JoAnne is passionate about promoting public trust and excellence in public and nonprofit service.

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Over her 35+ year career, JoAnne has looked at this topic from a variety of perspectives: local government, nonprofit organizations, the state Legislature, the federal courts and as an adjunct professor. JoAnne has worked extensively with both elected officials and staff, including city managers, county administrators, city clerks, human resource and finance directors and public agency attorneys.  

 

Her ethics-related work has included:

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• Assisting public agency professional associations and others with design and execution of public service ethics programs.  

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• Writing and speaking extensively on the topic for a variety of audiences (see resources page for links).

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• Helping public agencies develop values-based, aspirational ethics code based upon the Institute for Local Government model process.

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• Directing the Institute for Local Government’s public service ethics program and serving as the nonprofit organization’s chief executive (1998–2014). ​

 

• Spearheading the statewide effort to help local officials and their attorneys implement a California law requiring local officials receive training on ethics laws and principles. 

 

• Collaborating with the International County and City Managers Association to produce a tool for agencies to use in assessing their ethical culture.​

 

• Developing case studies to help educators make their educational efforts relevant and engaging (example 1 and example 2).

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JoAnne's work has been recognized at the state and national levels.  

 

JoAnne holds three degrees: law, masters in public policy and bachelors in political science (all from UC Berkeley). She also has a certificate from Stanford University’s Executive Program for Nonprofit Management. 

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Hear more about JoAnne's background and thinking about ethics in this podcast interview with the National Academy of Public Administration.

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