UCF School of Public Administration Director Brad Heim has been elected to the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) as a member of its 2025 Class of Academy Fellows, an honor recognizing his years of public administration service and expertise.

NAPA is an independent, nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that aims to provide expert advice to assist public administration leaders in building effective, efficient, accountable and transparent organizations. Heim was peer-nominated for the fellowship, through which he will aid in the academy’s mission to strengthen communities and provide guidance to the government on the federal, state and local levels.

“I look forward to engaging with such an incredible group of people who care so much about our country and working together to improve government functioning from the federal down to the local level.”

“I look forward to engaging with such an incredible group of people who care so much about our country and working together to improve government functioning from the federal down to the local level,” Heim says. “Being able to meet and bounce ideas off such an amazingly talented and committed group is a really exciting prospect.”

Heim is one of 42 public administration leaders from across the nation chosen to join the 2025 fellow class. He is also the sixth UCF faculty member to be selected for the honor, which he notes is extremely rare and speaks to the strength of researchers in the School of Public Administration. Selection follows a rigorous review of each individual’s contributions to the fields of public administration and policy.

“I am so pleased to welcome Brad Heim to the academy’s 2025 class of fellows,” says James-Christian Blockwood, NAPA president and CEO. “It is an incredibly important time to honor excellence in public service. Our academy fellows are nationally recognized and respected for their expertise and contributions to their country. Brad exemplifies everything we ask public servants to be.”

The newest fellows’ induction will take place during the academy’s National Conference at the beginning of November in Washington, D.C. They join more than 1,000 existing NAPA Fellows, including former cabinet officers, members of Congress, governors, mayors, state legislators, prominent scholars and executives.

“Having so many faculty representing us on the national level is just a testament to the incredible education that students at UCF and the School of Public Administration receive.”

As Heim continues to build these connections and increase national visibility, Heim says his goal is to continue to provide the level of excellence in teaching and service the UCF School of Public Administration has already accomplished.

“Having so many faculty representing us on the national level is just a testament to the incredible education that students at UCF and the School of Public Administration receive,” Heim says. “Some universities can claim their long heritage as their proof of their excellence. UCF is a young university, so we don’t have centuries of tradition to lean on, but we have achieved nationally recognized excellence in what we do here.”