Our People

Bob O'Neill joined the Riley Center as an Executive in Residence in 2018, after serving as a Riley Fellow for two years. In this role, he has built the capacity of the Center's professional development services by providing expertise in building local government leadership. He also teaches in the Master of Public Administration program at the College of Charleston. 

Mr. O'Neill is the former executive director of ICMA (International City/County Management Association), which advances professional local government worldwide. Before ICMA, Bob served as the president of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA). He served as Fairfax County executive from 1997-2000, where he is credited with developing a series of strategies aimed at revitalizing older residential communities and commercial areas in Fairfax County, as well as launching a series of initiatives focused on performance and results management. His reinvention of the government of Hampton, Virginia as City Manager from 1984-1997 was widely recognized. His many accomplishments included a downtown and waterfront revitalization initiative and development of a nationally recognized youth-at-risk program. 

Bob has been the recipient of the Maxwell School of Syracuse University's Spirit of Public Service Award and the National Public Service Award presented by the National Academy of Public Administration and the American Society for Public Administration. He is a NAPA fellow and faculty member of the University of Virginia's Senior Executive Institute. He earned his B.A. in political science from Old Dominion University and his Master's of Public Administration from the Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Administration, Syracuse University. He also completed the Executive Program at Colgate Darden School of Business, University of Virginia, and received an honorary doctorate of law from Old Dominion University. 

Bill Tomes is an Executive in Residence at the Joseph P. Riley Jr. Center for Livable Communities at the College of Charleston and is the former Director of Governmental Research and Service at the Institute of Public Service and Policy Research at University of South Carolina. Through his consulting firm, Bill works with public and non-profit organizations throughout South Carolina. 

Bill has his Bachelor's degree in Psychology and a Master's degree in Human Resources. Over the past 30 years, he has worked as an organizational development consultant, specializing in both the private and public sectors in the United States and Canada. He has conducted training programs and written book chapters and articles on various human resources and governance topics. Bill currently serves on the faculty of the Local Government Leadership Institute, the Non-Profit Leadership Institute at Francis Marion University, and the Institute of Government for County Officials. 

Chris Stone is a leadership consultant based in Greenville, South Carolina. As an international expert in destination visioning, Stone's ambitious work is centered on merging design, art, architecture and authentic experiences. He's most noted for his stewardship on the nationally acclaimed urban context of Greenville. 

Under Stone's leadership, a notable up-and-comer brand was created and strategically promoted. Taking notice of Greenville's emergence has been the likes of The New York Times, Travel + Leisure, and The Lonely Planet. Strong brand performance has led to record-setting visitation and tourism economic success. A bonus outcome has been the brand's ability to broaden Greenville's appeal and economic achievements. 

Over the years, Stone has also provided strategic counsel and conceptual visioning to governments and visitor-serving enterprises. His work includes the May Forest Monastery in Charleston, SC; Trade Street Public Square Concept, Fountain Inn, SC; Little Rock, AR Downtown Master Plan; 2nd Street Corridor in Austin, TX; Monterey Experience Project in Monterey, CA; National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, CA; The National Aquarium in Baltimore, MD and multiple projects on behalf of the European Cultural Consortium in Rome (IT), Barcelona (SP) and Paris (FR). 

Stone has forty years of destination leadership experience, serving in senior executive roles in Austin, TX; Portland, OR; St. Louis, MO; and Washington DC. 

Greg Bulanow began his fire service career with the North Charleston Fire Department (SC) in 1996. He advanced through the ranks from recruit Firefighter to Chief of the Department. Throughout his career he worked to transform the culture of the organization by cultivating a service mindset, connecting personnel to their impact and providing Firefighters with holistic support for their personal well-being. He retired from the fire department in 2024, after 28 years of service. 

Greg is currently the Leadership Development Coordinator with the South Carolina State Firefighters' Association where he directs the Leadership Institute, a year-long executive-level educational program. He also works as a facilitator with the Chapman Foundation for Caring Communities, a national for-good organization offering transformatoinal learning experiences to strengthen relationships, align teams, and build community. 

Greg holds a Bachelor's degree in English from Cedarville College and a Master's degree in Management from Southern Weslayan University. He is also a graduate of the National Fire Academy's Executive Fire Officer Program and credentialed as a Fire Chief Officer by the Center for Public Safety Excellence. 

Dr. Laura A. Reese is a Professor Emeritus of Urban and Regional Planning at Michigan State University, President of Professional Animal Welfare Services, and a Fellow at the College of Charleston's Riley Center for Livable Communities. She was the founding Director of the Global Urban Studies Program at MSU, is the former Editor in Chief of the Journal of Urban Affairs, and is an editor for the journal Animals. She has a Master's Degree in Public Administration and a Doctorate in Political Science from Wayne State University in Detroit. Her main research and teaching areas are in urban politics/studies and public policy, economic development, animal welfare policy, and local governance, management and planning in Canada and the U.S. She has written 14 books and over 100 articles and book chapters in these areas. 

Dr. Reese has conducted large scale evaluations for the Economic Development Administration and sub-state economic development programs including Tax Increment Financing Authorities and Industrial Tax Abatements, and has worked with various public and nonprofit entities including the International City/County Management Association, The Pedigree Foundation, the Michigan Municipal League, and the Detroit City Council. Her books include: Fostering and the Human-Animal Bond: A Guide for Companion Animal Foster Care Providers and Shelters, 2025, Cambridge, MA: Elsevier; Strategies for Successful Animal Shelters, 2018, Amsterdam: Elselvier; Money for Nothing: Industrial Tax Abatements and Economic Development (with Gary Sands), 2012, Lanham,MD: Lexington Book; Comparative Civic Culture (with Raymond Rosenfield), 2012, London: Ashgate Publications; and Reinventing Civil Society: The Emerging Role of Faith-Based Organizations in America (with Richard Hula and Cynthia Jackson-Elmore), 2011, Armonk, NY: M.E. Sharpe.

Steve Riley is an experienced public sector leader, planner and real estate professional with more than three decades of expertise in community development, municipal management and land use planning. He currently serves as Principal of Steve Riley Consulting, where he advises clients on planning, land development, public-private partnerships, emergency management and leadership development, while also working in commercial real estate sales. 

Prior to his consulting work, Steve spent 26 years as the Town Manager of Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, where he led a staff of over 250, managed complex public-private service structures and guided the community through major initiatives and challenges, including the successful evacuation, recovery and FEMA reimbursement efforts following Hurricane Matthew. His earlier career includes leadership roles in community development and planning across South Carolina and Minnesota, supported by a Master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Iowa. A licensed real estate agent in South Carolina and Georga and an active member of several professional organizations, Steve is widely recognized for his collaborative leadership, strategic vision and long-standing commitment to resilient and sustainable community growth. 

Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D. is an economist and author, and is the president and chief executive officer of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (FCEDA) in Fairfax County, VA, a position he has held since late 1983. In 2016, Virginia Business magazine named Gordon one of its "50 Most Influential Virginians." He was named to the same list in 2013, 2014 and 2015. In 2015, Dr. Gordon was honored by International Economic Development Council with the Jeffrey A. Finkle Organizational Leadership Award for a "lasting commitment to the field of economic development."

Gordon previously held positions with Arlington County, VA and the United States Department of Labor. Gordon has taught at the University of Maryland, College Park, George Mason University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. He has consulted with city and state governments throughout the United States and internationally. He has also served as a consultant to businesses, non-profit organizations, associations, colleges and universities, various government agencies including the U.S. Navy and United Nations. 

Gordon holds a Bachelor's degree from The Citadel, a Master's degree from George Washington University, and a Doctorate in International Economics from the Catholic University of America. He is the author of numerous articles on strategic planning, economic development, leadership styles, and other management topics. He has also authored 13 books and contributed to opinion pieces in the Washington Post, Forbes and American City and County. 

Gordon was awarded a Fulbright Award for a study in Scotland, where he made a series of recommendations on how to maintain and develop skilled employment in the region, and the approaches to doing so to secure its economic future when a nuclear power plant closes. He planned to further explore the region's huge potential for renewable energy but also come up with specific ways to implement inward investment into the northern Highland region. 

Jon holds a Ph.D. in Political Science with a concentration in public administration from the University of Tennessee. He received his Bachelor's and Master's of Arts degrees in political science from Appalachian State University. He has worked with state, local and non-profit agencies across the southeast for over 35 years as a university-based facilitator, consultant and trainer. Dr. Pierce has assisted a large number of organizations in the design and conduct of strategic planning and goal-setting efforts. He has facilitated in excess of 700 sessions with the policy boards of governmental, non-profit and community organizations. Dr. Pierce is recognized as an authority on state and local government in South Carolina. 

Dr. Pierce retired from full-service with the University of South Carolina in July 2009. He retired as the Director of Governmental Services for the University of South Carolina's Institute for Public Service and Policy Research. He held the faculty rank of Research Associate Professor and taught in the joint MPA programs at USC, Clemson, and College of Charleston. Upon his retirement, he was granted the title of Senior Fellow of the Institute. In 2015, he was granted status as a Fellow with the Riley Center. 

Prior to joining the faculty of the Institute for Public Service & Policy Research in 1986, Jon served as Director for the Governmental Services Institute and the Office of Professional Development and Community Education of Northern Kentucky University, and as Executive Director of the Appalachian Regional Bureau of Government at Appalachian State University. 

Dr. Morgan Hughey is an Associate Professor of Public Health, an Honors College faculty fellow, as well as a Riley Center fellow at the College of Charleston. She received her Bachelor of Science in Health and Exercise Science from Furman University, a Master of Public Health and Ph.D. in Health Promotion, Education and Behavior from the University of South Carolina. In 2023, Dr. Hughey received the William V. Moore Distinguished Teacher-Scholar Award at College of Charleston, which honors faculty members selected by their peers as exemplifying the teacher-scholar model. 

Dr. Hughey's research interests include built environment influences on physical activity and healthy eating, inequities in access to nutrition and physical activity resources, community-based approaches to improving health and quality of life, and development and evaluation of community health programs to increase physical activity and healthy eating. 

Dr. McLeod is an Associate Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the College of Charleston. He received his Bachelor of Science in Envionmental Health Sciences form the University of Georgia, his Master's of Business Administration from the University of Montana, and his Ph.D. from the University of Nevada. Brumby's research focuses on commercial accommodations, reservation systems and policies, accommodation tax, revenue management and the principles of hospitality and tourism management. Recently, Brumby partnered with Rest Responsibly and the Riley Center, where he was part of a nationwide study exploring the perspectives of short-term rental operators and local government staff on municipal management and regulation of short-term rentals.

Dr. Wu is an Assistant Professor and Director of the Graduate Certificate Program in Arts and Cultural Management at the College of Charleston. She received her Master's in Arts Management and Master's in American Studies from the University of Buffalo, and her Ph.D. in Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Wu's research focuses on the intersection of nonprofit arts and cultural management, public administration and policy, and social equity. With a background in American Studies and expertise in researching racial and ethnic issues, Dr. Wu is particularly interested in representation of diverse art forms and narratives in cultural institutions. She is currently working on several projects, such as the contribution of artists to the co-creation of public value, the utilization of arts and culture as strategies for place branding, and the use of social media in municipal governance for content creation and citizen engagement.

Dr. Ragusa is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the College of Charleston. He received his Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Bowling Green State University and his Master's and Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Florida. Dr. Ragusa's research focuses on several intersecting topics: American and South Carolina politics, the Congress, political parties, elections, political economy, and statistical methods for the social sciences. He is the author of two books: "Congress in Reverse: Repeals from Reconstruction to the Present" and "First in the South: Why the South Carolina Presidential Primary Matters."