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ASPA 2024 Annual Conference Plans for Fun!
ASPA's 2024 Annual Conference is only six weeks away! The largest public administration gathering of the year, this event will bring together more than 1,200 attendees from across the country and around the world. While everyone looks forward to presenting research, sharing best practices, planning future projects and making new friends in the hallways, make sure you also plan to have fun!
From Section and university receptions to our Saturday night Opening Reception to Sunday's President's reception and more, there will be plenty of opportunities to have a great time while you are in Minneapolis.
- Opening Reception: ASPA's Saturday night Opening Reception, celebrating Minnesota heritage, will include honoring indigenous nations, a fun photo booth, a "Sip and Paint" option for those who want to get their creative vibes going and plenty of Minnesota-based foods and beverages (and yes, cheese curds!). This will be a great evening—at the Hyatt so you don't have to wander far!—to enjoy and remember.
- President's Reception: A trip to Prince's home town must include a party "like it's 1999"! Join ASPA President Patria de Lancer Julnes, fellow ASPA leaders and your friends at this open reception featuring 1980s tunes, a dance floor and more. Be ready to have a blast in the past!
- Pets and Preparedness!: Ever want to know more about the role of service animals in emergencies? Sunday evening, before the receptions begin, we'll have some service dogs at the hotel, with trainers to tell you about their role in emergencies and disasters. Pet the dogs (if you'd like) and learn about how local disaster management organizations use these wonderful canines to help us all out of trouble! Special thanks to Animal Assisted Crisis Response and Pet Partners for bringing the dogs to the conference. (Dogs will be in a separate room; if you are wary of animals, you can avoid that part of the meeting space for the time they are with us.)
- Section and University Receptions: Every night of the conference includes numerous receptions, many of which are open to all attendees. Review our schedule to see the list and don't be shy: All are welcome to join our groups and have fun with fellow attendees!
Planning continues so keep an eye on our website and news digests to learn about the awesome events and social activities on the agenda now and those to be added in the coming weeks.
There are only two weeks left to register and pay current rates; registration rates will go up March 13. Current rates for the full event are $569 for members, $669 for nonmembers. Student and new professional members may register for only $259. View all registration rates and details online here.
E-Learning at Your Fingertips
ASPA staff work tirelessly to keep your skills up to date and the information flowing all year long through our e-learning program. Visit our website to see more details about upcoming KeepingCurrent, BookTalk and Student and New Professional series programming.
KeepingCurrent: Using Performance Data to Improve Customer Experience
February 29 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EST
Sponsored By ASPA's Center for Accountability and Performance
Presenters:
Mo Earley, Federal CX High Impact Service Provider Portfolio Lead, Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget
John M. Kamensky, Moderator, Emeritus Fellow, IBM Center for The Business of Government
Lindsay Moore, Customer Experience Strategist, 0-5 Life Experience Team, Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget
Improving Americans’ experience with government services has been a focal point for more than a decade. Today, federal initiatives are guided by a presidential executive order that directs agencies to develop “customer experience” strategies and plans to make services they provide more like the simple, seamless and secure services Americans see in their personal, online and in-person services in the private sector. The goal is to organize around the customer, not around the delivery programs; research shows that when citizens feel they are treated fairly and professionally, trust in government increases. Our presenters have first-hand experience grappling with these issues and will be able to provide webinar participants with a real-time picture of the progress and challenges they face.
KeepingCurrent: Peer-Reviewed Journals: Publishing from the Practitioner Perspective
March 5 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EST
Presenters:
Annette N. Brown, Chief Strategy and Evidence Officer, FHI 360; Author, "Why should practitioners publish their research in journals?"
Ronald Sanders, President and CEO, Publica Virtu LLC; Associate Editor, "Practically Speaking," Public Administration Review
David S. Reed, Founder, Center for Public Administrators; Associate Editor, Public Integrity
Public administration practitioners can and should publish in peer-reviewed journals. It increases the credibility of their first-hand knowledge, the credibility of the practitioner as an expert and adds their experience to the permanent, searchable body of knowledge. It also strengthens journals by making them more credible and relevant. This webinar will demystify the process of getting published in peer-reviewed journals and show how to avoid the pitfalls that often confront practitioners as authors. Speakers also will discuss a new initiative by Public Administration Review to involve practitioners.
Students and New Professionals: Hot Jobs in Government
March 7 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. EST
Sponsored By West Chester University
Presenters:
Angie Kline, Moderator, Associate Professor and MPA Program Director, West Chester University
Carrie Mathes, Chief Procurement Officer, Orange County Government, Florida
More speakers coming soon!
What if some of the most in-demand government jobs are ones you have never heard of or thought about? Take procurement, a profession that does not get the attention it deserves in the classroom, but is responsible for $2 trillion in government spending every year. Or, diversity and inclusion, an area receiving increased public visibility, but also where governments are still playing catch up. A panel of public service professionals from the front lines will share with you the emerging “hot jobs in government,” positions where you can see the value of your work each day. They will highlight the ins and outs of these jobs and share tips on how to get your foot in the door to make a difference in positions that governments across the nation are looking to fill.
From the Archives
KeepingCurrent: Agile Government
Agile government is defined by NAPA as “...mission centric, customer focused, communication and collaboration enabled, and continually demonstrates success to customers and the public. Agile government involves small teams and customer participation, empowered by leaders to take rapid action to deliver timely, transparent results.” Ed DeSeve and Joe Mitchell discussed the principles of agile government and how it will shape the future. (Members only.)
Advertise at the 2024 Annual Conference!
ASPA's 2024 Annual Conference is the premier event of the year for the public administration community, and a prime branding opportunity for any organization looking to be known in our space.
If you have not signed up to advertise your brand at this year's event, contact us right away so you can make the most of this year's opportunities. You are down to your final days to reserve your space.
- Conference Pocket Guide Full-Page Ad
New this year, and replacing our standard program book, the conference pocket guide is the only printed resource available for branding this year—and we only have two placements left! Priced at only $800, this guide offers tremendous brand exposure and will be viewed by all 1,200 attendees at this year's event.
- Conference App!
Brand-new this year, ASPA will have an app for this event where you can find all of the materials and information you need to participate fully in the conference. More information is coming soon, but if you are looking for an affordable option with excellent branding, reserve an ad for only $500 and you'll be on display and in the palm of everyone's hand!
- Pop-Up Ad
For those looking for the "go big or go home" model, these pop-up signs are for you. Only $900, and sized at 79" high, your brand will be visible to everyone as they walk the hallways of the hotel. Act fast: reservations and art are due to us by this Friday, March 1.
Conference advertising options only happen once a year. Avoid FOMO and make sure your brand is viewable at this year's event.
Contact ASPA's Karen Garrett for more details.
It's the Perfect Time to Join ASPA!
As we move forward into 2024, remember that now is a great time to encourage your students, interns and new employees to join ASPA and add new resources to their ongoing catalog. Whether in webinar, article, conference or journal format, our member services are a great place to start, saving time and effort in finding the expertise you need to overcome your challenges.
ASPA's mission is to advance excellence in public service; when you join our organization, you are not only gaining access to all of our resources but also supporting public service as a profession. Any time is a good time to add your voice to our collective whole and join other members in promoting the great things public service makes happen across society.
If you have been meaning to rejoin ASPA, now is the time to do it. If you are a professor and have classrooms full of students, now is the time to sign them up! If you have never joined ASPA, try it now and see what you have been missing. If you are attending the Annual Conference this April and have not yet registered, sign up as a member first to enjoy discounted rates.
Check out our full list of benefits and services online and then head to our application form to sign up. Professors: ASPA can help you sign up groups of students any time. Contact us for assistance.
Every spring we welcome hundreds of new members to our society. We look forward to counting you, your peers and your colleagues among them in the next few months! Join today!
New Report: Intimidation of State and Local Officeholders
The Brennan Center for Justice has released new data focusing on the intimidation of officeholders across the country. The research results not only are scary, but also reflect a growing degree of inappropriate behaviors against public officeholders of all kinds with whom one disagrees.
Everyone in the public administration community is aware of such extreme—and terrible—days as January 6, 2021. What is not always emphasized is how local officeholders across all functions face abuse, intimidation, physical threats and more on a regular (monthly, weekly or even daily) basis. According to the research, "More than 40 percent of state legislators experienced threats or attacks within the past three years, and more than 18 percent of local officeholders experienced threats or attacks within the past year and a half." These attacks undermine democracy at all levels and must stop.
"Threats and attacks constrain how freely officeholders interact with constituents, narrow the spectrum of policy positions they feel safe to support, and make them less willing to continue in public service," the report reads. "Unaddressed, the problem stands to endanger not just individual politicians but, more broadly, the free and fair functioning of representative democracy—at every level of government."
This research is critical to be aware of for individuals' safety, especially as the calendar moves forward toward November 2024. Click the link below to view the findings and download the report from the Brennan Center, and do your part to make sure those you know are safe and protected.
Introducing Plain Language Summaries for Public Integrity
Taylor & Francis and the editorial leadership team at Public Integrity (PI) are delighted to announce the addition of a new section to PI's articles: plain language summaries (PLS). PLS now will be required with the submission of an article to PI.
PLS communicate the significance of academic research and evidence to a broad audience in jargon-free, clear language. They are published within the article (similar to an abstract) and in front of the Taylor & Francis paywall.
We are excited to introduce PLS to PI, giving wider accessibility and reach to its published research and continuing ASPA's mission of serving as a bridge between the academic and practitioner communities.
In addition to within the article, all PLS published in Taylor & Francis journals can be found on T&F’s Plain Language Summary microsite.
More information about PLS, including their scope, requirements, intended audience and reasons for publishing them can be found on Taylor & Francis’ Author Services page. Authors will need to visit PI’s Instructions for Authors page and review the information in "About the Journal." If you have any general (non-submission related) questions about PLS content, please contact T&F Portfolio Manager Hannah Shakespeare. The PI team thanks David Reed, associate editor and founder of the Center for Public Administrators, for suggesting exploring introducing PLS to the journal.
We hope ASPA’s membership will find the introduction of PLS to PI to be of interest and will consider submitting their next article with a PLS to the journal.
AU-SPA Summer Diversity Academy Seeks Applications for Class of 2024
The goal of American University's (AU) Summer Diversity Academy, housed in its School of Public Affairs (SPA), is to provide an opportunity for scholars who are under represented among public affairs faculty to receive quality feedback on research projects and mentoring advice on strategic planning of an academic career. The program will provide a one-week in-residence experience at AU-SPA in its department of public administration and policy. The program is open to advanced PhD students and junior faculty and will provide constructive criticism for the participants from AU faculty and fellow attendees on the participants’ research projects. Additional sessions will focus on the publication process, peer reviewing of manuscripts, creating professional networks and the job market in public affairs.
The 2024 Academy will be held June 17-21; AU will provide transportation, lodging and meals. Click here for more information and the application process.
To apply, candidates should address a letter of application to Ken Meier by April 1, 2024. Please include the following materials in your application:
- A complete draft of a research paper that you would like to workshop at the Academy
- A cover letter that includes your career goals, how you contribute to increasing diversity in the field of public affairs and how your research interests fit with the expertise of the SPA faculty. Feel free to suggest members of the faculty who you think would make a good mentor.
- The names of two references.
Public Administration Today Highlight
Public Administration Today features white papers, research and blogs from across the profession. If you're interested in more—especially your own curated news feed in your inbox every week—visit the website, create an account and check off your interest areas so you can stay up to date about the latest research being released!
The Black Immigrant Women Who Bought a Minneapolis Mall
Via Next City: Lack of access to proper retail space was crippling these immigrant businesswomen in the Twin Cities. In forming a commercial real estate cooperative, they’re going far by going together... The receipts are in the group chat. Every time a member of the Ignite Business Women Investment Group deposited an investment in the group’s account, board president Jannie Seibure’s phone would ping as a photo of the deposit receipt was posted in the cooperative’s WhatsApp chat...
Tips, Resources and the Fun Stuff
Feds Unveil Resource for Election Officials and Workers
The webpage provides free resources for state and local officials as they grapple with fears of possible foreign interference in elections and physical threats linked to conspiracy theories.
The Best and Worst Habits for Eyesight
Are carrots good? Is blue light bad? Experts weigh in on nine common beliefs.
OPM's Playbook for Creating the Workforce of the Future
Access the book here!
In the News
Today's headlines contain plenty of news coverage of some of our nation's most pressing public administration challenges. ASPA has curated some of the most important stories from recent weeks. If you have not seen these yet, make sure you read them now!
Infrastructure
Public Finance
Public Service
Social Equity
Members in the News
Whitmer Appoints New Leaders for State Licensing, Lottery Agencies
Featuring news about ASPA District II Representative Marlon Brown.
How Trusted Are State and Local Governments?
By Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene
How Governments Handle Data Matters for Inclusion
By Suzanne J. Piotrowski, Erna Ruijer and Gregory Porumbescu
Tell Me Something Good...
Need some good news in your world? Check this out:
Space Telescope Spies Neutron Star in the Debris of Famous Supernova
Scientists have confirmed what became of a star that exploded in a stunning supernova visible to Earth more than three decades ago: It morphed into a neutron star, one of the oddest objects in the universe.
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