NASPAA Staff

Dr. Angel Wright-Lanier brings to the position an extensive executive leadership and public affairs background that is an excellent fit for NASPAA, having held leadership roles in city and municipal government for more than 20 years. She brings to NASPAA experience in working with multiple stakeholder groups, complex budgets and intergovernmental MOUs, grant development, accreditation processes, international municipal initiatives, and partnership development with nonprofit organizations of all types and levels. Dr. Wright-Lanier received her undergraduate degree from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. She has a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga and a second master’s degree in Management Information Systems. She received her Ed.D. from Vanderbilt’s Peabody College with a concentration in Leadership and Learning.

Fabiola is responsible for supporting the NASPAA accreditation process, which supports a global network of programs bound by a commitment to public service values, programmatic improvement, and educational quality. She assists with developing volunteers and liaising with NASPAA member schools. She also plays a role in conducting program evaluations and surveys to support quality assurance improvement. As an accreditation manager, she develops expertise on strategic program management and program quality improvement, as it relates to the NASPAA Accreditation Standards, to support programs seeking accreditation and advance practice in the public service education field. Fabiola holds a Master’s in Public Administration degree from the School of Public Policy at the University of Connecticut.

As Chief Accreditation Officer, Martha has responsibility for academic quality and development. She directs accreditation efforts with the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA), a specialized accrediting body dedicated to quality assurance in professional graduate education in public affairs and public policy. Martha came to NASPAA with extensive experience in public service at the local, state, and international levels. Prior to joining NASPAA, Martha served as the City Manager's Fellow in Norfolk, VA. In this role, she managed a variety of programs dedicated to increasing environmental resilience in the Hampton Roads region of Southeast Virginia. Her professional experiences also include work with the Texas State Senate Natural Resources Committee, AmeriCorps, and U.S. and Mexican diplomats. She holds degrees from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of North Texas.

Stacy leads the new Institute for Innovative Teaching and Learning for Public Service at NASPAA. The IITPLS serves as an online resource connecting students and faculty in public affairs schools around the world with simulations, case studies, data, and service-learning opportunities. Stacy also manages NASPAA's Public Affairs Education Data Center, the authoritative source of data in public affairs education. Stacy is NASPAA's liaison with the Undergraduate Committee, Election Administration Section, Data Committee, and Small Programs Section.  Stacy spent four years on NASPAA's accreditation team, and began her tenure at NASPAA as a graduate intern. Stacy completed a Master of Public Administration at James Madison University.

Shaun attended Florida State University, where he received undergraduate degrees in International Affairs and Russian. From there, he has been involved in multiple philanthropic efforts to provide relief to members of the LGBTQ+ community in Eastern Europe. Shaun spent the last four years working in Boston, including working for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' apprenticeship agency, where he helped expand the apprenticeship work model to different industries and sought to increase diversity and inclusion within registered apprenticeship programs. 

Ja'Nell is responsible for NASPAA’s  Annual Conference, Career Directors Conference, Admissions Professionals Meeting and all NASPAA events.

Alex is responsible for the annual simulation competition event and for implementing improvements to NASPAA's use of performance evaluation best practices. He also supports NASPAA's experiential learning efforts and is involved in the technological integrations of the annual conference. Alex began at NASPAA as an intern in the fall of 2019 while he was completing his MPA at American University. He became involved in almost every department but spent most of his time co-leading the 2020 NASPAA-Batten Simulation Competition. Following the completion of his program, Alex returned to NASPAA full-time in the fall of 2021.

.