Get Excited for ASPA's 2025 Annual Conference!
ASPA's 2025 Annual Conference, the premier public service gathering of the year, will take place in Washington, DC, March 28 - April 1. The theme guiding the conference, "Not Robots Yet: Keeping Public Servants in Public Service," speaks to the challenges and changes the public sector is facing right now and how we all can address them.
It also seems to speak to our community's needs around this topic, because we received a record number of proposal submissions for the 2025 event! ASPA leaders and staff are gratified that this theme has struck a chord within our profession and are excited to bring this topic to the forefront of our discussions. (Fear not: We have plenty of space throughout our concurrent sessions to accept as many of your proposals as usual; the increased number of submissions does not mean a decreased number of acceptances.)
The 2025 conference will look at all aspects of this theme: ethics, accountability, trust, human resources management, equity, diversity, fairness, economic impact, service delivery—plus the technology itself and best practices that are developing and evolving as their use grows. Six tracks will shape these conversations:
- Good Governance and Service Delivery
- Social Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Ethics, Trust and Accountability
- The Tools
- Human Resources Management
- Public Service around the World
Under the leadership of conference program co-chairs Sukumar Ganapati (FIU) and Mila Gasco (University at Albany), our track reviewers will get started shortly with evaluating the proposals—a process that will take most of the fall. Please allow through Thanksgiving to receive notice from ASPA staff regarding whether your proposal has been accepted.
The excitement will keep going while the track reviewers do their work: We will be launching our (slightly discounted) members-only registration option soon! Look for all of the details in your inbox next week (you must be a member to receive this early access).
Thank you to everyone who submitted a proposal and is ready to be in DC next spring to tackle this important topic. We are looking forward to hosting you!
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: Unlocking Reform: Lessons from the Pulaski County Jail Experiment Featured in the Netflix Series, "Unlocked: A Jail Experiment"
September 26 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Sponsored by ASPA's Section on Criminal Justice Administration
Presenters:
Richard Hough, Professor of Practice, East Tennessee State University
Stephen Morreale, Professor of Criminal Justice, Worcester State University and Liberty University
Join us for an engaging analysis of the Netflix series, “Unlocked: A Jail Experiment." This webinar, sponsored by ASPA's Section on Criminal Justice Administration, will cover a variety of aspects of the experiment conducted in a Pulaski County Jail, including focusing on reform and the specific experiment location, emphasizing the shift in thinking about rehabilitation, highlighting the innovative nature of the approach, underscoring the community-building aspect of the experiment and stressing the potential for systemic change in incarceration practices. Combining the contemporary data collected and the observations of the genesis of the program, this analysis will provide the audience with a deeper understanding and appreciation of the experiment and its implications for change in criminal justice policymaking and facility development.
Student and New Professionals Series: Welcome to ASPA!
October 2 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Presenters:
Marlon Brown, Chief Administrative Officer, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Patria de Lancer Julnes, Rosenthal Endowed Professor of Public Administration and Director, School of Public Administration, University of New Mexico
Hillary Knepper, Professor and Associate Provost, Pace University
William P. Shields, Jr., Executive Director and CEO, ASPA
New to ASPA or looking to maximize your membership? Join ASPA leaders for an overview of available resources, the importance of networking for career advancement (including at the conference and in other spaces), ways you can get involved in ASPA (Chapters, Sections, leadership positions, awards programs and more) and explore all of the exciting opportunities your ASPA student membership brings!
KeepingCurrent: A Tale of Two Cities: Two Cities’ Application of Performance Management
October 9 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Sponsored by ASPA's Center for Accountability and Performance
Speakers:
Daniel Dufour, Director of Open Data and Performance Management, City of Chattanooga
Toni Samuel, Moderator, Retired, National League of Cities and Board of Directors, Center for Accountability and Performance
Cecilia Scheu, Assistant Director, Office of Budget and Management Services, City of Dallas
Many cities and municipalities have made the commitment to embark upon the journey toward accountability in their governance, management and public service responsibilities. The commitment and execution of these responsibilities have taken form in such areas as: budgeting, strategic planning and service delivery, as well as others. We see this activity in cities and towns of all sizes. The leadership that local officials and professional staff display to make these efforts sustainable over time and across administrations is commendable. This webinar will provide a look at the experiences, lessons and hope for sustained accountability and performance in two communities: Chattanooga, Tennessee and Dallas, Texas. In particular, we’ll explore the journeys of the Office of Open Data and Performance Management in Chattanooga and the office of Budget and Management Services in Dallas.
KeepingCurrent: Balancing Response and Reserves—Allocation of Resources in Crisis Situations
October 10 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. EDT
Speaker:
Amy Forsyth, Journalist
Following ASPA's 2024 conference, which centered around building resilience in communities, particularly in the wake of environmental disasters, we are pleased to host Amy Forsythe to engage in a conversation around the importance of balancing finite budgets and resources in cases such as Alaska, California and others, each with the unique challenges of having to respond to disasters as they arise (flooding, wildfires, earthquakes and more), while maintaining resources and planning for impending large-scale disaster situations such attacks from foreign bodies and global warming consequences, particularly in terms of military resources and deployment strategy.
From the Archives
KeepingCurrent: Using Performance Data to Improve the Customer Experience
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 people 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. This webinar, sponsored by ASPA's Center for Accountability and Performance, looked at how the federal government uses performance measurement to improve the customer experience. (Members only)
Students and New Professionals: Effective Networking for the Classroom, Breakroom and Beyond
Truly effective networking is integrated into your daily life. Yes, happy hours, coffees and lunches are helpful and you should always have business cards in your pocket—but that’s only part of this process. Networking also means staying connected with former colleagues and friends; checking in with acquaintances periodically to keep your name on their radar; building relationships with new contacts; understanding social cues and boundaries; and making plans for socializing in general, whether you “need” anything or not. Networking, done best, is a daily habit and yields important, regular returns. Our speakers provided tips, insights and networking habits you can adjust to fit your needs. (Members only)
ASPA Student and New Professionals Webinar Series Planned for Fall/Winter
ASPA has started hosting a series of webinars geared toward our student and new professionals for this fall, taking place each month between now and February 2025. These events—free for all to attend!—will help students and recent graduates with career development skills and strategies.
The following webinars will be scheduled shortly; full details will be added to our website as soon as they're available.
Coming up:
Welcome to ASPA!
October 2
Speakers:
Marlon Brown, Chief Administrative Officer, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
Patria de Lancer Julnes, Rosenthal Endowed Professor of Public Administration and Director, School of Public Administration, University of New Mexico
Hillary Knepper, Professor and Associate Provost, Pace University
Bill Shields, Jr., Executive Director and CEO, ASPA
Register online now!
In the works:
Mental Health and Wellbeing
Financial Literacy
Effective Communication and Conflict Resolution
Future Planning for a Career in Public Service
These events are planned for students and recent graduates but anyone may attend. As is the case with all of ASPA's webinars, these events are free for live participation; members automatically receive access to our webinar archive to view the programs after the events have concluded. Keep reading this newsletter (and other ASPA emails!) and register for any of the events that are of interest as links are provided.
We look forward to seeing our student and new professional members online!
No-Blame Problem-Solving Materials Available for Access
If you missed our webinar earlier this month providing hands-on civics training (No-Blame Problem Solving), there's good news: The Citizens Campaign has designed a special set of materials for ASPA members to use any time!
As citizens, you know you have the right to vote and the right to protest—but you probably don’t know that you have new 21st century rights and powers that let you get in the game of government problem solving. This leadership training program teaches you how to solve problems in your community and across the country, empowering you and your fellow citizens to get results on the issues you care about. You don’t have to sit on the sidelines waiting to react. You can become a “citizen leader” on the frontlines of government decisionmaking.
This isn’t the civics your parents and grandparents studied. It’s active, practitioner-informed leadership training, employing a powerful no-blame approach. Attendees will finish this program and receive a certificate demonstrating knowledge and skills gained during this hands-on workshop.
Find the materials online here. Once you have completed the program, The Citizens Campaign will send you your certificate.
Interested in participating in this program in person? We will host it again, next time at ASPA's 2025 Annual Conference. Add it to your conference registration (it's free!) and join fellow conference attendees to complete the training together on Monday, March 30!
ASPA National Council Members Gather for Mid-Year Meeting, Strategic Discussions
ASPA's National Council (our "Board of Directors") met earlier this month for its mid-year retreat, setting aside two days to discuss the state of our society and engage in strategic planning discussions to support our ongoing business needs.
This 21-member group participated in robust discussions related to maximizing our time together for the 2025 Annual conference, the need to continuously adapt to the shifts happening across the discipline, and how to help our Chapters and Sections be as successful as possible—among other topics. Front and center in all of these discussions was a constant focus on keeping members' needs front-of-mind while working to ensure ASPA's business components remain strong and healthy.
We encourage all ASPA members to know who your Council members are and reach out to them with any needs you have. They are here to serve your interests! Contact us if you need council members' contact information.
- District I
- Michael Ahn
- Hillary Knepper
- Malcolm Oliver
- District II
- Marlon Brown
- Phillip Carlisle
- Thomas Stanton
- District III
- Shaomeng Cheng
- Terry Murphy
- Ronald Sanders
- District IV
- Thomas Becker
- Merlene-Patrice Bourdeau-Quispe
- Alex Trembley
- District V
- Galia Cohen
- Juliet Lee
- Edgar Ramirez de la Cruz
- Officers
- Patria de Lancer Julnes (President)
- John Bartle (President-Elect)
- Bill Shields, Jr. (Executive Director and CEO)
- International Director: Pan Suk Kim
- COMPA Representative: Donovan Segura
- Student/New Professional Representative: Kathleen Ann Vincent
ASPA's next election will be held this November; make sure you retain your ASPA membership to vote in the elections and participate in ASPA's democratic process.
ASPA Celebrates 85th Anniversary All Year
In case you have missed it so far, ASPA is celebrating our 85th anniversary all year long! No small feat for any nonprofit association, it is a real cause for celebration for ASPA and we hope you'll join us.
Our field has faced enormous change and challenge since our founding in 1939. Yet we have remained steadfast in our mission of advancing excellence in public service. Indeed, we have an important story to tell. We are an association on strong financial footing, conducting a robust program of in-person and virtual events that matter. We are home to the top-rated journal in our field. We are redefining membership in a way that attracts a growing number of practitioners. And, we make tangible investments in the development of our student and new professional members.
We do all of this with a small but dedicated staff committed to excellence. As you interact with our staff and volunteer leaders throughout this year, we ask you to think about the resources it takes to provide those connections and invite you to participate in our 85-for-85 campaign.
Please consider making a special donation in some denomination of $85 to honor our history and accomplishments... and position ASPA well for the next 85 years.
Make your donation on our website any time (log in information is required; contact us for your details) and know that not only are you supporting ASPA now, but also that you will be on the front lines ensuring that ASPA will be sending messages like this one to future generations of professionals dedicated to the public good.
Use our website now or contact us for help setting up your donation. Monthly payment plans are available!
Thank you for celebrating our 85th anniversary and supporting the future of public service.
FIU Research Workshop: Cyberinfrastructure Methods and Security in Public Policy and Administration
FIU will be hosting a two-part research workshop, including during ASPA's 2025 Annual Conference, bringing together public policy and administration students and scholars to explore cyberinfrastructure methods and cybersecurity questions. Cyberinfrastructure refers to the digital infrastructure based upon distributed computer, information and communication technology. High performance computing (HPC) has enabled new algorithms based on AI techniques (including machine learning methods) that can analyze big administrative data to answer questions that had previously been unapproachable. At the same time, security concerns have escalated across public agencies, especially in the post-COVID era. Workshop planners invite public policy and administration researchers who are broadly interested in using data science and machine learning methods; employing HPCs to manipulate large data sets (especially administrative); using natural language processing (NLP) methods; and examining cybersecurity topics.
This workshop is open to all public policy and administration scholars; sponsorships are available for scholars who are affiliated with American institutions (educational, research, nonprofit or government organizations). Organizers will select applications that have a close relationship with the above four themes. Scholars should be willing to attend events associated with the workshop. Those affiliated with non-American entities are welcome to participate, but will not be eligible for funding support.
The workshop will include two events:
(i) Virtual Learning Workshop (January 31, by Zoom, 10.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. EST): Participants will present research questions and methods, along with any preliminary analyses. We will discuss the papers in peer groups, facilitated by instructors.
(ii) ASPA 2025 Conference Workshop (March 30, Washington, DC): Participants will present their final papers. We plan to have a special issue in Public Administration Quarterly related to these papers, but participants are free to submit to any journal in the field. Acknowledgement of funding is expected with the journal papers.
Application Process: Please submit the Qualtrics application available here. Applications received by October 1, 2024 will receive priority consideration. Organizers will announce selected applicants by October 31, 2024. The FIU faculty in charge are Sukumar Ganapati, Shaoming Cheng and Howard Frank.
The workshop is organized as a part of the National Science Foundation sponsored “Advanced Cyber Infrastructure Training in Policy Informatics” (Award #1924154). Consistent with the project, the research workshop’s objective is to increase public administration and policy scholars’ capacity with cyberinfrastructure skills. Hence, the project will cover the ASPA 2025 Conference registration costs and include a $300 gift card payment for participation in the workshop and conference panel. If there are multiple authors, funding will be given to one presenting co-author. Contact Sukumar Ganapati with questions.
Miami-Dade County Seeking Registered Voters to Serve as Poll Workers in Our Community
The Miami-Dade County elections department is looking to expand its team to serve voters in the presidential election on November 5th. If you know someone with great customer service skills who is interested in participating in the democratic process, encourage them to be a poll worker.
- Training is provided
- It’s a great way to work alongside neighbors to serve the community
- It’s a paid opportunity and
- If a student, community service hours are provided!
Learn more about becoming a poll worker. Sign up today! Email for more details.
Public Integrity: New Article Collection Available
Public Integrity and publisher Taylor & Francis are pleased to announce that a new special issue, "Qualitative Methods as Liberatory Tools" is available now in front of the paywall to read and download for a limited time!
Guest Editors Staci M. Zavattaro and Ashley E. Nickels bring together papers designed to expand knowledge in public administration and policy and break out of potentially hegemonic strongholds. The authors in the collection explore topics such as power dynamics, social equity, advocacy and activism, and narrative dominance. The articles also can introduce readers to potentially new-to-them methods such as diary design, Afrofuturism and critical discourse analysis.
Public Integrity Seeks New Associate Editors
With rising numbers of article submissions, Public Integrity continues to look for additional associate editors to join its team. Primarily, PI’s associate editors work closely with Editor in Chief Sue Neal to manage the review process for journal submissions. Additionally, associate editors have the opportunity to participate in journal strategy and represent the journal at conferences. PI welcomes academics at all levels of their professional journey for consideration as possible associate editors. This is an excellent opportunity to provide service and stay abreast of the latest research in the field of public ethics and integrity.
If you are interested in being considered for this opportunity, please send your CV and write a short email outlining your experience with academic publishing to Sue Neal.
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!
Reimagining Healthcare Industry Service Operations in the Age of AI
Via McKinsey & Company: Known as the backbone of municipal administration, city managers are responsible for ensuring that the daily operations of their local government run smoothly and efficiently. The role of city manager is multifaceted, requiring a balance of leadership, strategic planning and effective communication. A typical day for a city manager cannot be predicted, as this role handles unexpected crises and simultaneous challenges.
Tips, Resources and the Fun Stuff
Managing Political Stress
Psychological science shows that politics can harm our physical and mental health, but the positive aspects of political engagement can lead to greater well-being.
State Department Goes Big with Online Passport Renewal
The latest pilot has been ongoing since June, but limited in scale. Now, Americans can renew online anytime.
Florida’s New COVID-19 Booster Guidance Is Straight-Up Misinformation
The bulletin makes a number of false or unproven claims about the efficacy and safety of mRNA-based covid vaccines by Pfizer and Moderna.
It’s Time to Roll Up Sleeves for New COVID, Flu Shots
Fall means it’s time for just about everybody to get up to date on their flu and COVID-19 vaccines—and a lot of older adults also need protection against another risky winter virus, RSV.
Lawmakers Force a Vote on Eliminating the Windfall Elimination Provision
The bipartisan effort to advance House legislation that would repeal a pair of controversial tax rules that negatively impact some federal workers’ retirement income took another step forward last week as the bill’s sponsors compiled the 218 signatures needed to force a House vote on the measure.
The Peaceful Transfer of Power Starts Now
Why we need to talk about election anxiety in the federal workplace.
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
Trump’s Second-Term Agenda: Breaking the Bureaucracy
Featured above in our news links section. Includes interview from Don Kettl and Robert Shea.
Rutgers President Stepping Down After Tumultuous Tenure
AI Fatigue
By long-time ASPA member and 2025 Annual Conference Honorary Co-Chair Alan Shark
Meet (University of Connecticut) New Director of the School of Public Policy, Angela Eikenberry
Congratulations to ASPA member Angela Eikenberry for her new role at the University of Connecticut!
Reducing Homelessness in the United States: An Intergovernmental Challenge
With Rich Callahan and Katherine Willoughby
The Campaign and Federalism: Big Talk and Empty Promises
By Don Kettl
Tell Me Something Good...
Homeless Encampments Have Largely Vanished from San Francisco. Is the City at a Turning Point?
Sidewalks once teeming with tents, tarps and people passed out next to heaps of trash have largely disappeared from great swaths of San Francisco, a city widely known for its visible homeless population. The number of people sleeping outdoors dropped to under 3,000 in January, the lowest the city has recorded in a decade, according to a federal count.
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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:
Calls for proposals, calls for nominations and other updates:
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Call for Papers—Financial Accountability and Management
Financial Accountability and Management Journal seeks to gather scholarly perspectives from different countries and sectors on key questions related to changing modes of coordination between public sector organizations and their implications for public sector accounting, audit, budgeting and financial management practices and processes. This special issue seeks articles that focus on advancing our theoretical and empirical understanding of these crucial, yet under-researched themes, such as vertical funding allocations to local governments, financial sustainability and resilience implications of the reassignment of public services and tasks in vertical settings, the administrative burden caused by vertical settings in the public sector, and etc. A workshop will be held at Cardiff University, Wales, UK, on July 7-8, 2025, hosted by the Public Sector Accounting, Finance and Taxation Research Group (PACCFINTAX) at Cardiff Business School. Authors wishing to present at the workshop should submit a paper proposal (maximum two pages in length) to Dennis De Widt by January 31, 2025. The deadline for submission of full papers via the journal’s online platform is October 31, 2025. Click here for more information.
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Call for Papers—SDGs: International Journal of Public Administration
International Journal of Public Administration seeks manuscripts that intend to deepen the various dimensions relevant to sustainable development goals (SDGs), strictly linked to sustainability and digital transformation, and the relationship between social, economic and environmental value. In this view, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the United Nations in 2015, constitutes a global governance plan of action proposing a roadmap for national, regional and local governments, as well as private sector organizations, to navigate the major social, environmental and economic challenges. These are resumed in 17 SDGs, which affect five critical areas, including people, planet, prosperity, peace and partnership. The key principle behind submissions should be a mind-blowing and provoking approach able to stimulate the needed changes in the evolutionary landscape of the public sector widely intended, and about the way(s) through public value can be created in the coming years under the polar star represented by the UN SDGs and relating it to the two main areas of sustainability and digitalization. All proposals are due November 1. Click here for more information.
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Call for Papers—Smart Government: International Journal of Public Administration
International Journal of Public Administration seeks manuscripts that address the pressing need for advancing theoretical frameworks with sound empirical studies that investigate the research gaps in algorithmic bureaucracy across diverse administrative contexts and regimes. The objective is to motivate finer-grained theoretical models and empirical analyses examining bureaucracy and digital reforms in the AI and smart government era. We aim to explore the bidirectional relationship between bureaucracy and AI implementation across various institutional contexts using international and comparative perspectives. This special issue welcomes studies that provide clarity in either direction to contribute to strong theoretical and empirical research on bureaucracy and AI reforms. Proposals are due November 15.
Click here for more information.
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Special Issue: Public Budgeting and Finance—Adversarial Collaborations in Public Budgeting and Finance
Adversarial collaboration, an approach proposed by Nobel Prize Laureate Daniel Kahneman, is a method for resolving scientific disputes that arise from conflicting theoretical or ideological views. Authors or teams with opposing views work together on a research project to enhance or clarify understanding of a disputed knowledge area in a mutually satisfying manner. The project is designed to eliminate clear biases or weaknesses that could skew the conclusions. The participation of adversaries throughout the study ensures shared accountability and careful communication of the research. Furthermore, there's typically a pre-commitment to publish the results, irrespective of the findings. Despite their potential, adversarial collaborations aren't as prevalent as other open science innovations aimed at enhancing credibility through transparency, like data sharing, open materials and study preregistration. Public Budgeting & Finance intends to address this shortfall with a special issue (set for late 2026 or early 2027) focused on publishing and recognizing adversarial collaborations. This initiative is open to all topics relevant to public finances. Proposed projects will be evaluated and accepted on a rolling basis through May 2025. Accepted proposals are expected to complete manuscripts by April 1, 2026. Selected teams will be invited to present results at a special conference or dedicated session on the theme of Adversarial Collaborations in Public Finance, and travel funding will be extended to invitees. For more information, contact co-editors-in-Chief Craig Johnson and Justin Ross.
Click here for more information.
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ABFM Announces Annual Award Honorees
Congratulations to ABFM's 2024 award honorees, who will receive their awards this fall at the Section's 2024 conference. Bob Bland will receive the Aaron Wildavsky Award; Marilyn Rubin will receive the Paul Posner Pracademic Award; Shayne Kavanagh will receive the S. Kenneth Howard Award; Peter Jones will receive the Scholarly Engagement Award; Luis Navarro will receive the Michael Curro Award; and George M. Guess and James D. Savage will receive the Best Book Award.
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!)
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