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 Students and New Professionals series programming. Members, visit our webinar archives to catch up on what you have missed!


Students and New Professionals: Crafting a Compelling Resume
July 22 | 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. EDT
Presenters:
Bill Shields, Executive Director, ASPA and Adjunct Professor, American University
Kayla Schwoerer, Moderator, Doctoral Student, Rutgers University—Newark and ASPA Student Representative

There are different perspectives on resumes—what should be on them, what should not, how long they should be, what they should cover. The advice you get depends on whom you ask. What cannot be disputed is the importance of your resume; it is your first opportunity to stand out and let employers know that you are the person for the job. During this webinar, ASPA Executive Director Bill Shields will draw on his 20 years of experience helping students craft effective resumes and guide you through the process of creating compelling ones—a resume that will introduce you to a potential employer, sell your skills to that employer and get you to the next step of the hiring process. The webinar will cover the do’s and don’ts of crafting your professional resume and ways to leverage it to advance your career—and allow for plenty of audience Q&A time.



KeepingCurrent: The Role of Government and Civil Society Against COVID-19: Asia-Pacific Responses
July 29 | 10 a.m. EDT
Presenters:
Bok Gyo Jeong, Assistant Professor, Kean University (United States)
Pan Suk Kim, Moderator, Professor, Yonsei University (South Korea) and International Director, ASPA National Council
Sung-ju Kim, Assistant Professor, North Carolina State University (United States)
Aya Okada, Associate Professor, Tohoku University (Japan)
Rajesh Tandon, Founder-President, Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), Dean, PRIA International Academy (India)

This webinar will bring together scholars and practitioners from countries in Asia to share their insights and experiences related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The first of several webinars hosted by ASPA’s Pandemic Committee, this session will compare the roles government and civil society have played in response to COVID, given that responses have been varied in Asia (as well as the rest of the world). The unexpected and unprecedented global pandemic has brought a variety of actors into national conversation including governments, private companies, civic organizations and individual citizens, each with their own roles to assume. Attendees will hear from panelists from India, Japan and South Korea as they share their insights from their country and provide suggestions for further discussion.

Share Your News!

Have you been promoted? Published? Appointed to a new role? Share your news with us so we can share it with the rest of the ASPA community! We have any number of options to circulate news and updates from across the profession. Make sure you alert us about your accomplishments and we’ll look forward to helping give you the pat on the back you deserve!

The Delicate Balance between the City and the Lake



For those interested in climate change, there are any number of news resources profiling global areas of impact. The New York Times recently published an in-depth story on the challenges Chicago faces due to global warming, a rise and fall in water levels and distinct geography, among others.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness to See More Changes



As reported in Forbes and other news outlets, a major public service loan servicing center in Pennsylvania is discontinuing its contract with the Department of Education at the end of this year. Not only will this be disruptive to those currently making payments, but also this will add more complications to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Click below for more details.

USC Hosts DEI Educational Opportunities: Free Webinar and Nine-Session Program

When you think about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), what surfaces for you? On a personal level, how do you navigate DEI as a leader? The University of Southern California School of Public Policy, Executive Education welcomes you to join them for a live conversation facilitated by practitioners and scholars to explore DEI. This session creates a space to reflect on how you currently navigate DEI within your organization, as well as areas for personal growth and development. Through social and self-awareness, developing a mindful approach to DEI is key to strengthening leadership impacts.

This free webinar, taking place Wednesday, July 28 at 11:30 a.m. PT, will feature LaVonna Blair Lewis, USC Associate Dean of DEI; Raul Burciaga, Director of the New Mexico Legislative Counsel Service; Phin Xaypangna, DEI Officer of Ventura County; and Sean McCandless, Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Springfield. Register online here.

If you or your colleagues are interested in an executive education course, check out “Leading Through DEI.” This nine-session program will take place in October 2021 and enrollment is now open. Find out more through this YouTube video or via the Price School website.

Tips and Resources

Here are a range of resources posted online recently that you should check out!

Just Five Percent of People Who Applied for Public Service Loan Forgiveness Have Qualified
There are steps borrowers can take to improve their chances for forgiveness.

The Do's and Don’ts of Hot Vax Summer
A vaccinated American’s guide to traveling this summer.

Ransomware, Data Breach, Cyberattack: What Do They Have to Do with Your Personal Information, and How Worried Should You Be?
Even if your data has not been exposed yet, why not take the time now to protect yourself?

What Is Politeness Now?
Our pre-pandemic social manners have been upended. Although etiquette is always in flux, its principles should be timeless.

How We'll Know When the COVID-19 Crisis Is Over
The question of when the crisis will actually be over is a layered one—with different answers from a local, national and global perspective.

Coronavirus in the News
While you can find our usual assortment of news headlines from the past several weeks below, here are stories specific to the coronavirus that are noteworthy.

Infrastructure

• The U.S. Needs Another Innovation Dream Team

• Federal Eviction Moratorium Extended through July
• Pressure Grows for Biden to Ease Pandemic Travel Bans

• Top Republican Calls for IG Investigations into Feds’ Telework Productivity During Pandemic
• DOJ Employees Call on Agency to Keep Pandemic Workplace Flexibilities for Long Haul
• What Remote Work Successes Mean for Agencies and Their Physical Footprint
• Biden Calls for Door-to-Door Vaccine Push; Experts Say More Is Needed
• Agencies Ramp Up COVID-19 Deployments Again to Address Outbreaks

• Opinion: What the South Needs after COVID-19: A New Reconstruction
• Supreme Court Leaves National Eviction Ban in Place

(Otherwise) 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

• Transit-Commuting Workers in Steady Decline: Study
• Electricity Is the New Oil
• Nowhere Is Ready for This Heat
• Pentagon Cancels JEDI Cloud Contract
• A Massive Water Recycling Proposal Could Help Ease Drought
• After a Nightmare Year, Election Officials Are Quitting
• Federal Wildland Firefighters Will Get Pay Raises
• Russia’s Most Aggressive Ransomware Group Disappeared. It’s Unclear Who Made that Happen.

• Senate Confirms Robin Carnahan to Lead GSA
• The Gas Tax’s Tortured History Shows How Hard It Is to Fund New Infrastructure
• What I Learned Helping Lead Oversight of $5 Trillion in Pandemic Relief
• Yes, Student Loan Cancellation Is Still on the Table—Key Details
• Biden’s Bid to Take on Big Business Sets Off Battle over Who Holds Power in U.S. Economy
• Company That Wasn't Picked to Make Mail Trucks Is Suing the U.S. Postal Service
• CISA Issues Mitigation Tips for Common Attack Tactics
• Raising the Contractor Minimum Wage: It’s Not as Simple as It Looks

• White House Pledges "Multi-Year Strategy" for Boosting Federal Workforce
• Biden Administration Forces Out Trump-Era Border Patrol Chief
• FEMA Seeks More Staff as It Rests Beleaguered Employees Ahead of Busy Season
• Biden Administration Asks for Public's Help to Bring Science Back
• Big Government Is Back. Is the Civil Service Ready?
• At-Will Federal Employment? Welcome to the World of Fact-Free Government
• OMB Offers New Guidance for Implementing First Part of Evidence Act
• To Unite a Divided America, Make People Work for It
• Biden Ousts Trump Holdovers from Social Security Administration

• Water Bill Assistance Programs Enroll Less Than 25 Percent of Eligible Customers
• The Government Has Fallen Short on Contracts with Woman-Owned Businesses for Decades
• Interior Department Will Investigate Indigenous Boarding Schools and Identify Burial Sites
• Researchers: Career Metrics Uphold Racism, Sexism in Science
• Wide Digital Divide Persists between Low- and High-income Households
• Austin, Milley Push Back on Lawmakers’ "Critical Race Theory" Accusations
• Biden’s Push for Equity in Government Hits Legal and Political Roadblocks
• Biden Signs Sweeping Order to Improve Diversity, Inclusion and Accessibility across Federal Workforce
• Why FEMA Aid Is Unavailable to Many Who Need It the Most
• Research Shows Labor Unions Help Lower the Risk of Poverty
• The Work to Make Government a DEI Model
• Lack of Women at the Top of Public Service Threatens Post-Pandemic Recovery Efforts, UN Report Finds
• Justice Department Issues Federal Execution Moratorium
• Six Evidence-Based Strategies for Improving Diversity in Your Organization

Members in the News

ASPA members are in the news in a variety of ways. If you have been featured, please send a link to the article to us and we will be happy to include it in a future newsletter.

How to Fix Skyrocketing Overtime
By Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene

Memo to AOC: Only You Can Save the Government
By Don Kettl and Paul Glastris

New Voinovich School Name to Reflect Leadership Position and Reputation for Public Service

On the Rise—Top 40 Young Lawyers
ASPA Founders' Fellow Alan Kennedy made the list for top 40 young lawyers.

Tri-County Council (Charleston, South Carolina) Seeks Public Input on Post-Pandemic Changes
ASPA National Council Immediate Past President Kendra Stewart chairs the council.

Meares to Lead Master of Public Administration Program

James-Christian Blockwood on Pursuing a Public Service Career

Welcome New ASPA Members!
Click here to view the most recent new ASPA members!

Around Public Administration

Here are the most recent updates from across the profession. Did we miss you? Send us your news and we'll include it in the next round!

Upcoming Events:

• SECoPA 2021
  Online | September 23-24
  Registration is open; the Call for Proposals expires July 15, 2021
  
  
• ABFM 2021 Annual Conference
  Washington, DC | September 30 - October 2
  Online registration is open
  
  
• NISPAcee Annual Conference 2021
  Ljubljana, Slovenia | October 21-23
  Theme: "Citizens' Engagement and Empowerment—The Era of Collaborative Innovation in Governance"
  The Call for Papers has been re-opened to accommodate this fall's event. Registration will open shortly.
  
  
• NASPAA 2021 Annual Conference with SPAE's Teaching Public Administration Conference
  Online | October 27-29
  Theme: “Reimagining the Civic Square”
  Registration is open
  
  
• COMPA 2022 Annual Conference
  New Orleans | March 2-5, 2022
  More details will be announced in the coming weeks
  
  

• South Florida Releases Newest Podcast Installment
  The latest installment of “PUBLIC SECTOR WORKS!” has been released, featuring special guest Gregory Harrison, city manager of Pompano Beach, Florida. Harrison speaks to best practices in public administration with a special focus on how his staff negotiated the COVID-19 pandemic successfully. This exemplary service earned him a Best Practices Award from the Chapter this year. Regular host and Chapter Board Member Tom Hotz is joined by Chapter member Bill Solomon and Ben Paley, executive editor of ILSA, the Journal of International and Comparative Law for this episode.
  
  
• Call for Proposals and Attendance: SECoPA 2021
  Join SECoPA online September 23-24 for its 51st annual conference—its 1st virtual edition—with the theme, “Seeking equilibrium: changing public service, changing society”! The two-day online conference will feature a streamlined focus on live presentations of scholarly research and insights from professional public/nonprofit service, as well as SECoPA's awards. Students, faculty and professionals in practice are welcome! Registration is $50 per person ($25 per person for students). This is a great year to join SECoPA without travel expenses and get involved before in-person events begin again in Lexington in 2022 and Atlanta in 2023! Also, there’s still time to propose a talk, full panel or poster. The final proposal submission deadline has been extended to tomorrow, July 15 but SECoPA is offering rolling acceptances beginning as soon as July 1. The program committee’s decisions will be made by July 31. Full papers will not be required to accompany conference presentations, except for students who indicate they wish to be considered for the student paper awards (restricted to ASPA District III graduate students; for more on eligibility rules please visit our website). Click here for more information.
  
  
• ABFM Awards Call for Nominations
  The Association for Budgeting and Financial Management (ABFM) will be honoring awardees at this year's fall conference. One award remains open for nominations; committees will determine all honorees.
  
  S. Kenneth Howard Award (Deadline: July 15, 2021)
  This award is presented to honor the lifetime accomplishments of S. Kenneth Howard. The award is presented annually to a distinguished practitioner in the field of public budgeting and financial management for lifetime achievement. The award recipient should be an outstanding practitioner as judged by his or her record of service over a sustained period of time. Nominations should be emailed by July 15 to Thad Calabrese.
  
  
• Call for Papers: PPMR—Beyond COVID-19: Public Management and Governance for a New Era
  Public Performance & Management Review (PPMR) is a leading peer-reviewed academic journal that addresses a broad array of factors influencing the performance of public and nonprofit organizations. In recognition of the critical need to reexamine public management challenges and emergency management practices in the context of COVID-19, PPMR is organizing a special issue inviting submission of theoretical and empirical manuscripts that address the public management and governance implications of COVID-19. Manuscripts are due by July 15. Contact Qian Hu and Yihong Liu with any questions. Click here for more information.
  
  

PA TIMES Online

Here's a selection of current pieces on PA TIMES Online, covering a range of issues within the profession. We accept individual articles on a rolling basis; if you have a piece you think would fit our publication, submit it to [email protected] for consideration. (Please review our submission guidelines in advance!)

• Part Three of a Three Part Series: How to Speed Mass Vaccination
  By Tony Rodriguez and Mike Beauregard
  
  
• The Value of Public Service Exemplars
  By Tom Barth
  
  
• The Ventura Police Department: The Mission and the People Drive Engagement
  By Bob Lavigna