Tom Mills has been director of executive education at the Fels Institute of Government, University of Pennsylvania. A former city official in Philadelphia for twenty-two years, he served the city as deputy managing director, chief deputy court administrator, and first deputy finance director. He has held positions at Fairleigh Dickinson University (Rutherford campus), Trenton State College, and Temple University.
Charldean Newell is regents professor emerita of public administration at the University of North Texas, where her teaching, research, and numerous publications focused on local government management and Texas politics. She held four administrative positions. A fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and an honorary member of ICMA, Newell serves on the Credentialing Advisory Board and teaches in the Emerging Leaders Program. She has chaired a charter revision committee, the Fire and Police Civil Service Board, and the Public Utilities Board in her community and served on the city council ethics committee.