Alameda County and Cal State East Bay Partner to Strengthen Future Public Leaders

Earlier this fall, 25 Alameda County employees took an important step in advancing their public service careers through a unique partnership with Cal State East Bay. Specifically designed for county workers, the Master of Public Administration (MPA) Program educates its workers about positive leadership and improves civic engagement, said Claudio Lane, customer service and sales coordinator at the Alameda County Training and Education Center.

"We're public servants and the people that we serve are the people in our community," said Lane, who serves as the liaison between Alameda County and CSUEB. "The better educated we are, and the more skills we have in public administration and policies, the more of an impact we can have in helping the people of our community. With Cal State East Bay, we're able to help workers become more educated and that leads to helping the people in our community, so it's a win-win for everyone. The whole community wins."

The two-year program has been offered since 2011 in a cohort model, in which a group of students moves through all classes together. It paused from 2021 to 2025 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The structure allows students from a variety of career backgrounds to learn alongside one another, broadening their sense of community, Lane said.

The program helps cultivate the intellectual and practical tools Alameda County workers need to become a more effective employee, supervisor or manager in the public and nonprofit sectors. Additionally, the degree may open doors for individuals already working in public administration, since many professional opportunities require further education beyond a bachelor's degree.

Balvinder Kumar, interim associate vice president of University Extension at Cal State East Bay, said this Alameda County partnership reflects the core of the university's mission of bringing relevant, flexible and high-quality education to working professionals who serve the local community every day.

"As a regional public university, Cal State East Bay is deeply committed to developing civic leadership and advancing social impact," said Kumar. "Through this MPA cohort, we're able to meet public sector employees where they are, provide pathways for advancement, and help build a stronger, more representative leadership pipeline for local government. Looking ahead, we aim to co-create more cohort-based programs with local agencies, develop short-form credentials that support career mobility and serve as a connector between academic departments and public and private sector partners."

James Oberst, Human Resource Services division manager and director of the Alameda County Training and Education Center, said teaming up with CSUEB is important because working with community partners is a primary goal of Alameda County.

"Keeping everything local is vital to the county of Alameda's mission," said Oberst, who asserts the partnership reflects the county's growing investment in workforce development and its commitment to strengthening the next generation of local government leaders. "This is really just a great way for employees to become better trained and CSUEB is the perfect partner for them to fulfill their goals and get their degree."

For the 25 employees currently enrolled, the program represents not only a step toward an advanced degree but also a reaffirmation of their commitment to public service, said Lane.

They will bring new skills and perspectives back to the communities they serve.

"It's amazing when two sides of a partnership are driven by the same goal of helping the community and educating our employees," said Lane. "I'm really encouraged by looking at the staff who sacrifice their time to be in this program, because they're full-time employees. They have family commitments, home commitments, job commitments and they're taking out their own time to go pursue more education. It's amazing to see them on this journey and I'm thankful to be a part of it."