District I Candidates

Michael Ahn

Biography

Michael Ahn is associate professor of public policy and public affairs and MPA Graduate Program Director at The University of Massachusetts Boston. He currently serves as a District I Representative and the chair of the Section on Science and Technology in Government (SSTIG). Since joining ASPA in 2001, he has served as the president of ASPA’s Massachusetts Chapter (MassASPA) and the Northeast Conference on Public Administration (NECoPA). With the help of dedicated ASPA friends and colleagues at NECoPA, SSTIG and MassASPA, he helped organize asuccessful 2012 NECoPA Conference in Boston, which attracted outstanding public administration professionals; and, in 2013 and 2014, co-chaired a SSTIG Symposium on Technological Innovations in Government, where leaders in government technology in Massachusetts discussed the potentials and challenges of IT innovation in government. As the president of MassASPA, he has worked to improve the quality of the Chapter’s programs and activities and, with the help of MassASPA officers, organized more than 10 great programs with leading public administration scholars and practitioners. With the late Rick Beinecke (Suffolk University), he created the first Massachusetts Best Capstone Competition and Award to encourage public administration students in Massachusetts and recruit them into ASPA membership. Academically, his current research explores such topics as digital governance, smart cities, artificial intelligence in government, and public affairs education. He received a PhD in public administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University and, before joining University of Massachusetts Boston in 2009, taught at Brown University’s Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions.

Candidate Statement

I have been an active member of ASPA since 2001, when I attended my first public administration conference as an MPA student from Syracuse University. Since then, I have worked at all levels of ASPA—national, state and Section. As mentioned in my biography, I have accumulated valuable "ASPA experiences" over the years in which I grew professionally, starting with MassASPA and then NECoPA, the Section on Science and Technology in Government and, most recently, ASPA's National Council. What I find most valuable about ASPA is that it provides important opportunities for public sector professionals to meet, discuss and learn from its various programs such as conferences, symposiums and publications, as well as activities from its Chapters and Sections. The ASPA leadership, executive officers and Council members have been working hard over the years to bring about some exciting changes for ASPA and we have begun to see their results. Building on my experience serving as the District I Representative, I would like to continue to make meaningful contributions to help invigorate ASPA. For District I, working with my fellow District I Representatives, Chapter and Section leaders, I will seek to improve the quality of programs we provide to our members and create opportunities for collaboration. I especially would like to maximize the benefit of our webinar platform by inviting key thought-leaders and practitioners to speak at our webinars. I also will reach out to other prominent professional associations in search of program opportunities and activities that will bring added benefits to our members. I believe in ASPA's mission and, with your support, would like to serve another term as a National Council member and continue to work for ASPA and District I. Thank you for your support and vote!

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District 2 Candidates

Jonathan Del Collo

Biography

Jonathan K. Del Collo was elected by the citizens of Berks County, Pennsylvania, as their 56th prothonotary in November 2017. Serving more than 420,000 residents, he leads the governmental entity responsible for the filing, recording and processing of all civil actions, family court matters, equity actions, judgments, federal, state and local tax liens, municipal liens, arbitrations, license suspension appeals and appeals to higher courts. Under Del Collo's leadership, efficiencies created by staff cross training have resulted in more than $616,000 in taxpayer savings. He also has transformed the office into a truly 21st-century operation, digitizing more than 350,000 historical and naturalization records and going completely paperless in 2019. Prior to his election, Del Collo served for more than 10 years as the county's chief deputy prothonotary and acting prothonotary, implementing an automated payment system and new case management system. He served on the Antietam School Board in the late 1990s, the Mount Penn Borough Council from 2001 to 2003 and the City of Reading Ethics Board. His public service career began as executive assistant to the mayor of Reading, Pennsylvania, under the city's new home-rule form of government. A graduate of American University in Washington, DC, Del Collo has actively supported ASPA's vision, mission and goals as a member of its Financial Management Committee and Audit Committee. He also is a committed member of ASPA's Section on Intergovernmental Administration and Management.

Candidate Statement

For 20 years, I have served the public at the local level. Throughout this time, I have gained a keen appreciation for the role that organizations like ASPA can play in preparing the next generation to serve and highlighting practices—developed by practitioner and academic communities—that can help us do our jobs in a way that our citizens deserve.

It is time for me to give back. If fortunate to be elected as District II Representative, I will contribute unique experiences from my career, as an elected official and years-long civil servant, to help ASPA achieve our mission, attract members, strengthen Chapters and Sections (especially those with a considerable practitioner membership) and identify ways to expand the public’s appreciation for the value of public service when it is needed most.

I am on the “front lines,” serving 420,000 residents; I know what effective public service means. As chief prothonotary of Berks County, Pennsylvania, I head the government entity responsible for filing and processing all civil actions. Leading a talented team of civil servants, we have developed innovative cross training, resulting in more than $616,000 in taxpayer savings, and transformed our office into a 21st-century operation, digitizing hundreds of thousands of records and going completely paperless. Serving on a school board, borough council and ethics board, I have ensured that meaningful public engagement and ethical decisionmaking are hallmarks of our work.

My commitment to ASPA is solid, having served on its Audit Committee and Finance Committee. ASPA is the leading professional organization for the study and practice of public administration; striking a balance for these interrelated communities is a defining characteristic of what it is and does. I will contribute my talents to strengthening that balance for the benefit of our entire profession. I respectfully ask for your vote.


Younhee Kim

Biography

Younhee Kim is an associate professor in the School of Public Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg. As an active member of ASPA, she has served as an executive committee member of the Section on Korean Public Administration and the Section on Public Performance and Management. She is a 2019 Founders' Fellows mentor. She has been proactively involved in international outreach to promote diverse perspectives in public administration communities. Her research interests are in the broad areas of public and performance management with particular emphasis on performance measurement, public sector entrepreneurship, citizen participation, data and information and e-governance. She has published numerous articles in respected journals in her field and book chapters to reach out to a broader audience. She is a co-editor in chief of International Journal of Policy Studies, a co-editor of a section on public administration and public policy in Korea in the Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance, a guest co-editor of Smart Cities and a founding managing editor of International Journal of Policy and Governance Network. She also has served as an editorial board member of Public Performance and Management Review, Journal of Public Management and Social Policy, Korean Journal of Public Administration and Korean Public Administration Review. She holds a PhD in public administration from Rutgers University–Newark and an MPA from SUNY Albany.

Candidate Statement

I am deeply honored to be one of the nominees for ASPA's National Council. ASPA has always been beside me as my lifetime commitment to public administration has begun. I have been amazed by how being a part of the ASPA community as an executive member of Sections and a member of Chapters has helped me expand my research and service horizons by engaging rich opportunities with great colleagues. ASPA's unique, inclusive position needs to continue as it helps with facilitating dialogues and collaboration with national and international communities.

As District II Representative, I am highly committed to:
  • expanding opportunities to bring together academics, practitioners and students in District II
  • developing collaborative partnerships with Chapters and Sections and
  • promoting the visibility of local Chapters' activities to support the National Council's goals and strategies
I respectably ask for your support to become a District II Representative so I can work with, learn from and bring my experience to the ASPA community.



Ashley Nickels

Biography

Ashley Nickels is assistant professor of political science at Kent State University. Her research interests include urban politics and governance, as well as grassroots and community-based organizations. She is author of Power, Participation, and Protest in Flint, Michigan (2019), co-author of Unmasking Administrative Evil, fifth edition (2019), and the co-editor of Community Development and Public Administration Theory: Promoting Democratic Principles to Improve Communities (2018). Her work also has been published in State and Local Government Review, Risks, Hazards and Crisis in Public Policy, and Research in Social Movements, Conflict and Change. She also serves on the editorial board of Administrative Theory & Praxis and is chair for the Community & Grassroots Section of ARNOVA.

Candidate Statement

Ashley Nickels is an assistant professor of political science at Kent State University. She is an interdisciplinary, critical scholar with teaching and research interests in urban governance, social equity and nonprofit organizations. Her work can be found in Administrative Theory & Praxis, State and Local Government Review, Journal of Public Affairs Education, among other social science journals. She is the author of Power, Participation, and Protest in Flint, Michigan and the newest author to join Balfour and Adams on the fifth edition of Unmasking Administrative Evil. She also edited Community Development and Public Administration Theory with Dr. Rivera. She currently serves on the editorial board for Administrative Theory & Praxis and is active in other professional associations, including Public Administration Theory Network, Urban Affairs Association and the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action.

Nickels is honored to accept the nomination and stand for election to the ASPA board to represent District II. If elected, she looks forward to working with all ASPA members—students, faculty, and practitioners—to build on ASPA's momentum on centering social equity at the national level, as well as in its Chapters and Sections. She views her intentionally interdisciplinary and critical approach to research and teaching as a valuable asset in growing and broadening ASPA's membership and engagement.

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District 3 Candidate

Kim Hoffman

Biography

Kim Hoffman is associate professor of public administration at the University of Central Arkansas, where she directs an undergraduate program in public administration. She has been a member of ASPA since 1997, including its Association for Budgeting and Financial Management. She is an active member in the Southeastern Conference for Public Administration (SECoPA). Currently, she is part of a planning group to revive the Arkansas ASPA chapter. She teaches a variety of courses in public administration and conducts an annual workshop on the Arkansas budget process for the Arkansas Public Administration Consortium, which offers training programs to government and nonprofit professionals. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a legislative analyst for the Arkansas state legislature. She holds a PhD in political science, an MPA and a BS in public administration.

Candidate Statement

I would be honored to represent District III on ASPA's National Council. I actively support ASPA's mission and promote public service by mentoring and encouraging undergraduate students to pursue public service careers. I also work with practitioners to build partnerships between academia and government/nonprofit agencies through internships and service-learning projects. I have proven leadership skills having served in SECoPA for more than 15 years as board member, board secretary and president (2016-2017). If elected, I will use these skills to advance ASPA's mission. Finally, I believe a strong ASPA is necessary, now more than ever, to demonstrate the value of public service and good government to all citizens.

My goals as District III Representative include:
  • Promote professional development programs for young practitioners and academics
  • Support ongoing efforts to assist in Chapter development
  • Encourage more active collaboration between practitioners and academics
  • Represent the interests of District III by promoting ASPA Chapter activities and events


Scott Wolfe

Biography

James Scott Wolfe has worked in public service for more than 10 years—for seven years in an educational setting and since since then at the State of Tennessee Comptroller’s Office as a legislative performance auditor. Currently, he is an internal auditor with the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission. He is an active member, board member and Chapter officer of ASPA's Metro Louisville Chapter.

Candidate Statement

My name is Scott Wolfe and I am running for the District III Representative. I have been a member of ASPA since I was in graduate school at Western Kentucky University, where I completed my MPA. During my tenure with ASPA, I have served the Greater Louisville Kentucky Chapter as treasurer and, most recently, vice president. After graduating, I moved to Tennessee where I have worked in state auditing. I firmly believe in working in public service and I believe ASPA is invaluable in developing young leaders in the field.

For seven years, I helped prepare students for future college endeavors at a school for gifted juniors and seniors. For more than four years, I was with the State of Tennessee Comptroller’s Office as a legislative performance auditor and for the last year I have been the internal auditor for the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission. In both roles, and in my personal life, I have striven to be a strong representative of my education and ASPA. I often have returned to Western Kentucky University to represent ASPA to students and community members by advocating for the Chapter and the national organization. In addition to my work experience, I have taught economic courses at a local high school with junior achievement for two years and have mentored at-risk youth through the college admissions process in Tennessee through TN Achieves. I also have been involved with several social equity groups to work and march for equal rights and further reduce disparity. I have volunteered my time for various social groups, most actively in sexuality and racial equity issues. With my combined education, experience, drive and unique viewpoint, I would serve ASPA and my region well as a District Representative if chosen. Thank you for your consideration.

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District 4 Candidates

J. Paul Blake

Biography

J. Paul Blake retired as director of media and external relations at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Policy & Governance at the University of Washington. His professional service includes three terms as president of ASPA's Evergreen Chapter. He is serving his fourth term on ASPA's National Council. He also serves on ASPA's Endowment Board, chairs the Financial Management Committee and has served on the Governance Committee, the Ethics Committee—which revised the Society's Code of Ethics—and the Ethics and Standards Implementation Committee. A recipient of the Donald C. Stone Service to ASPA award in 2016, he has received several Chester A. Newland Presidential Citation of Merit awards. In 2013 the Evergreen Chapter awarded Blake a Lifetime of Public Service award. As a member of various ASPA delegations, he has presented papers in Japan and South Korea. He is a former member of the Advisory Board for the University of Washington Public Relations and Strategic Communications Certificate program. He also is a member of the International Association for Public Participation, the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation, the Seattle Association of Black Journalists, Blacks in Government, the Black Heritage Society of Washington State and HistoryLink.

Candidate Statement

It has been an honor to serve ASPA as a Chapter president and District IV Representative. I value the friendships developed through ASPA. I am grateful for the support of many members and staff and I’m excited about the possibility of serving another term as District IV Representative.

The remarkable leadership of past presidents, National Council members, numerous committed members and dedicated staff has positioned ASPA as the largest and most prominent broadly based professional association in American public administration. While much has been accomplished, the challenges facing professional organizations, including ASPA—as well as the opportunities—require strategic vision, creativity and engagement across every element of the association.

During my final term as District IV Representative, I will continue the effort to develop new chapters in Idaho, Montana and Wisconsin. With the support of ASPA members in those states, I am hopeful our recent success in District IV to establish chapters in Kansas, Colorado and Oregon can be continued.

As chair of the Financial Management Committee I will support the implementation of new membership fees the committee recently proposed. In coming months, the committee will make recommendations to the National Council regarding lifetime memberships.

Financial support for ASPA through the Endowment will become increasingly more critical as our outstanding staff strives to provide support and timely programming to our members. As a member of the Endowment Board of Directors, I will support efforts to increase contributions from foundations, institutions, individuals and ASPA members.

Finally, I will support efforts to increase the level of interest among members in ASPA's governance. The fact that three District Representatives, including myself, are running unopposed is a cause for concern. Involving more members in the association's governance is essential if ASPA is to remain the premier organization representing public administration professionals and scholars.

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District 5 Candidates

Rex Facer, II

Biography

Rex L. Facer, II is associate professor of public finance and management in the George Romney Institute of Public Management at Brigham Young University's Marriott School of Management, where he teaches in the Master of Public Administration program. He received his PhD from the University of Georgia and has been actively engaged as a scholar. His published research has focused on public sector pay, alternative work schedules, municipal annexation and local public finance. In addition to his scholarship, he has served the field of public administration in several ways. He has been an active ASPA member for more than 20 years. Among other service to ASPA, he was chair of the Section on Personnel Administration and Labor Relations (SPALR), member and chair of ASPA's Financial Management Committee and a member of ASPA's National Council. In addition to his service to ASPA, he has been engaged with many other organizations addressing public management issues such as ICMA, GFOA, ABFM and NASPAA. He served on NASPAA's Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation for three years, including a year as chair. President Barak Obama appointed him to the U.S. Federal Salary Council, where he served from 2010 to 2017. He also lectures and consults internationally on a variety of human resource and local public finance issues. He also has been involved with the Astana Civil Service Hub since 2013—an effort to improve civil service practice throughout Central Asia and in countries of the former Soviet Union.

Candidate Statement

I am honored to have served ASPA over the years. I believe ASPA is and should be THE professional home for practitioners, scholars and students of public service. I have benefited greatly from my membership in ASPA. Because of this, I have a responsibility to give back to ASPA and want to do that through serving on its National Council.

ASPA is a membership organization. We need to bring more people into the organization, but more importantly we need to strengthen the value-added proposition of ASPA membership. ASPA's current member benefits, such as The Bridge, PA TIMES, webinars and the Annual Conference, provide incredible value to members. Additionally, Chapters and Sections, the space where many of our members interact the most, also add incredible value.

I have benefitted from my ASPA membership. I have developed meaningful professional networks and amazing friends from around the world. I have grown professionally from ASPA conferences, publications and professional networks. ASPA membership has given me many opportunities. For example, through my service in ASPA, I was appointed by President Obama to serve on the U.S. Federal Salary Council. Through ASPA relationships, I have been able to work to strengthen public service around the world. I am deeply grateful for the opportunities ASPA has opened to me.

Because I have benefited greatly from my ASPA membership, I have a responsibility to give back. I have tried to do that over the years by serving in Section leadership (Section on Personnel Administration and Labor Relations), on ASPA's Financial Management Committee, on strategic planning committees and the Founders' Fellows Program, as well serving on the National Council. I would like to continue my service to ASPA as a member of the National Council.

I believe in ASPA's mission of advancing excellence in public service. I hope you will give me the opportunity to represent District V on ASPA’s National Council.

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Student Representative Candidates

Note: Only students are eligible to vote for Student Representative

Pooja Paswan

Biography

"A leader is the one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way." Pooja Paswan believes that encouraging people and believing in them brings out their best potential. She is currently assistant professor in the department of political science at Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, India. She recently completed her PhD in public administration and has been associated with ASPA since 2016 when she was an ASPA International Young Scholar. She also is a member of the Founders’ Fellow class of 2019 and the recipient of the Young Scholar's “Best Presentation Award” in 2017. Her research is in the area of public policy, governance and practice. She has authored a book on financial administration in India and started her own YouTube channel for her students to access her work on development of minority rights. She has engaged actively with various ASPA Sections including the Section for Women in Public Administration and the Section on International and Comparative Administration. She has published in several reputable journals and has published book chapters. She also writes quarterly articles for PA TIMES Online. The opportunities to learn and grow are endless. Her biggest takeaway from ASPA is the wide networking and mentorship available on a single platform.

Candidate Statement

I am running for the ASPA Student Representative position to influence three key areas: diversity, opportunity and networking.

I have a passion for public service and if provided the opportunity to serve as Student Representative, I will work toward achieving the following initiatives:

Networking: Develop a wider network of students and young professionals globally to contribute toward interdisciplinary research and extend ASPA's reach to students and young professionals who will benefit from ASPA's mentorship opportunities.

Diversity: Advocate on behalf of a diverse student membership and guarantee that students from diverse disciplines feel they have a home in ASPA. I have tried to create a similar module in my university and my students have responded positively. I believe strongly that, in the borderless world of technology in which we live, interdisciplinary research is important. We all can learn from the experiences of others.

Opportunity: Promoting more student-focused webinars, training and professional development. I also will advocate for special networking opportunities for students, establishing mentorship opportunities for students and finding ways to highlight the great work ASPA students are doing in the field, the community and their respective institutions.

The opportunity to serve will expand my drive to set up a more inclusive and participation-based platform. I am well aware of the challenges encountered by the young scholars at the start of their careers. I firmly believe my experience with help create a channel of communication between scholars across continents and assist in their research. I look forward to your support.

“We will naturally pursue our goals on the strength of our own resources, skills and enterprise. But, we know that we will be more successful when we do this in partnership with the world.” - Narendra Modi (Hon. Prime Minister of India)


Abdul Sabad

Biography

Abdul Samad is a doctoral student and teaching assistant in the department of public policy and administration at Florida International University (FIU). He received a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in public administration from Western Kentucky University. His research focuses on the stigmatizing of marginalized groups and its impact on their civic engagement. He serves as the president of the Public Affairs Student Association at FIU. He is the former president of the International City and County Management Association at FIU. He was an ASPA Founders’ Fellow (2015), an International Young Scholar award (2018), an APPAM Equity and Inclusion fellow (2019), a Dewey W. Knight JR. Memorial Scholarship awardee (2018) and an MPAC Young Leaders Policy Summit award winner (2018). He is fascinated by language. He is fluent in English, Urdu, Punjabi and Hindi, can speak intermediate Arabic and is an enthusiastic beginner in Chinese and Farsi.

Candidate Statement

It is an honor to be nominated to serve as ASPA Student Representative. My involvement with ASPA began when I was selected as a Founders' Fellow in 2015. Over the past years, I have become more involved with ASPA at the local and national level. I have served as a board member at the ASPA Metro Louisville Chapter, as well as the ASPA South Florida Chapter. I think ASPA's biggest strength is that it brings together professionals from so many different backgrounds, disciplines and professions who are all interested in public service. If elected as Student Representative, my biggest priority is to be the voice of students in the organization. I believe helping academics, practitioners, students and young professionals come together to form valuable partnerships will leverage ASPA's energy. If elected, I will encourage and develop ways for students to become actively involved with ASPA both nationally and locally. I will aim to bridge any gaps that exist between academics, practitioners and students by organizing more workshops and seminars, which will feature career public servants from all across the country. Organizing special events for students at the 2021 National Conference will be a top priority and I will actively provide students with potential internships or scholarship opportunities. I would love to listen to the concerns of students and will be open to suggestions and feedback to better serve our community. My ethics of public service have instilled within me accountability, responsibility and the public interest. My educational, career and extracurricular goals and experiences all have one common goal: a commitment to public service. I would greatly appreciate your support and vote.
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International Director

Pan Suk Kim

Biography

Pan Suk Kim is professor of public administration in the College of Government and Business at Yonsei University in South Korea. He also is an elected lifetime international fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) in Washington, DC. He was the dean of the College of Government and Business at Yonsei University. He received his degrees in public administration: his BA from Chung-Ang University in Seoul, his MPA from Florida International University in Miami, Florida, and his PhD from American University in Washington, DC.

Kim has led a number of professional associations including the Korean Society for Public Personnel Administration (KOSPPA), as well as regional and international associations including the Asian Association for Public Administration (AAPA) and the International Institute of Administrative Sciences (IIAS) in Brussels. He was a member of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration (UNCEPA) in New York for two terms (2006-2009, 2010-2013) and was a vice chairperson of UNCEPA (2010-2013).

Kim has broad experience as an expert in governmental affairs. He was secretary to the president for personnel policy (presidential appointee) in the Office of the [Korean] President and the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel Management of the Republic of Korea. He has also served as a member of the Administrative Reform Committee (ARC) and several Policy Advisory Committees in the Korean central government.

He was the editor-in-chief of the Asian Review of Public Administration (ARPA), the Korean Policy Studies Review (KPSR) and the International Review of Public Administration (IRPA) in Korea, as well as deputy editor of the International Review of Administrative Sciences (IRAS). He has published more than 200 refereed articles in domestic and international journals and authored several books. He currently is a member of the editorial board of several international journals including Public Administration Review (PAR), Public Management Review (PMR), Public Money and Management (PMM), Public Administration and Development (PAD), the International Journal of Public Administration, Public Organization Review and the Halduskultuur (Estonian Journal of Administrative Culture and Digital Governance).

He has received several awards including the International Public Administration Award (2009), the Paul P. Van Riper Award for Excellence and Service (2012), the Donald C. Stone Service to ASPA Award (2019) and the Fred W. Riggs Award (2019, SICA) from the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). In September 2017, he received the Warner W. Stockberger Achievement Award from the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR). In May 2019, he received the AAPA Lifetime Achievement Award in Public Administration from the Asian Association for Public Administration (AAPA). He is an expert on civil service reform, public management reform and governance innovation.

Candidate Statement

Pan Suk Kim is professor of public administration in the College of Government and Business at Yonsei University in South Korea. He received his PhD from American University and was on the faculties of Austin Peay State University and Old Dominion University. He has served as minister of personnel management and secretary to the president for personnel policy in the Office of the President. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

Pan would be an excellent International Director for the following reasons. First, he has been active in nearly all aspects of ASPA's international relationships for more than 30 years. He has developed an extensive and ever-growing international network of people in this field. Accordingly, he would expand ASPA's international membership and promote international participation in ASPA’s Annual Conference; encourage and facilitate greater coordination and more international connections between possible international partners and ASPA’s related Sections and Chapters; and, in doing so, organize more productive joint activities.

Second, ASPA needs an International Director with the wide range of global connections Pan has developed over the years. He is a past president of national, regional and international associations: the Korean Society for Public Personnel Administration; the Asian Association for Public Administration; and the International Institute of Administrative Sciences. He was a member of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration for two terms.

Finally, he knows ASPA well, having regularly attended ASPA’s Annual Conferences throughout the years and served in various capacities for ASPA including National Council member; Chair of the Section on Professional and Organizational Development; a board member of the Section on International and Comparative Administration; a member of the Section on Korean Public Administration; and a founding member of the International Chapter. He currently serves on the editorial boards of major international journals including Public Administration Review.


Andrew Podger

Biography

Andrew Podger was a long-term public servant before joining academia. Amongst his senior appointments were:
  • Public service commissioner 2002-2004;
  • Secretary of the Australian Department of Health and Aged Care (and related designations) 1996-2002
  • Secretary of the Australian Department of Housing and Regional Development 1994-1996
  • Secretary of the Australian Department of Administrative Services (and related designations) 1993-94
He also was a senior executive in Defence (Deputy Secretary in charge of Acquisition and Logistics from 1990-1993), Finance (1982-1990) and Social Security (1978-1982). He previously worked in the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the Social Welfare Commission and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, mostly on social statistics and social policy.

Before leaving the Australian Public Service in 2005, he chaired a review of the delivery of health and aged care services for then-Prime Minister, John Howard.

Since then, he has been an adjunct professor at Australian National University (ANU) and Griffith University, and at Xi'an Jiao Tong University in China. He is also a visiting professor at Zhejiang University.

He was appointed professor of public policy at ANU on a part-time basis in 2010 and appointed honorary professor of public policy from July 2014.

He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia, a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration in the United States, a National Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration in Australia and a Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government.

Since 2012 he has been a public member of the Australian Press Council. He was awarded an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) in 2004.

Candidate Statement

Andrew Podger has high international standing in the public administration (PA) community. He was involved with the establishment of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government (ANZSOG). He has, for the last 10 years, played the key leadership role for the Greater China Australia Dialogue on Public Administration and regularly visits universities across China. He has advised various governments across Asia and actively participates in many international PA forums. He is on the editorial boards of Public Administration Review (now as an associate editor), Review of Public Personnel Administration and the Australian Journal of Public Administration.

Podger is an experienced board member. He has been on the boards of ANZSOG, the Institute of Public Administration Australia (IPAA)—including nearly six years as national president—and the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management.

Third, he understands the worlds of both research and practice; he is the classic "pracademic." He had a long and successful career in the Australian Public Service, including three years as Australia’s public service commissioner. Despite lacking a PhD, he has held full professorial status at the Australian National University since 2010 and was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia in 2011. His publications cover financial and personnel management, the role of the civil service, retirement incomes policy, health financing policy and tax and welfare.

Finally, he knows ASPA and ASPA knows him. He has attended every Annual Conference since 2011. He has assisted ASPA with the management of the International Conference on Public Administration and is on the International Chapter council. He participates regularly in ASPA conference sessions organized by the Section on Personnel Administration and Labor Relations, Section on International and Comparative Administration, Section on Chinese Public Administration and Section on Ethics and Integrity in Governance. He was presented with ASPA’s International Public Administration Award in 2016. He was elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration in 2016.

Hugo Renderos

Biography

Hugo Renderos is currently performing consulting work for non-governmental organizations focusing on decentralization, citizen security and economic development in Nicaragua and El Salvador. He has taught public administration and political science in universities in Nicaragua, El Salvador and the United States.

He holds two undergraduate and two graduate degrees from the University of Nebraska. After attending law school at the University of North Dakota, he completed his doctorate degree in urban studies and public affairs at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio.

His research focuses on peace studies, peace accord negotiations, terrorism and gang-linked transnational criminal activity, and regime transformation. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, listening to music, photography and spending time with family.

Candidate Statement

 Ever since I joined ASPA five years ago, I have been involved with various Sections and Chapters. I started as International Chapter (IC) secretary until elections took place. I was elected president-elect in 2015 and just this past July I stepped down as IC president. This December 2019, I will finish my second year as Chair of the Section on Democracy and Social Justice.  I also serve as a board member for the Section on Intergovernmental and Administration and Management.  In only a five-year period, I have chaired one Section, one Chapter and served as a board member of another Section.   

I have lived in four different countries and visited numerous others where I have made connections for potential collaboration with government agencies, academic institutions, and non-profit organizations.  All of these contacts will benefit ASPA because I will foster ASPA membership and help the aforementioned institutions network and collaborate on various practical and academic projects.    

As an active conference attendee, have not missed a single conference yet and am always looking for intra-ASPA Chapter-Section collaboration. It is important that IC members collaborate with existing Sections and Chapters to expand and share ways that public administration functions in different parts of the world.

The IC has more than 200 members and only about a dozen are actively participating in the Chapter’s activities. I will reinvigorate the IC by surveying the members’ needs and provide an avenue for their say. I will make the IC an inclusive Chapter where its membership is actively participating in its activities, academic and practical collaboration is sought, and highlight membership activities, accomplishments, recognition and promotions.

Your vote for me is my contract with you to carry through with my word as detailed above. Please vote for me; I will do what I promise so that ASPA continues to serve your needs as a society.
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President-Elect Candidates

Jared Llorens

Biography

Jared J. Llorens is professor of public administration and chair of the Department of Public Administration at Louisiana State University. He has been an active ASPA member for the past 16 years, having most recently served as a District III Representative on ASPA’s National Council and Chair of ASPA’s Section on Personnel Administration and Labor Relations (SPALR). His research focuses primarily on public sector human resource management (HRM), with particular interests in pay comparability, civil service reform and HRM information systems. He is the former editor-in-chief of Public Personnel Management and currently serves as an associate editor of Public Administration Review. In addition, he sits on the editorial boards of the Review of Public Personnel Administration and Public Administration. He received his PhD in public administration from the University of Georgia in 2007, his MPAff from the University of Texas at Austin’s LBJ School of Public Affairs in 1999 and his BA in English literature from Loyola University—New Orleans in 1996. He is a former presidential management intern (1999) and served as a human resources specialist with the U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Office of Personnel Management from 1999 to 2003. In his spare time, he enjoys outdoor activities with his family and extended walks in Louisiana’s Atchafalaya Basin.

Candidate Statement

I am truly honored to be a candidate for president-elect of the American Society for Public Administration. As a second-generation ASPA member, I have long viewed the organization as the professional home for public servants of all backgrounds and, having served as both a practitioner and academic in the field, I always have appreciated and valued ASPA’s longstanding commitment to integrating public administration research and practice through its local Chapters and Sections. I joined ASPA in 2003 and, since that time, have had the opportunity to volunteer and serve the organization in multiple roles and contexts. As a human resource management scholar, my early introduction and involvement in ASPA was through the Section on Personnel Administration and Labor Relations (SPALR) where I later served as Chair of the Section and a member of its Executive Board. Following my service as Section Chair, I served one term on ASPA’s National Council as a District III Representative and, most recently, I served as the conference Chair for the 2019 annual meeting of the Southeastern Conference for Public Administration (SECoPA). I am ultimately grateful to have had the benefit of working with and learning from many of ASPA’s past and current leaders in the years since joining the organization. While the lessons I have learned are many, perhaps most important is the acknowledgement that ASPA is most effective when it leverages the combined expertise, diversity and experiences of all of its members. If elected, this lesson will serve as the guiding framework in my efforts to achieve ASPA’s mission of promoting public service, building bridges across public service communities, providing developmental opportunities for those at all stages of their public service careers and working toward innovative solutions to the field’s most pressing challenges.


Allan Rosenbaum

Biography

Allan Rosenbaum is professor of public administration and director of the Institute for Public Management and Community Service and the Center for Democracy and Good Governance at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida. He has held senior level government positions in local (Miami, Florida), state (Illinois) and national (Washington, DC) governments. He came to FIU as dean of the University's School of Public Affairs. Prior to that, he was on the faculties of the Universities of Maryland, Connecticut and Wisconsin and held a research position at the University of Chicago. He has carried out numerous international projects for the United Nations, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the World Bank, the Swedish International Development Agency and various governments around the world. He is a past president of the American Society for Public Administration and has served as president of the International Association of Schools and Institutes of Administration in Brussels, Belgium. He has been visiting distinguished professor at several universities in Europe and China, currently serves on numerous journal editorial boards and is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. Based on nomination by the Secretary General of the United Nations and approval by its Economic and Social Council, he was a member of the United Nations Committee of Experts on Public Administration.

Before assuming the deanship at FIU, Rosenbaum was actively involved in research and consulting activities with national, state and local government in the United States in the areas of higher education, employment and training policy, economic development, elementary and secondary education, social welfare and science and technology policy. More recently, he has written on governance reform, decentralization issues and legislative relations in various countries including Bolivia, Chile, China, Paraguay, Sierra Leone and Ukraine. During the past 15 years, he has consulted, worked or spoken in more than 80 countries around the world. He has had extensive experience working with the Ukrainian Parliament and as director or co-director of large USAID projects with numerous Latin American legislative bodies and local governments and with the Parliament and President in Sierra Leone. He has authored, co-authored or co-edited a number of publications for the United Nations, as well as prepared papers on issues of decentralization, democracy and civil society for major United Nations Conferences in Bucharest, Marrakech, New York, Windhoek and Rio de Janeiro.

Candidate Statement

The 2019 ASPA presidential election may be the most important in the organization’s 80-year history… It both comes at a critical time for ASPA’s future and is the first election of a two-year term president. More than most professional associations, ASPA’s priorities are shaped by its elected officeholders. To be sure, some priorities, especially with budgetary importance (Public Administration Review and the Annual Conference), and core values like social equity and diversity, are fundamental to ASPA, our mission and our values. But often, priorities change as presidents change, sometimes making new initiatives difficult to institutionalize.

Seven years ago, I successfully ran for ASPA president urging that we become a much more vigorous advocate in the public arena on behalf of the importance for American society of a strong public sector with a highly professional public service and, further, that ASPA reach out to similar associations to join us in this mission. I also committed to strengthening Chapters, initiating ASPA’s unrestricted endowment to provide greater financial stability and enhance our global outreach. On all of these, we have made and continue to make, significant progress, but much remains to be done.

Indeed, now more than ever the public sector and our civil servants need very strong voices speaking loudly on behalf of their critical importance to a productive, democratic society. Similarly, the field now, more than ever, needs ASPA, its oldest and most inclusive professional association, to lead such an effort.

Consequently, I seek ASPA’s presidency to recommit ASPA to these critical goals and further build its financial security by growing membership, both within and outside the U.S. Critical to such efforts will be new initiatives to increase recruiting and retaining student members, practitioners (entering and more senior—who 40 years ago began to leave ASPA in large numbers) and international members (in recent years, the fastest growing part of our Annual Conference).
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