From the Council to the Classroom

When he’s not in class pursuing his Master’s in Management (MiM) from the W. P. Carey School of Business, you can find Chris Glover in Mesa, where he serves as the youngest city council member of Arizona’s third-largest city.

Chris was elected in 2010, though he’s had a lifelong interest in politics. “I am a big admirer of Ronald Reagan, JFK and many others,” he says, “and having the chance to serve an internship in Washington, D.C. with the Senate really made me fall in love even more with politics and strengthened my desire to better serve my community by holding public office.”

Chris never saw his young age as an obstacle (he graduated from ASU in 2010 with a B.A. in political science, along with minors in history and Spanish and certificates in Latin American studies and international studies), and was sworn in as Mesa’s newest elected official in January 2011 at the age of 24.

And while that commitment might be enough for most people, Chris began the MiM this fall looking to make himself more well-rounded. “I am always trying to better myself, be it through education or experience, and I know that studying in the MiM program is just another way I can improve as both a person and a public servant,” he says.

Mentioning a higher education initiative in Mesa, Chris notes, “We are focused on becoming the next college town. We want to offer our residents and all residents of Arizona the opportunity and ability to seek a college education. I cannot think of a better way to be an example than to continue my own studies.”

The MiM courses are already resonating in Chris’ work. “In Strategic Leadership we see how important it is for a business to gain and sustain competitive advantage. I can apply this principle to non-profit boards I serve on. We are constantly seeking the best way to differentiate ourselves and show why we are the best at what we do,” he explains. “Another example would be from Organizational Behavior, we learn how to better interact with others and how to manage different personalities.”

As for juggling the needs of a city with his class schedule? It’s a unique problem. “It’s been a challenge, but I have been lucky that I have been able to make it work,” Chris says. “There are some sacrifices that I obviously will have to make along the way. It will make me a better person in the long run and teach me how to balance my time and better time management skills.”