Phil Miskovic

Phil Miskovic is a PhD student in the Center for Administration and Policy (CPAP). Phil splits his time between Blacksburg and Crewe—a town of about 2,300 population in rural Nottoway County, about three hour’s drive from the main campus—where he serves as that town’s mayor. He says his motivation comes from a desire “to bridge the gap between theory and practice, especially in economically disadvantaged areas rich with strong communities and culture, but lacking in financial resources or the subject matter expertise of the modern public administrator.” His elected service began in 2012 with his first of four 2-year terms as a member of Crewe Town Council before being voted into his current role in the 2020 municipal election.

Phil has a master’s degree in Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness from Virginia Commonwealth University and a BA in Religion from Hampden-Sydney College. He’s also currently completing a Master of Public Health degree at Virginia Tech. He serves as the emergency planner for Virginia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS). Prior to his employment with DBHDS, Phil was a policy analyst for Virginia’s Secretary of Public Safety in the administration of then-Governor Bob McDonnell.

Phil was appointed to serve as the Graduate Student Representative to the Board of Visitors at Virginia Tech for the 2021-22 academic year. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Virginia Municipal League. In 2019 he was the first recipient of the Emerging Leader Award by the Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership. In his free time, Phil enjoys cooking, traveling, and home renovations. His Crewe home is a century-old historic Catholic Church he purchased and painstakingly repurposed for its current use.

Research Interests

• Local government
• Rural economic development
• Public health emergency management

Publications

• Jordan, S. R., Rudeen, S., Hu, D., Diotalevi, J. L., Brown, F. I., Miskovic, P., ... & Draper, D. (2019). The difference a smile makes: Effective use of imagery by children’s nonprofit organizations. Journal of Nonprofit & Public Sector Marketing, 31(3), 227-248.

VT News articles

• Providing health care in the digital age
• Architecture and urban studies students serve through community leadership, on and off campus
• Cultural immersion in Mexico helps architecture and design students hone professional skills
• Biomedical engineering and industrial design students collaborate in design sprint for health care solutions