Kennesaw State MPA Program Marks 30 Years of Building Tomorrow’s Public Leaders
Story by Travis Highfield, Photos by Judith Pishnery and Matthew Yung.
KENNESAW, Ga.
(Aug 12, 2024) — 
In many ways, Edward Guzman sees himself as a reflection of the American dream.
The son of immigrants, his parents escaped poverty in rural Mexico to provide a foundation for their children in the rolling hills of northwest Georgia. They planted roots in Cedartown, later sending their son to college where he flourished in a new environment.
Galvanized by that experience and his desire to give back to his community, Guzman now serves as his hometown’s first city manager of Hispanic descent. Sitting in his office inside the Cedartown Civic Complex, he rocks back in his chair and counts his blessings two-fold.
“I was blessed that my parents gave me the American dream and allowed me to pursue college because it helped me grow out of my shell coming from a rural community,” said Guzman, who earned a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from Kennesaw State University in 2019. “And KSU blessed me with the knowledge and confidence to do my job well.”
Applying learning to careers
Guzman’s story is one of hundreds that have amassed over the first 30 years of Kennesaw State’s MPA program. Launched in 1993, the program prepares public servants for leadership and administrative positions in government and nonprofit organizations. Since its inception, KSU has conferred nearly 900 MPA degrees, elevating the careers of professionals everywhere from city halls, to emergency management offices, to the studios of Georgia Public Broadcasting.
