Sasha Altman (right), 4+1 public policy student, found her path into the City Management Fellows Program at a local networking event, where she met her soon-to-be supervisor, Antonina Tantillo (left).

All Politics is Local

Article by Sophonie Milord Photos by Evan Krape and courtesy of Biden School staff and local government leaders February 20, 2026

UD's Summer City Management Fellows Program paves the way for students to carve a path to a career in local government.

There’s learning that happens in class, and the kind that can only occur beyond its four walls.

Just ask current students Ray Kalmanowitz, Sasha Altman or any of the other 23 City Management Fellows, who have each spent 10 weeks each summer entrenched in local communities to translate their passion for public service into much-needed support for Delaware cities and municipalities.

"When you do something at the local level, you see the people that it affects,” said Kalmanowitz, who worked in Sussex County for the summer of 2025. “For better and for worse, you know these people, you know their stories.”

This spring, UD will recruit its eighth class of City Management Fellows. Established in 2019 to attract talented young professionals into local government, the summer program places students with city and town managers, where they gain a firsthand account of the issues that touch the lives of Delawareans.

“Local government offers students the opportunity to be immersed in issues that touch the lives of Delaware residents—water, wastewater, planning, land use, economic development,” said Lisa Moreland Allred, who manages the program alongside Julia O’Hanlon, staff liaison to the Delaware League of Local Governments.

Fellows don't just observe—they produce work that municipalities actually utilize. On any given day, students may be tasked with drafting policy documents, conducting fiscal and operational research, and developing strategic plans that shape how towns function, all while making meaningful contributions to their assigned cities and towns.

“All politics is local, as anyone who's ever experienced a sewer backup can attest,” said Allred.

“We have a lot of small municipalities in the state that don't have a lot of staff resources. This program helps support local governments while giving students hands-on experience. There's often a lot of focus on federal and state management in the curriculum, but this is a way to expose students to very local Delaware-specific issues,” added O’Hanlon.

“Local government offers students the opportunity to be immersed in issues that touch the lives of Delaware residents…” said Lisa Moreland Allred, who manages the program alongside Julia O’Hanlon. (From left to right: Jerome R. Lewis, Lisa Moreland Allred, Gillian Klemas, Sasha Altman, Ray Kalmanowitz, Chase Barnes and Julia O’Hanlon.

Making inroads and impact

That was precisely the experience for Kalmanowitz, a 4+1 public administration student, who spent last summer working in the City of Rehoboth Beach and in the Town of Millsboro during the summer of 2024. A typical day included everything from conducting compensation analyses to navigating constitutional questions at the local level.

But one Millsboro project had a lasting impact: drafting charter changes to redraw voting district boundaries to account for population growth. When he later became a Legislative Fellow, his charter changes appeared in the House of Representatives, and passed both the House and Senate, before it was signed by the governor: "So it's now in law."

As Kalmanowitz’s experience demonstrates, “UD’s programs allow students to build on their work from one role to the next while gaining a comprehensive understanding of how local and state governance intersect.”

“Delaware is super interconnected,” said Altman, a 4+1 public policy student and former fellow for the City of New Castle.

During her time as a fellow with the City of New Castle, Sasha Altman helped the city with the development of an emergency management plan.

While working on an Emergency Operations Plan, she recalls how her supervisor reached out to Ocean View and Bethany to ask for their plans. “Even though it's completely different towns and different populations, they face very similar issues,” said Altman.

Her path into the program began at a local networking event, where she met her soon-to-be supervisor, Antonina Tantillo. The program's career pipeline came full circle last summer when Tantillo, now city administrator of New Castle and a former City Management Fellow herself, hosted Altman as her intern.

"A lot of people have aspirations to work at the federal or state level because they're serving a huge population,” said Tantillo. “But the uniqueness of local government is that you are in that community day in and day out, and you can see the impact of your work. Not only did Sasha [Altman] help us with our emergency management plan, she got to see us work to develop and adjust that in real time."

The program's career pipeline came full circle last summer when Tantillo, now city administrator of New Castle and a former City Management Fellow herself, hosted Altman as her intern.

Commitment and passion

Fittingly, the City Management Fellows Program is housed within the Institute for Public Administration (IPA), which offers numerous opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in local government.

“Fellows come from varying academic backgrounds—public administration, public policy, public health—and indeed, public service is at the heart of the work,” notes Allred.

For alumnus Mark Nagel, there is no career as rewarding. Looking back on his internship with the City of Wilmington, the Class of 1975 graduate says, simply, “It changed my life.”

Blue Hen alumnus Mark Nagel is now a prominent donor to UD’s program, working to create a pipeline from schools to the public sector.

His 45-year career in city management began with that transformational internship and has since spanned numerous roles in multiple states.

Today, the Blue Hen alumnus is a prominent donor to UD’s program, working to create a pipeline from schools to the public sector: “Goodness knows, those jobs are needed."

Evan Miller, assistant city manager of Rehoboth Beach and a former City Management Fellow, echoes this sentiment: "Municipal government is really where the rubber hits the road,” he said.“You see the impacts of your work every day."

From left to right: Evan Miller, assistant city manager of Rehoboth Beach and a former City Management Fellow, poses for a photo with Stan Mills, mayor of Rehoboth Beach; Gillian Klemas, fellow; Ray Kalmanowitz, fellow; and Taylour Tedder, city manager of Rehoboth Beach.

New Castle Councilmember Brian Mattaway agrees.

"Disengaged young people become disengaged adults,” he said. “Young people want to be engaged and involved, but it's up to us to meet them where they are.”

That’s where the University of Delaware comes in.

“The Biden School of Public Policy and Administration and its programming is a pipeline to Delaware’s future,” said Mattaway. “UD students have shown me that our successors are here. They’re capable and ready to ensure that Delaware continues to lead from the front.”

"Disengaged young people become disengaged adults. Young people want to be engaged and involved, but it's up to us to meet them where they are,” says New Castle Councilmember Brian Mattaway. (From left to right: Matt Johnson from Rodney Street Tennis and Mattaway poses for a photo at a free tennis clinic for children at Battery Park, a collaboration between the two organizations.)

Application process

To apply for Summer 2026, eligible students must email their resume and a two-page policy brief to Program Manager Lisa Moreland Allred by Friday, March 13. After applicants are screened, selected candidates will participate in an interview with a Delaware local government manager during the last week of March.

About the Institute for Public Administration

The University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration (IPA) addresses the policy, planning, and management needs of its partners through the integration of applied research, professional development, and the education of tomorrow’s leaders. As a research and public service center in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration, IPA collaborates with state agencies, municipal governments, nonprofits, communities, and businesses to examine complex policy issues and improve quality of life in Delaware and beyond.

About the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration

Established in 1961 and named in 2018 for the University of Delaware’s most distinguished alumnus, the 46th President of the United States, the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration prepares students with the knowledge and skills necessary to engage in research and public service to improve the quality of life in communities around the world. Biden School faculty, staff, students, and alumni create and use interdisciplinary, nonpartisan research, and empirically based analysis to inform effective decision-making and policy and improve leadership and administration. The Biden School partners with organizations from all sectors to discover innovative and equitable solutions to the critical challenges of our time.