Title: 1) Senior Fellow (Retired); 2) Community Activist
Company: 1) The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; 2) The Coalition for Affordable Housing and Transit of Durham
Location: Durham, North Carolina, United States
James H. “Jim” Svara, PhD, retired senior fellow at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and community activist in the Coalition for Affordable Housing and Transit of Durham, has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Educators for dedication, achievements and leadership in Political Science.
Dr. Svara has established a distinguished career spanning more than four decades in the fields of political science, urban politics and public administration. Over the course of 40 years, he has contributed significantly to both academic scholarship and community engagement, with expertise encompassing urban government, urban management and the intricate relationships among professionals, elected officials and the public.
A former educator who dedicated his time to teaching, advising students and engaging with the community, Dr. Svara retired from academia in 2012 and got involved in selected activities as a visiting senior fellow in the School of Government at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In this capacity, he was part of a three-person team that advised the International City/County Managers Association regarding the revision of its Code of Ethics to strengthen the commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and community involvement—recommendations accepted by the ICMA membership in 2023.
Between 2006 and 2012, Dr. Svara was a professor at Arizona State University in its Phoenix downtown campus. He was recruited to serve as the director of the new Center for Urban Innovation, an initiative launched in partnership with the International City/County Management Association. This position enabled Dr. Svara to focus on innovative practices in local government and marked a significant milestone in his career. He regarded this role as an honor that gave him a deeply satisfying focus on the beneficial actions of municipalities and counties. During this period, he also co-chaired the committee that reviewed and revised the Code of Ethics of the American Society for Public Administration.
Before his tenure at Arizona State University, Dr. Svara was a professor at North Carolina State University in Raleigh from 1989 to 2006 and served as director of the Public Administration Program from 1990 to 1998 and department head from 1998 to 2005. In 1998, he was a half-year visiting scholar at the University of Southern Denmark who helped to design a survey of top local government administrators in 12 countries in Europe plus Australia and the United States that provided the foundation for the book “Leadership at the Apex: Politicians and Administrators in Western Local Governments” he co-authored with leading Danish scholar Poul Erik Mouritzen in 2002. He spent another half year as a visiting scholar in Denmark in 2006 before starting his appointment at Arizona State.
Dr. Svara began his academic career at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where he was hired as an assistant professor and later became an associate professor from 1972 to 1989 in a new political science department. He provided guidance to students interested in public administration and continued his research into local government operations. He initiated a summer internship program for majors in the department. Dr. Svara also maintained extensive interaction with city and county governments in Greensboro, North Carolina, fostering practical learning opportunities for students and supporting his new research on local government official roles. He also served as director of the newly formed Master of Public Administration Program for two three-year terms.
Dr. Svara’s academic background laid a strong foundation for his accomplishments. He completed his undergraduate studies with a bachelor’s degree in history from the University of Kentucky in 1965. He received an interdisciplinary master’s degree in international relations with a focus on comparative government from Yale University in 1969, and earned a Doctor of Philosophy in political science from Yale University in 1972.
Dr. Svara’s professional affiliations reflect his standing in the field. He is an honorary member of the International City/County Management Association and was selected to be a member of the National Academy of Public Administration. He is also a member of the American Society for Public Administration.
In retirement, Dr. Svara has become recognized as a community activist, focusing on affordable housing and transit initiatives in Durham, North Carolina. His commitment to public service has been demonstrated through his active involvement with The Coalition for Affordable Housing and Transit (CAHT) of Durham and the Durham Congregations, Associations, and Neighborhoods (CAN) organization. Dr. Svara’s work involves leveraging professional skills to conduct research, analyze best practices from other cities, and collaborate effectively with local government officials.
Throughout his career, Dr. Svara has been recognized for advancing the understanding of the council-manager form of government. One of his most notable achievements was challenging the traditional dichotomy between elected officials and administrators by introducing the concept of duality, emphasizing collaboration and shared policy development responsibilities. Dr. Svara’s research highlighted how city managers and professional administrators contribute meaningfully to policy formulation and advise elected officials on critical issues. He has also examined the distinct role played by mayors in council-manager cities who lack formal powers but provide important facilitative leadership. These explorations have become a cornerstone in the study of local governance. He has authored or co-authored twelve books on mayoral and council leadership in the U.S. and in the U.S. and other western democracies, administrative ethics, and changes in form of government. He also contributed to the development of the 8th and 9th Model City Charters by the National Civic League and wrote the introduction to the 9th Model Charter in 2021.
Dr. Svara attributes much of his success to his natural curiosity and love for answering questions. These qualities have driven both his teaching and research endeavors. As a retiree, Dr. Svara continues to focus on expanding affordable housing opportunities for Durham residents, a model he hopes will benefit other cities as well, and remains committed to maintaining a strong family life.
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