Teodoro J. (Ted) Benavides turned to academia in 2005 after a lengthy and successful career in local government, most recently as city manager in Denton (1996–1998) and Dallas, Texas (1998–2004). He is currently the MPA Director and Associate Professor of Practice in the Public and Nonprofit Management program in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses on a wide range of local government management topics. 

He also serves as the internship coordinator, drawing on his sizable professional network to ensure that students receive top-quality experiences and job opportunities. His ongoing interaction with city leaders from around the state and around the nation keep him at the forefront of issues facing local governments, which he incorporates into the courses he teaches. He frequently mentors students on how to successfully navigate working in the public and nonprofit sectors, and the authenticity he brings to the classroom makes his courses of tremendous value. Benavides also coordinates a Local Government Management Graduate Certificate Program, managing teaching contracts with Allen, Anna, McKinney, Plano, and Richardson, Texas, that provide for classroom instruction of city employees, culminating in a certificate in local government management from the university. In 2021, ICMA awarded Benavides the Academic Award in Memory of Stephen B. Sweeney in recognition of his significant contribution to the formal education of students pursuing careers in local government. 

Other awards also recognize his distinguished service. He was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) in 2000. The American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) selected him for the Paul Van Riper Award for Excellence and Service in 2020 and awarded him a Presidential Citation of Merit for outstanding leadership in hosting the 2008 ASPA annual conference in Dallas. The North Texas Chapter of ASPA named him Public Administrator of the Year in 2004. He received the Academician of the Year Award from the Texas City Management Association (TCMA) in 2017 and has received several recognitions from the North Texas chapter of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA), including the Mark of Excellence Award in 2006. He has also received awards and recognitions from organizations in Denton and Dallas.

Over the years, Benavides has shared his knowledge and expertise by providing technical assistance and managerial advice to cities and legislators on organizational issues and by making presentations on budgeting, fiscal crisis management, benchmarking, and other topics at conferences and symposiums convened by Austin College, NFBPA, and ASPA.

Benavides continues an active research and publishing agenda with colleagues from across the nation. While he is not bound to perform research or publish in his current position, he feels that these activities are beneficial for the department and the profession since they add knowledge to the field of public administration and benefit the community. He has authored and co-authored books, including peer-reviewed books, on human resources information systems, city planning, local government management, and nonprofit organizations.

As a leader in the profession, Benavides has served the North Texas chapter of ASPA as vice president and president. For NFBBA he chaired the International Relations and Public Policy Committee, has been on the Executive Leadership Institute and Mentoring Program Evaluation Task Force and the Investment Committee, and served on the board of directors from 2002-2010. He was vice-chair of the TCMA University Relations Task Force in 2005.

A member of ICMA since 1981, he has participated as a member of the Digital Strategies Committee, the Conference Planning Committee, the Center for Performance Measure-ment, and the Municipal Utilities Owner Committee and Utilities Consortium. Peers and colleagues support his selection for ICMA’s Distinguished Service Award, saying that he has demonstrated the highest qualities of teaching, scholarship, and service to the department, school, university, and community.