About the Marvin Morris Fellowship

Marvin A. Andrews

The Marvin Andrews and Jane Morris Local Government Fellowship is named in honor of Marvin A. Andrews, who served for thirteen years as city manager of Phoenix, the largest council-manager government in the United States and a city considered by many to be the “best run” city in the United States. In 1983, Andrews helped usher in a new era in city government introducing the council district system and also pushed a new, heightened focus on neighborhoods. He was also praised for efficiently managing and providing cost-effective city services during the explosive growth years of the early 1980s. Even after he retired in 1990, Andrews remained highly active in city affairs, serving for more than 10 years on the Phoenix Aviation Advisory Board and as chairman of the Sky Harbor Master Plan Steering Committee, among other endeavors.

Andrews was named the best city manager in the United States in 1986 by City and State Magazine, received the National Civic League's "All-American City" award in 1979 and 1989, the International City Management Association's Mark Keane Award for Excellence in 1994, and the National Academy of Public Administration's National Public Service Award in 1990. Andrews passed away in July 2004. Phoenix recognized his contribution with the naming of “Marvin Andrews Way” at the Phoenix City Hall Complex.

In recognition of Marvin Andrews’ public service career and his personal commitment to professional management, the Arizona City/County Management Association and the Arizona State University School of Public Affairs together with private sector contributors who valued well trained and professional public managers established an endowment in 2006 to support the next generation of public managers. The partnership was also committed to including professional mentors from the local government profession during the Fellows’ two year internship to support the students which continues to this day.

When Andrews retired from Phoenix, the city gave him his desk from which he worked as city manager. The passing of his wife Bobbi in 2018 resulted in the Andrews children Barbara O’Leary Nye and Bill Andrews contacting SPA to see if we had a place for his desk and some memorabilia from his career. The alcove area in University Center Suite 450 at ASU Downtown Phoenix Campus displays his desk and some of the many awards for future public leaders to enjoy and understand his contributions.

Jane Morris

Jane Morris was born and raised in Glencoe, Illinois. She had a strong role model in her father who served as for over three decades as the city manager of Glencoe and inspired her successful career in local government. Jane pursued a degree in Recreation Management at the University of Iowa, where she also captained Iowa’s first Women’s Field Hockey Team to a national championship. Jane’s trailblazing spirit took her to Arizona for the Phoenix Management Intern Program and ASU’s Master of Public Administration. It was in one of her classes that she met her husband Bryan Raines, a retired Assistant City Manager of Mesa.

Jane went on to dedicate more than 25 years to the City of Phoenix, leading high-profile projects such as the design and construction of the current Phoenix City Hall, the expansion of the Phoenix Convention Center, the restoration of the Orpheum Theater and the opening phase of Terminal 4 Sky Train at Sky Harbor Airport. She later served as Executive Director and CEO of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, which saw immense growth under her leadership and is now contributing over a billion dollars to the state economy.

Since her passing in 2016, Jane's legacy endures. Jane was very active in transportation related projects at Sky Harbor and Gateway Airports as well as the light rail, but she always made time to support mentoring programs for the Women in Transportation (WTS) Metro Phoenix Chapter. WTS honored Jane in 2017 by renaming its mentoring initiative the Jane Morris Mentorship Program, which focuses on building a diverse network across racial and ethnic groups, genders, generations, disciplines, and professional organizations. Arizona City/County Management Association and Arizona Women Leading Government scholarships were also created in Jane’s name with donations made in lieu of flowers from her celebration of life.

In 2022, Bryan made a generous donation to the School of Public Affairs’ Marvin Andrews Fellowship to establish a Jane Morris Fellow to honor Jane’s legacy of public service. Bryan passed away unexpectedly as well in 2023 days after meeting the inaugural Jane Morris Fellow.

Woman facing the camera smiling with short grey hair wearing pearl earrings and necklace.

Man with bald head wearing glasses and smiling.

Robert Denhardt

Robert "Bob" Denhardt, Regents and Emeritus Professor at Arizona State University from 1999-2012, left an indelible mark on the field of public administration, our institution, and on countless student lives. During his time at ASU, Bob served with distinction as the Director of the School of Public Affairs (SPA), the Lattie and Elva Coor Presidential Chair as well as the Lincoln Professor of Leadership and Ethics.

Bob believed that great public administration wasn't complicated it was "Just Plain Good Management," the title of one of his 22 books he authored. He believed in public service and the importance of sound public policy, which he wrote about in over 100 journal articles as well. We are grateful for Bob's contributions to our university, our community, and the field he loved so dearly.

As one way to honor Bob's exceptional contributions, SPA created the "Dr. Robert Denhardt Just Plain Good Management Award," recognizing a second-year Marvin Andrews Fellow who exemplifies the values Bob championed throughout his distinguished career: a passionate commitment to public service, a genuine desire for community improvement, dedication to leadership development, and initiative in peer leadership roles. While at ASU Bob played a vital role in creating the Marvin Andrews Fellowship. Two decades later, the Marvin Andrews and Jane Morris Fellowship continues to thrive and furthers Bob's vision of developing public managers who will shape our communities for generations to come.

Martin Vanacour, PhD

Martin Vanacour was a founding faculty member for the Marvin Andrews Fellowship. Marty was a public servant committed to professional public management before joining the faculty at the School of Public Affairs. He served the City of Glendale Arizona for more than 30 years, including 15 years as City Manager. He was recognized by the Arizona City County Management Association (ACMA) for that commitment with the honor of Life Membership in the Association.

Marty had received his PhD from ASU while still working as a Manager, and used his new role of Professor and Associate Director to apply that knowledge and experience to develop a program committed to training future urban managers. The Marvin Andrews Fellowship came about because of his presence and commitment in working with ACMA, the Alliance for Innovation, and ASU to partner in establishing this opportunity.

The 21 fellows who graduated with MPA degrees under his guidance are exemplary samples of Marty’s passion and commitment, and the Fellows who have been selected for the program since his retirement speak to the legacy of his efforts. He lives on from that hard work and professional dedication to public service, which is deeply appreciated.