Michael Mumper, Ph.D.
Michael Mumper is professor of Political Science and coordinator of the master’s program in public administration at Adams State University. He holds a Ph. From the University of Maryland in government and politics. His areas of specialization are policy analysis and American higher education policy and finance. In addition to publishing more than 30 articles and papers, he is the author of Removing College Price Barriers: What Government Has Done and Why it Hasn’t Worked (SUNY Press).
Mumper was on the faculty of the Political Science Department at Ohio University for 20 years where he served as Director of the Master’s Program in Public Administration, Department Chair and Associate Provost for Graduate Studies. In 2007 he moved to Adams State and become its Provost and then Senior Vice President. In 2017, he returned to the faculty where he developed this master’s program. In 1996-97, Mumper was Fulbright Scholar at the American University in Bugaria.
Jason T. Kelly, J.D.
Mr. Kelly has been the Alamosa County Attorney since March of 2008. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs in 1998, and his juris doctorate from the William H. Bowen School of Law in Little Rock, Arkansas in 2004. Jason returned to Colorado in 2006 and opened a private practice before joining Alamosa County full-time in 2011. He is a member of the Colorado Bar Association and the San Luis Valley Bar Association and has served as past Secretary/Treasurer, Vice-President, and President of the SLV Bar Association, In addition to his legal responsibilities Mr. Kelly serves as the primary contact for Unmanned Aircraft Operations for SLVUAS and serves on the UAS Advisory Board for TSJC. He enjoys the outdoors and just recently completed his first Ironman 70.3 in St. George, Utah
Patrick Steenburg
Pat is a multi-faceted professional with over 20 years of diversified experience in leadership, senior level management, strategic planning, and project management roles with recognized excellence across business sectors. His professional work includes nearly a decade of public sector experience including time spent as the Public Works Director and Assistant City Manager for the City of Alamosa, Colorado. In this role he worked daily with individual citizens, community stakeholder groups, elected officials, and public and private sector employees from many different regions and jurisdictions. He was responsible for the leadership, management, and administrational oversight of a diverse public works department that included water and wastewater collection, distribution, and treatment; engineering, and GIS; building inspection and maintenance; streets; planning, zoning and development; and fleet maintenance divisions. The balance of his career includes over 15 years of private sector land surveying and development experience where he acted in the capacity of owner’s representative, surveyor in responsible charge, and construction manager for the development community through all phases of entitlement and construction. He is currently the Director of Surveying Services for CVL Consultants in Englewood, Colorado where his rare combination of public and private sector experience uniquely qualifies him to provide clients with high levels of project support and effective customer service from acquisition to project completion.
Pat earned his undergraduate degree in Biology/Environmental Science from Adams State College in 1991 and his MBA from Adams State University in 2014.
Pat’s community and volunteer work includes:
- La Puente Home, Inc. – Executive Board Member
- San Luis Valley Regional Solid Waste Authority – Vice Chair
- San Luis Valley Habitat Conservation Plan Steering Committee – Committee Chair
- Deputy County Surveyor – Alamosa County, Colorado
- Alamosa Mosquito Control District – V.P. Board of Directors
- State Pollution Prevention Advisory Board Assistance Committee – Committee Member
- Colorado Trails Award, COHVCO/TPA – Colorado Volunteer of the Year
Christy Doon
Christy is the Regional Manager for the Department of Local Affairs for South Central Colorado. She has worked for the State since 2006, first as program staff for the Conservation Trust Fund, Community Services and Community Development Block Grants, then as the Coordinator for the Colorado Main Street Program. Christy has been a Regional Manager since 2012. In her capacity with DOLA, Christy works hand in hand with local communities, providing resources, technical assistance and guidance. She serves as a liaison between local governments, the state and federal resources. Christy also serves as the program manager for the Cathy Shipley Best and Brightest Internship Program. Christy earned her Masters’ Degree from the University of Colorado Denver Center for New Directions in 2006. She teaches Human Resource Management and Leadership Development at Adams State University in their MPA program and Local Government Administration at the University of Colorado Denver Center for New Directions Political Science MPA Program.
Elyse Ackerman Casselberry
Elyse has worked in state and local government since 2001 in varying roles in community development and public administration. She is a graduate of Prescott College with an MA in Ecology and Resource Management and from the University of Colorado with a BA in Environmental Studies. Elyse’s career in local government began as an intern with Douglas County, Colorado where she helped the County update their 2020 Comprehensive Master Plan. She moved from intern to planner for Douglas County and spent seven years focused on long range and environmental planning. Elyse has since worked in public administration as the Town Administrator in Silverton, Colorado, with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs as a regional manager, and currently splits her time as the Community & Economic Development Director of Delta County and the Town Administrator of the Town of Collbran. Elyse is passionate about local government, and community engagement, and about sharing that passion with future public administrators.
