From Environmental Compliance to Strategic Leadership: Elizabeth Severt, LPS ’25

In 2008, Elizabeth Severt left Cape Fear Community College with an associate degree and a clear sense of purpose. She quickly found her professional footing at Cape Fear Public Utility Authority (CFPUA) in Wilmington, North Carolina, where environmental compliance became her first calling. 

Those early years played a crucial role in shaping her professional aspirations. “I focused on environmental compliance, ensuring that regulations were met and standards upheld to protect public health. This work provided me with a strong technical foundation in regulatory frameworks, environmental policies and operational oversight,” Severt explained.

As she gained more experience, her perspective on what she could achieve expanded beyond mere compliance checklists. “I recognized the need to move beyond compliance and toward proactive environmental management — addressing broader, systemic challenges rather than just meeting baseline requirements,” said Severt.

This recognition sparked a professional transformation that would define the next chapter of her career. For Severt, the transition from reactive compliance to strategic leadership felt like a complete mindset change. 

“This shift led me to focus on strategic planning, sustainability initiatives, and performance management, aiming to create long-term solutions that enhance environmental stewardship while improving organizational efficiency,” she shared.

By embracing a more comprehensive approach, Severt realized that she would be able to make lasting contributions to environmental practices that could benefit communities and public agencies for generations.

Recognizing that advancing her education was a key step in achieving her full potential, Severt focused on completing her bachelor’s degree.

Choosing the NC State Online Bachelor’s Degree Program

In 2019, eleven years into her career at CFPUA, Severt decided to take the leap and find a bachelor’s degree program that fit her life and evolving goals. 

The online Leadership in the Public Sector (LPS) bachelor’s degree completion program from NC State aligned with her professional goals and could be completed without sacrificing her full-time job or family responsibilities.

NC State’s LPS program is an online degree-completion program designed for students who have already completed an associate degree or earned over 60 college-level credit hours.

The program emphasizes the ethical, theoretical and policy skills needed for public and nonprofit sector leadership. Graduates not only earn a bachelor’s degree equivalent in quality and rigor to all other NC State degrees, but they also leave prepared to pursue leadership roles in public service or future graduate study.

“As a North Carolina native, NC State has always been on my top list of schools to attend,” she shared. The LPS program seemed tailor-made for someone with her background and aspirations. “The program spoke to me, as I have spent my career in the public sector.”

The flexible online format made the decision that much easier for Severt and proved crucial for someone balancing multiple roles as a professional, mother and wife. “The ability to have fully online courses allowed me the flexibility to juggle my many hats (my career, being a mom, wife, and now a student) was also one of the deciding factors,” Severt noted.

Experience in the LPS Online Bachelor’s Program 

Reflecting on her time in the LPS program, Severt was candid about the difficulties and rewards: “This experience has been amazing, hard at times, but truly amazing.”

“Online isn’t for everyone and can be more challenging than being in person,” she shared. “An online program does allow for a lot of flexibility, but it requires you to be extremely focused and organized.” 

Balancing work, education and family responsibilities required that Severt build a strong support system.

“I would not have gotten through this without my husband, family members, friends and amazing co-workers. Everyone around me really stepped up to support me throughout this journey,” Severt reflected. “There were many early mornings and late nights in order to get schoolwork done in an attempt to not miss out on being there for my daughter.”

Through the program, Severt deepened her understanding of public policy, organizational leadership and governance. More importantly, she developed critical skills in strategic decision-making and data-informed policy analysis. These capabilities would prove immediately valuable in her professional life.

“I worked closely with our HR Department to help develop a leadership training program for staff in a supervisory role. I used skills from my grant writing class to write a grant proposal for a project we were working on,” Severt explained. She also used leadership concepts from her core classes as tools for both personal development and to enhance her team.

Throughout her time in the LPS program, one figure stood out as particularly influential: Program Advisor LaShica Waters. “Her support not only to me but the entire LPS program is nothing short of amazing,” said Severt. “She has lived the online student experience and can really relate to non-traditional students.”

“She was there for me in my times of doubt and when I needed a break from school to regain focus. She supported my decision for a break and encouraged me to take care of myself,” Severt shared. “I could not be more grateful to her. The LPS program is lucky to have her!”

On a practical level, the program’s influence on Severt’s career was immediate. She was promoted to her current position as strategy and performance manager for CFPUA, and she directly credits skills gained through the LPS program for this advancement.

Advice and Future Plans

For Severt, earning her bachelor’s degree was just one milestone in a broader educational journey. She plans to use this achievement as a springboard to pursue further education at the University of North Carolina Wilmington in the Executive Master of Public Administration program.

Looking back on her time in the program, she made it clear that completing a degree online “isn’t the easy button.” “When exploring online programs, do your research and reach out to faculty and ask questions,” she explained. “Make sure they have faculty who are there to support you throughout your journey.”

When asked what advice she would offer to working professionals considering continuing their education, she encouraged others to let their internal motivation drive the decision.

“Make sure you are doing it for YOU. Don’t go back to school because others tell you to, do it because you want to,” said Severt. She emphasized the importance of identifying and staying focused on what motivates you personally. “Reflect on your ‘why’ and keep it close by. It is what will get you through the hard times.”

With that sage advice in mind, Severt felt confident that she had made the right choice. When asked about her own journey, she had this to say: “I am so glad I found the LPS program at NC State and proud to be part of the Wolfpack Family!”

Elizabeth Severt’s path from environmental compliance officer to strategic leader shows how education, professional experience, determination and a strong support network can transform a career. For her, this degree is not an endpoint but a launchpad for continued growth and leadership in the public sector.

Interested in completing your undergraduate degree with the NC State Leadership in the Public Sector (LPS) program? Visit the NC State Online program page to explore this and other flexible, online options for working professionals.