Athens, Ga – Las Vegas City Manager Elizabeth Fretwell will deliver the annual Getzen Lecture on Government Accountability sponsored by the University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs. Fretwell’s lecture, entitled “The City of Las Vegas, Accountable and Not Sinful…SHHH Don’t Tell Our Visitors,” will be delivered at the UGA Chapel on October 10 at 2 pm.; the event is free and open to the public.
Elizabeth Fretwell (A.B. ’89; M.P.A. ‘91), has dedicated her career to building effective government in Southern Nevada, where she has worked for the last twenty years. Since 2009, Fretwell has led Las Vegas as City Manager, an organization of over 3000 employees. Issues of accountability, responsibility and transparency are central to her work in administering a major governmental organization—especially as it has struggled to rebuild after the devastating financial and mortgage crises of 2008.
“We are thrilled that our accomplished Alumna Elizabeth Fretwell will deliver the Getzen Lecture this year,” says Stefanie Lindquist, Dean of the School of Public and International Affairs. “She is a model leader in local government, having initiated innovative economic development programs in Las Vegas that have made a huge difference in a city particularly affected by the 2008 financial crisis. I guarantee her talk will be enlightening for anyone interested in learning about effective governance in an era otherwise complicated by gridlock and polarization.”
The Getzen Lecture on Government Accountability in UGA’s School of Public and International Affairs is made possible by UGA alumni Katherine Getzen Willoughby (Ph.D. ’91) and Dan Hall Willoughby, Jr. (J.D. ’86) in honor of her parents, Mrs. Evangeline Sferes Getzen and Dr. Forrest William Getzen, lifelong advocates of public service and education.
Previous speakers include: Admiral Than Allan, Senator Johnny Isakson, Representative Newt Gingrich, and GAO Director David Walker.
The lecture is co-hosted by SPIA and the Department of Public Administration and Policy. It will be streamed live at www.ctl.uga.edu/eventstream.
