51ĀŅĀ×

Being named Superintendent of the Pike County Board of Developmental Disabilities was a bittersweet experience for Jeff Allen.

ā€œI wanted to get my OU MPA, so I could be Superintendent one day, in order to help maintain the high standards set from the Board and Dr. Roger Kemper ā€¦  for the individuals and families we serve,ā€ he said. ā€œI never thought I would be a Superintendent this soon.ā€

In August 2020, Pike County Board Superintendent died unexpectedly. Allen had completed his MPA in the winter of 2019 and was able to step up after Kemperā€™s passing, officially becoming Superintendent in November 2020.

ā€œEverything was in place to be ready for the Superintendentā€™s job when it came up unexpectedly,ā€ Allen said. ā€œOnce the Board knew I had my MPA, it was an obvious choice.ā€  

Allen had worked under Kemper as the Boardā€™s Director of Fiscal Operations for nearly 20 years, Kemper was a great source of mentorship and support for Allen. Kemper and Pike County Executive Director Jeff Noble wrote Allen letters of recommendation when he applied to 51ĀŅĀ×ā€™s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairsā€™ Executive MPA program.

ā€œThey were a big help in getting me to start thinking about being a Superintendent,ā€ Allen said. ā€œI kept thinking, ā€˜would I want to work for anyone else other than Roger or Jeff, once they were totally gone from the Board?ā€™  The answer was no.ā€

When Allen thought about going back to school, the lifelong Bobcat saw only one option; ā€œI was set on going back to OU,ā€ he said. ā€œMy twin brother Joe and I attended OU together in the eighties and we loved every minute of it.ā€

Besides Allenā€™s alumni loyalty, the Voinovich Schoolā€™s Executive MPA program had been recommended by numerous colleagues for its quality and accessibility. The Executive MPA program is designed for working professionals: candidates can earn their degree in two years over 20 Saturdays through a combination of online learning and in-person classes at OHIOā€™s Dublin campus.

After enrolling in 2013, a death in the family caused Allen to take a break from the program in 2015 with only a few assignments left. In the summer of 2019, MPA Director Dr. Jason Jolley contacted Allen about officially completing his MPA degree.

ā€œ[Jason] was really supportive and pushed me to do that, and Iā€™m glad I did,ā€ Allen said. ā€œ[Professor] Ani Ruhil and [Senior Associate Dean] Dr. Marsha Lewis were very helpful [as well]. I couldnā€™t have done it without their help.ā€

The works to ensure that citizens of Pike County with developmental disabilities and their families, ā€œexperience lifestyles that provide opportunities for personal security, physical and emotional well-being, full community participation, productivity, and equal rights.ā€ The Board works closely with Pike County local government and the .

From updating strategic plans to writing grants and analyzing programs and budgets, Allen frequently uses the skills he learned at the Voinovich School. ā€œIt comes in handy practically daily,ā€ he said. ā€œJust anything and everything ā€¦ I continue to draw on past notes and books from all of my Executive MPA classes.ā€

Today, Allen is inspired by the example set by Kemper, who was with the Pike County Board of Developmental Disabilities for more than 47 years, as well as that of his brother, who passed away in 2010.

ā€œ[These are] big shoes to fill, of course. [Kemper] started our DD program here back in 1970, he devoted his life to the Board and there is a big responsibility to maintain our programs here like he always did,ā€ Allen said. ā€œI hope and believe that with everything Iā€™ve gone through, with Rogerā€™s help, the Boardā€™s help, and with OUā€™s help that Iā€™m ready to do that.ā€