Bernice Butler, graduate research assistant, recently received the Jerry R. Griffin Master of Public Administration (MPA) Scholarship, which is awarded by the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) to an outstanding student who is pursuing a career in government management.

Butler is based with the Institute's Children and Family Policy Initiative. She earned her undergraduate degree from Georgia State University and is slated to complete her MPA this May. Butler notes that her attraction to a career in local government stems in part from the services provided in Warren County, where she was a child in the foster care system. "I am committed to public service work that enables me to identify citizens' needs and then generate workable solutions," she explains. In addition to internships with the Administrative Office of the Court for the City of Atlanta and with Georgia State University, Butler has extensive experience in community volunteerism.

The scholarship honors the distinguished career of Jerry R. Griffin, ACCG executive director.