Manny Teodoro

Manuel (Manny) Teodoro is a Professor of Public Affairs whose work sits at the intersection of politics, public policy, and public management. A nationally recognized expert on water policy, governance, and utility management, his research focuses on environmental policy design, implementation, and evaluation, with particular emphasis on drinking water, wastewater, environmental justice, and public trust.

Manny’s scholarship explores how institutions, leadership, and public policy shape community outcomes. His work has examined topics ranging from public versus private utility management and regulatory implementation to professional labor markets and organizational innovation. He is the author of Bureaucratic Ambition (Johns Hopkins University Press) and co-author of The Profits of Distrust (Cambridge University Press), which examines the relationship between declining trust in government and the rapid growth of the commercial drinking water industry.

Beyond academia, Manny is widely respected for his applied work with water and wastewater utilities across the United States. He has served on expert advisory panels for state governments, the American Water Works Association, UNICEF/World Health Organization, and numerous local governments, helping organizations strengthen water affordability, equity, governance, and regulatory implementation. In 2022, he joined the Water & Health Advisory Council.

Manny earned his bachelor’s degree from Seattle University, a Master of Public Administration from Cornell University as a Truman Scholar, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Political Science from the University of Michigan.