UMass Boston

MPP, Public Policy, Harvard University
BA, Sociology, Amherst College

Michael Ward is the executive director of the Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management at UMass Boston's McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies.

In that role, Ward works on a variety of municipal government projects, including regionalization and service-sharing work, performance management efforts, research projects, and charter reform work. Ward has worked for local government in Massachusetts and New Mexico.  As a budget analyst for the Town of Concord, he helped the Town begin integrating performance measurement into its annual budget process, assisted with the financial management of a Recreation Center enterprise fund, and worked on numerous budget and procurement projects. As an intern with Doña Ana County, he helped the Health and Human Services Department bring together local agencies and providers to improve coordination of service delivery and lower costs.

Ward studied innovative urban policy in Curitiba (Brazil) and Singapore as a Thomas J. Watson fellow. He looked at how these cities both managed to reshape themselves through creative public transportation, economic development, and service provision strategies. He has also worked on numerous political campaigns, including managing a mayoral campaign in Massachusetts.

Michael Ward teaches the municipal government weekend seminar in the MPA program.