Dale Thomson, PhD

PhD Institution: Public Policy;  University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2001

Dale Thomson has a deep passion for cities and a not-so-coincidental passion for underdogs rooted in his lifetime of living in the legacy cities of Detroit and Baltimore.  After several years serving as Chair of the Department of Social Sciences and Director of the Institute for Local Government at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Dale recently returned to the role of a full-time faculty member. 

Dale Thomson serves as a Professor of Political Science and teaches courses in urban, state, and federal politics & policy and government and nonprofit administration. He also teaches in the Inside-Out Prison Exchange program and the Honors Program.  He directs the Ottawa Internship Program which places students in summer internships with members of the Canadian Parliament, co-directs the Urban and Regional Studies program, and serves as a faculty ombuds for the campus.  Dale served six years as Chair of the Department of Social Sciences, directed the Institute for Local Government for 7 years, directed the community development research unit at Wayne State's Center for Urban Studies (where he also taught), worked in policy development with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington DC, and also served on the finance staff of General Motors. 

Dale's research examines the role of institutions—especially private foundations—in city policymaking, allocation strategies for community development resources, and the capacity of community development corporations.  His publications have appeared in venues, such as Urban Affairs Review, the Journal of Urban Affairs, Housing Policy Debate, and Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, as well as books from Penn Press, University of Michigan Press, and Michigan State Press.  Dale serves on the boards of Citizen Detroit, Connect Detroit, and the Grandmont Rosedale Development Corporation where he serves as president.

Articles:
Thomson, D. E. 2023. Foundations of influence: Intervention pathways of foundation influence on city governance and policy. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 52(5), 1260-1283.  10.1177/08997640221115653 

Thomson, D. E. 2021. Foundation activism in urban revitalization: Effects on institutions and political agency, Journal of Urban Affairs, 45(7), 1334-1357.  10.1080/07352166.2021.1909423

Thomson, D. E. 2020. Philanthropic funding for community and economic development: Exploring potential for influencing policy and governance. Urban Affairs Review, 57(6), 1483-1523. 10.1177/1078087420926698

Thomson, D. 2019. Donor-driven democracy?: Governance implications of foundation-dependent revitalization. Journal of Urban Affairs, 41(4), 551-569. 10.1080/07352166.2018.1451254

Thomson, D. & Etienne, H.  2017. Fiscal crisis and community development: The Great Recession, Support Networks, and community development corporation capacity.  Housing Policy Debate, 27(1), 137-165. 10.1080/10511482.2016.1196230

Thomson, D.  2011.  The role of funders in driving nonprofit performance measurement and use in strategic management, Public Performance and Management Review, 35(1), 54-78. 10.2753/PMR1530-9576350103

Thomson, D.  2011.  Strategic geographic targeting in community development: Examining the congruence of political, institutional, and technical factors, Urban Affairs Review, 47(4), 564-594. 10.1177%2F1078087411400021