LOUISVILLE, Ky.–Louisville Mayor David Armstrong will serve as an executive in residence in the University of Louisville’s College of Business and Public Administration beginning in January, according to Dean Robert Taylor. Armstrong’s term as mayor ends in early January.
During the full-time, two-year appointment, Armstrong will teach courses in the college’s urban and public affairs department and help the university seek grants for research projects related to urban renewal and revitalization policies, Taylor said. Armstrong also will explore the development and funding of a possible institute on urban revitalization policies and laws.
“The College of Business and Public Administration has a long tradition of engaging experienced leaders and executives who can offer a front-line perspective to our students,” Taylor said. “Mayor Armstrong has substantial experience in managing large, complex organizations and an interest in furthering knowledge about urban issues. His emphasis on downtown development and urban renewal is very relevant to our mission as a metropolitan research university, and we welcome his expertise.”
Armstrong, an attorney who holds a law degree from the university, said he looks forward to interacting with students and faculty.
“I hope to help the university leverage its strengths to expand its urban initiatives,” he said. “Just as U of L has grown its reputation as a university in partnership with its community and state, the city has built a reputation for urban revitalization. I look forward to collaborating with faculty and organizations to explore the policies and laws that influence the renewal of our cities.”
Armstrong has spent three decades in public service. He has served as an assistant police court prosecutor, juvenile court judge and administrative law judge. He was twice elected Jefferson County commonwealth attorney, serving from 1975 to 1983; he was then elected Kentucky attorney general, a post he held through 1988. He was twice elected Jefferson County judge/executive before being elected mayor in 1998.
Armstrong said U of L President John Shumaker talked with him about the possibility of joining the university after the mayor had announced his decision not to run for mayor of the new merged government.