BOONE, N.C. — The Town of Boone has selected Dr. Patricia Mitchell — professor in Appalachian State University's Department of Government and Justice Studies and director of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program — to guide its search for a new town manager following the retirement of former Town Manager Amy Davis. Dr. Mitchell will collaborate with the Boone Town Council to develop a plan for the search.
A longtime leader in local and state government and a decade‑long member of App State’s graduate faculty, Mitchell brings expertise in public administration and understanding of confidentiality to the role.
Mitchell declined payment for her consulting work and instead requested that the Town make a donation to App State’s MPA program. With more than 200 alumni serving as town and county managers and assistant managers across the region, the program continues to shape public service in North Carolina and beyond.
To read more, see the article by Nick Fogleman in the Watauga Democrat.
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About the Department of Government and Justice Studies
Appalachian State University’s Department of Government and Justice Studies offers undergraduate programs in political science and criminal justice, and graduate programs in political science and public administration. Housed in the College of Arts and Sciences, the department has over 600 undergraduate majors and more than 70 graduate students. Learn more at gjs.appstate.edu.
About the College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at Appalachian State University is home to 17 academic departments, two centers and one residential college. These units span the humanities and the social, mathematical and natural sciences. CAS aims to develop a distinctive identity built upon our university's strengths, traditions and locations. The college’s values lie not only in service to the university and local community, but through inspiring, training, educating and sustaining the development of its students as global citizens. More than 6,800 student majors are enrolled in the college. As the college is also largely responsible for implementing App State’s general education curriculum, it is heavily involved in the education of all students at the university, including those pursuing majors in other colleges. Learn more at cas.appstate.edu.
By Lauren Gibbs
February 20, 2026
BOONE, N.C.
Dr. Patricia Mitchell
Dr. Patricia Mitchell is a professor in Appalachian State University's Department of Government and Justice Studies and the director of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. Photo by University Communications