @joycefdn.bsky.social, complete with fact sheets and FAQs for communities and policymakers. Visit their website to check out the report!
Did you know? About 40% of the expected increase in the demand for power by 2030 is tied to data centers, raising big questions for regulators about energy capacity, sustainability, and who bears the cost. How are industries dealing with this increase as the demand for data centers grows? Check out “Critical Considerations for Regulators on Data Centers” on the Government Finance Research Blog!
In keeping with the data theme this week... Why are data centers a hot topic for policymakers? Explore their economic benefits and resource demands in today's featured blog post, authored by the GFRC's own Christelle Khalaf! @christelle-khalaf.bsky.social
CALLING ALL DATA NERDS! Do YOU like exploring data? Whether you’re in the mood for a spreadsheet or a map, the GFRC has the data portal for you! Our website contains three interactive portals based on our larger studies that anyone can use to support public finance research and analysis. Check them out anytime!
Do you like exploring data? Maps, charts, numbers? The GFRC website contains three data portals-- ways to access and visualize data based on our research projects. To reach our data portals, visit our website! gfrc.uic.edu/data-portals/
HOT this week: Even though public use of parks surged during the pandemic, public agency park spending per person in the nation’s biggest cities, as of 2022, is still lower than it was before the 2007 recession. What strategies are cities using to diversify their funding sources? Check out “Why are City Parks Struggling to Keep Up?” on the Government Finance Research Blog!
Even though public use of parks surged during the pandemic, public agency park spending per person in the nation’s biggest cities was, as of 2022, still lower than before the 2007 recession.
Read more on the Government Finance Research Blog!
A one-pager introducing Dagmara "Dee" Avelar, a member of the Illinois CPM advisory board. She is an Illinois State Representative for the 85th District, the Assistant Majority Leader in the Illinois House, and this is her first year on the board. She has a BA in Justice Studies/Political Science from NEIU, and is a MUPP at UIC. She immigrated to the US from Ecuador and is passionate about making government systems more accessible and people-centered!
The Illinois CPM® Advisory Board consists of seven working professionals who oversee, advise, endorse, and support the Illinois CPM® program. Advisory board members hold a variety of positions in research, finance, local government, academia, and more— but all are connected by their desire to serve and improve the public sector! The next CPM® cohort begins August 2026— in line with the start of the academic year. That means you have plenty of time to check out our website to learn more (and apply before July 31)!
The CPM Advisory Board oversees the progression and development of Illinois’ ONLY Certified Public Manager® Program (details on slide 2!). The next Advisory Board member we're featuring is Dagmara "Dee" Avelar, an Illinois State Representative and a MUPP!
Curious about what’s working (and what’s not) in public finance? The Government Finance Research Blog is your new favorite site! We’ll be featuring highlights on our social media pages, too! Want to contribute a blog post of your own? Shoot us an email at gfrc@uic.edu!
Dive into the GFRC blog archives to explore ideas worth sharing, questioning, and putting into practice. And if you want to contribute a blog post of your own, shoot us an email at gfrc@uic.edu!
gfrc.uic.edu/the-governme...
New paper released December 2025 as part of the Government Finance Research Center's Water Rate Setting Study: Investigating residential drinking water bills across small and medium-sized municipal systems
The GFRC recently released a paper analyzing community water systems in Illinois-- part of a larger Water Rate Setting Study commissioned by the Illinois General Assembly. Read more about the study, including the new paper, on our website!
Did you know? The Illinois CPM program is overseen by an advisory board. Starting today, we'll be featuring each member on our social media pages! First up is Dana Librot, who joined the advisory board this past December!
