Thompson Appointed Director of Romney Institute

PROVO, Utah – Jul 02, 2014 – The Marriott School of Management recently appointed Jeffery Thompson as director of the Romney Institute of Public Management, succeeding David Hart, who served for six years in that position.

“We express deep gratitude to David for his able service, and we expect great things from Jeff,” says Lee Perry, Marriott School dean. “Jeff has a sense of how to work as a team that will be a real blessing for the Romney Institute. He will bring people together to achieve the institute’s goals.”

Thompson, a professor in the Romney Institute since 2003, has performed award-winning research in the fields of organizational behavior and ethics. His experience includes 11 years of teaching public management classes at Brigham Young University, where he has been recognized twice as teacher of the year by MPA students. He researches organizational behavior and ethics, and has garnered multiple awards for his work in organizational behavior. He will begin his term as director July 1, and Hart will return to teaching full time in the institute.

Under Hart’s leadership the MPA program expanded to include more experience-building opportunities, such as the annual public management study abroad in China and the Grantwell Program, which allows students to assist nonprofits in allocating and receiving grants. Hart also focused on placing students right out of school, increasing placement by 42 percent.  

“Overall it’s been a great learning experience,” Hart says. “We’ve tried to help the program have a wider perspective through recruiting, placement and providing international experiences for the students in the program.”

Thompson says he is grateful for the work Hart has done and is looking forward to continuing to extend the institute’s global reach to include students from more parts of the world.

“I hope I can live up to the trust placed in me as I strive to lead this program that I care so much about,” Thompson says. “I believe we can continue to influence the world as our graduates, faculty and staff engage with the public sector in the U.S. and abroad.”

The Marriott School is located at Brigham Young University, the largest privately owned, church-sponsored university in the United States. The school has nationally recognized programs in accounting, business management, public management, information systems, and entrepreneurship. The school’s mission is to prepare men and women of faith, character and professional ability for positions of leadership throughout the world. Approximately 3,000 students are enrolled in the Marriott School’s graduate and undergraduate programs.