Spotlight Series: Dr. Beth Groves

Dr. Beth Groves Article

Dr. Beth Groves, associate professor of public administration for CBU Online has dedicated her time to giving back to the community. From participating in service projects alongside her parents and grandparents growing up, she took her love of service and turned it into a lifelong passion and 20-year career.

“I get to work with people that I may never have met any other way,” said Dr. Groves. “We get to build a quality of life and that is what community service does and I find that very rewarding.”

Starting out as a news reporter in a local city, Dr. Groves learned first-hand the responsibilities of public administrators, and how they differed between elected city council. She transitioned to working with public policy issues in the private healthcare sector, where she was able to work on a legislative action group with a local state senator. That partnership showed her how collaborative the legislative process can be to help accomplish goals in the community. In that moment, she knew this is what she was meant to do with her life. 

Dr. Groves went to work as the city manager for the City or Norco and the City of Corona, serving alongside dedicated professionals to bring better outcomes for the communities.

“I was so in awe of the professionalism and the passion of the people that go into public service,” said Dr. Groves. “I was able to work with a team of directors that included police and fire chiefs, public work directors and library directors. I felt they were the best of the best in their field and being able to coach them was very rewarding.”

Dr. Groves is very active in her local community. She is part of Soroptimist International of Corona, a local chapter of an international women’s service organization. Soroptimist International provides opportunities for women and girls, giving them access to pursue educational goals. They provide high school and college scholarships, goal setting workshops for junior high girls and both monetary and mentoring awards for women who are head of household and going back to school.

Dr. Groves shares advice for those wanting to get involved and make a difference in their local community. “The first piece to community service is to look around. The best match is when you have someone that has a passion for something and you find a way to channel that,” said Dr. Groves. “It doesn’t have to be a huge commitment either. Get involved in your local church or a food bank once a month. It’s a great way to see what’s happening and what the needs are.”

If you are interested in pursing a degree in public administration, head to this link to see the different programs we offer and how you can make a difference in your community.