Biography

Dr. Harvey L. White is an accomplished scholar, experienced administrator and distinguished public service professional. He has authored or co-authored four books and more than thirty other publications in public affairs; worked as a community development specialist in the State of North Carolina, city manager for the town of Princeville North Carolina and director of public administration programs at Southern University and the University of Pittsburgh. He also served as Dean of the School of Public and Urban Affairs at Southern University. His professional activities include editorship of the Journal of Public Management and Social Policy, President of the National Conference of Minority Public Administrators (COMPA) and Chair of the National COMPA Public Service Endowment. Dr. White is the founder and past Director of the Center for Healthy Communities at the University of South Alabama. Under his leadership, the Center developed collaborative partnership with more than twenty community-based organizations to address health disparities. During his five years tenure as Director, the Center for Healthy Communities received more than 8 million dollars to support an array of innovative programs and the designation as a National Institutes of Health Center of Excellence. Professor White is also the founder Past General Chair of the International Consortium for Public Management, Policy and Development. While he was the Chair, the consortium brought together American public servants with professionals from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Canada and Europe to address pertinent governance and development issues in Africa. The Consortium has convened conferences in South Africa (1997), Ghana (1999 and 2009), Ethiopia (2001), Mozambique (2003), Senegal (2005) and Uganda (2007). In recognition of his contribution to public service, Dr. White was elected as a Fellow in the congressionally chartered National Academy of Public Administration in the class of 2002. He was also elected National President of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA), which has more than 10,000 members. He assumed the ASPA National Presidency in 2007, becoming only the fourth Africa American to serve in this capacity during the organization’s 70-year history. Dr. White is married to Dr. Velma Scantlebury-White, a renowned transplant surgeon. They have two children, Akela and Aisha. He is currently a member of Bethel AME Church in Wilmington Delaware.