Eugene Meyer, president of the Greater Des Moines Partnership, was presented the 2013 Distinguished Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) Alumnus Award at Drake University. A committee of faculty members in the Drake College of Business and Public Administration selected Meyer as this year’s award recipient.
The Distinguished M.P.A. Alumnus Award has been awarded each year since 1973, and Meyer joins a long list of notable alumni who have received this award. Past recipients include: Jeff Geerts, Iowa Department of Economic Development; Robert Ravenscroft, Mercy Foundation; and Judy Bradshaw, Des Moines Police Department.
“I was frankly humbled by the recognition,” Meyer says. “It is well known that Drake has one of the finest M.P.A. programs in the country. To be recognized by Drake was a great honor.”
Meyer was presented the award at the Pi Alpha Alpha luncheon on April 17. Drake faculty, administrators, M.P.A. students, and alumni were present at the luncheon, including Drake University President David Maxwell and Charles Edwards, dean of the College of Business and Public Administration.
Pi Alpha Alpha (PAA), the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration, also recognized 35 new inductees at the luncheon. More than 200 students are enrolled in the M.P.A. program at Drake, which is the only on-campus M.P.A. program currently offered in Iowa. Membership in PAA is by invitation only and is based on academic excellence.
For more information on the Distinguished M.P.A. Alumnus Award or PAA, contact Garry Frank at 515-271-2426 or garry.frank@drake.edu.