Dr. Tara L. Fikes

Dr. Tara L. Fikes is a retired local government professional with thirty years of local government experience, that included serving as the Housing, Human Rights and Community Development Director for Orange County, NC for most of her career. She is an active member of several professional organizations including the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) and serves on various governing boards and committees in her home community of Durham, NC. Tara has a BA degree in political science/public administration from North Carolina Central University; an MPA degree from North Carolina State University; and a doctorate in public administration from the University of Southern California. She has over 20+ years of teaching experience as an Adjunct Instructor in MPA Programs at NC Central University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Government and has been an adjunct faculty member at Ohio University for the last three years. Her research interests include citizen participation and state/local government affairs.