Professor John Nalbandian
John is Professor Emeritus in the School of Public Affairs and Administration at the University of Kansas. U. S. News and World Report rates the local government specialization in the School as number one in the nation. John chaired what was then the department of Public Administration on two occasions. Between his times as chair, he served as an elected city council member and mayor in Lawrence, KS (pop. 100,000). In addition, he has served on several boards and commissions locally. In Kansas he has been recognized both as “elected official of the year” as well as “academic public administrator of the year.”
John has been nationally recognized on several occasions for his commitment to the public good expressed in his research, teaching, and community service. He frequently is invited to speak at conferences as well as provide workshops for local government governing bodies and staff. He has a visiting “professor of practice” appointment advising the local government certificate program at Virginia Tech. He is a regular presenter at the Senior Executive Institute (University of Virginia) and the Public Executive Leadership Academy (University of North Carolina).
In addition to John's scholarly work, he is an amazing gardener. His garden is featured in the 2023 Lawrence Garden Tour.
Dr. Nalbandian at ICMA Annual Conference
On Tuesday, October 28, Dr. Nalbandian participated in a panel moderated by ICMA’s CEO/Executive Director Julia D. Novak at the ICMA Annual Conference in Tampa, Florida. The panel represented four people who have been formative in defining professional local government for Julia. John is joined by distinguished guests Jan Perkins, Valerie Lemmie, and Bob O’Neil.
