FAST TRACK YOUR FUTURE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT MANAGEMENT
The Cookingham-Noll Management Fellowship is a 2-year, full-time, paid position with the City of Kansas City, Missouri. Our program offers a top-tier professional development and career opportunity in local government. With the fellowship comes challenge and excitement, as well as a host of work-life benefits that are hard to match. This unique experience offers recent graduates of Public Administration (or related) Master’s programs a “360-degree tour of the city" and includes rotations in the City's Office of Performance Management, the Office of Management and Budget, and other departments of their choice. Fellows will also attend and participate in several meetings each week with the City Manager and other City leadership throughout their time as a fellow.
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Excellent and meaningful opportunities to explore different career options await you, whether you are looking for a stepping stone to launch your professional life, growing a long-term career, or changing career paths. A unique and rewarding opportunity to work in local government exists where you can gain the knowledge and skills to be effective local government practitioners and make a difference in a community.
We are looking for Management Fellows who will provide the following:
INNOVATION:
Bring fresh perspectives to Kansas City about public administration and public policy from top research and professional institutions and offer unique outside perspectives and experiences to the organization.
ENERGY:
Provide enthusiasm and focused energy to important high-priority City projects. Be able to engage yourself and others to keep projects, and our City moving forward.
VERSATILITY:
Each day is different and fellows must strike a balance between managing priority City projects that require their involvement in multiple departments and the responsibilities associated with their individual role.
LEADERSHIP:
Be dedicated to becoming effective leaders by gaining experience in many different aspects of local government, which is a benefit to them and the City whether they transition to other positions in the City or go on to become leaders in other communities across the country.
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ABOUT THE PROGRAM
The 2 Year Fellowship Timeline
Explore
A fellow's first task is to learn what is going on in KCMO. Meet with our City's leadership team to familiarize yourself with what our City does, how it operates, and where it is going.
You will also have short rotations throughout the City Departments during this time.
Budget
Put on your budget analyst hat and help prepare our Citywide Business Plan!
Learn the ins and outs of the process and help engage our community through budget workshops.
Choose
We encourage our fellows to pursue their interests. You design your future rotations. With 18 departments, your project opportunities are
limitless.
Get to Know the Current Fellows
2023-2025 fELLOWS
AMIE
YOUNG
TUWILIKA ELIAS
Hometown: Walvis Bay, Namibia
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Current neighborhood: Westside North
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Education:
The University of Namibia- Hons in Clinical Psychology
The University of Missouri-Columbia- M.P.A
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Why you chose this fellowship:
I am passionate about social issues, governance and development. The fellowship offers a unique opportunity to contribute to building and improving communities while sharing cross-cultural perspective and gaining professional development and practical skills.
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Favorite Place to Go in Kansas City:
Coffee shops with plants and an ancient arctic feel.
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KACEY EIS
Hometown: Overland Park, KS
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Current neighborhood: Waldo
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Education:
The University of Kansas - B.S., Community Health
The University of Michigan - M.S., Environment & Sustainability
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Why you chose this fellowship:
The fellowship offers a unique opportunity to experience local government from the inside out. Building our network and spending time in different departments gives us a strong foundation and prepares us for any direction our careers may go.
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Favorite Place to Go in Kansas City:
Any of the locally-owned coffee shops
JOSHUA HAVERKAMP
Hometown: Bern, KS
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Current neighborhood: Marlborough
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Education:
Kansas State University - B.S., Political Science
Kansas State University - M.P.A.
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Why you chose this fellowship:
I chose this fellowship due to the flexibility and stability that it afforded. It is flexible in letting us Fellows move from department to department to get experience in places we wouldn't otherwise consider, and it allows us to choose where we would like to work after we finish in the Budget Office. It is stable in how it guarantees an extended length of time that we get to work for the city.
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Favorite Place to Go in Kansas City:
River Market; Kansas City Zoo (I'm looking forward to being able to go to the new aquarium at the zoo in 2023); Kansas City Public Library