Kimberly L. Nelson is associate professor of public administration and government at the School of Government at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, following six years in the Division of Public Administration at Northern Illinois University. Her research and teaching interests focus on local government management, local government form and structure, and innovation in local government. Her research on the effects of form of government on municipal performance and innovation have been published in leading journals including The American Review of Public Administration, Urban Affairs Review, and State and Local Government Review. She is also the author of book chapters and a regular presenter and participant at the conferences of the International City/County Management Association and the American Society for Public Administration. Dr. Nelson uses her research experience to inform her client work with local governments in strategic planning and improving local government-administrative relations, as well as to train local government leaders in promoting innovative practices. She received her Ph.D. in public administration from North Carolina State University.