Roger Kemp, BS, MPA, MBA, PhD

Professional Biography

Roger L. Kemp has been a municipal Chief Executive Officer of cities in Connecticut, New Jersey, and California during his career in local government. Prior to this, he worked his way through school while serving as the Assistant to the President of a real estate brokerage and appraisal company in San Diego, California. In fact, Roger was the recipient of a scholarship from the California Real Estate Association (CREA) to complete his undergraduate education. He subsequently received a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Business Administration, with a Specialization in Real Estate, from San Diego State University (SDSU).

After receiving his Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from SDSU two years later, he began his public service career in the Office of Budget and Management Services (OBMS) and, later, in the Office of the City Manager, in the City of Oakland, CA. Roger attended Golden Gate University’s (GGU) doctoral program in Public Administration in the evening while serving in Oakland. He received his degree five-years later. Roger became a city manager the same month that he received his doctoral degree.

During his city management career, he has taught graduate seminars at leading universities on both the West and East Coasts. These schools included the University of California, California State University, Golden Gate University, Rutgers University, Farleigh Dickinson University, the University of Connecticut, the University of New Haven, and other leading educational institutions.

Roger has written, edited, and been a contributing author to nearly 50 books dealing with cities. Many of his books focus on various aspects of cities, and highlight national best practices being used to improve the quality of their services as well as their livability. These best practices include minimizing the negative impact of automobiles, growth management, the restoration of nature, the positive aspects of using the arts for inner-city renewal, and state-of-the-art economic development practices. Roger has also written about the importance of strategic planning, financial management, and how to properly plan for the future of America’s cities.

When Roger was a city manager in Southern California he taught for GGU and completed the requirements for, and received, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree in management. Most recently, he received the Outstanding Alumni of the Year Award for 2007 for “Distinguished Service in the Field of Public Administration” from the School of Public Affairs at SDSU. This honor is recommended by the faculty, and is based upon the graduate’s contributions to the field of public administration during his or her career in public service.

During his career, he also graduated from the Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; the Advanced Government Finance Institute, School of Business, University of Wisconsin, and the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA); and the Academy for International Development, International City/County Management Association.

Most recently Dr. Kemp was a Lecturer to a group of public officials from Fujian Province, People’s Republic of China (PRC). He lectured them, and had discussions, on all levels of government in America – local, state, regional, and federal. He also recently worked with a Visiting Scholar from the PRC doing research on capital projects in the PRC which was published on Contemporary Review (London, Eng., UK). Roger also recently coauthored (with Barbara Moore, ICMA) an article on local governments in the U.S. that appeared in the Journal of the Washington Institute of China Studies. He also visited the PRC earlier in his career.

Roger was recently appointed as the Practitioner in Residence, Department of Public Management, College of Business, at the University of New Haven; a featured speaker at many conferences focusing on various aspects of America’s cities; a Distinguished Professor in the EMPA Program at Golden Gate University, and Fellow at The Academy of Political Science., The Municipal Budget Crunch: A Handbook for Professionals, is one of his latest books. Roger can be reached via email (rlkbsr@snet.net), and his qualifications can be further viewed on his Authors Guild website (http://www.rogerkemp.org).