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Michael McNamara currently serves as the treasurer for Butler County, located just north of Cincinnati with nearly 400,000 residents. Here, he looks back on his career and the role the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service played in shaping him into the leader he has become.

It started with Dad: My father was a school administrator, and he definitely influenced how I handle certain situations. He likes a collegial approach to working with others and wants to hear all sides before making a decision. Never rush to judgment because there’s always more than one opinion.

What the Voinovich School taught him: I had been a public service practitioner for many years but didn't have a more in-depth analytical view of what it really means to be a true public servant. The Voinovich School provided that. I started approaching what I do with a different sense of the big picture and focusing on ensuring that everyone gets treated fairly and equally.

Voinovich lesson #2: I also appreciated the fact that the strategic planning and project management work components were being implemented during that master's program. That has launched my ability to bring projects to fruition and to take a concept from a dream to a reality.

Online but not out of touch: Almost the entire MPA experience was remote for me, but there was no drop-off in expectations or performance. It's that type of rigor that makes you a better public servant. I earned a master's degree from a respected university like OHIO, which is known for producing excellent leaders and has given me the ability to operate at a different level.

Off the clock: I love coaching my kids’ sports teams, and I’m also a big aficionado of military history. The USS Cincinnati is a decommissioned submarine from the early 1900s, and there’s a group of people who want to bring it back to the area. I hope they’ll agree to put it in Voice of America Park here in Butler County. I'm very passionate about making this happen