The 2023 Annual Conference will feature nine Presidential Panels relevant to our conference theme. Read on for details.
All times are listed in Eastern Time.
Democracy under Attack: A View from Abroad
March 20 | 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
The past decade has been a very difficult one for those concerned with the advancement of democratic values, both at home and abroad. Autocratic politicians have aggressively asserted their superiority in terms of getting things done for their citizenry. All too often the field of public administration, both practitioners and scholars, preoccupied with a tradition of political neutrality, have forgotten that we are citizens first and representatives of a profession second. As citizens and, for most of us, beneficiaries of the world's oldest democracy, we have a profound obligation to not only protect it but also to strengthen it and improve it for our next generation. This session will explore the state of democracy around the world.
Presenters:
Allan Rosenbaum,
Professor, Florida International University
More to be announced shortly!
Promoting Human Rights and Academic Freedom Internationally: What Should ASPA Do?
March 21 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
ASPA’s President's Committee on International Scholarly Engagement was established in January 2022 to explore this important topic and completed its report in January 2023. The report makes recommendations on steps ASPA and other scholarly organizations should take to promote human rights and academic freedom while working internationally. This panel will explain the committee's recommendations and discuss ASPA's proposed response to the report.
Download a copy of the report here.
Presenters:
William P. Shields, Jr., Moderator, Executive Director and CEO, American Society for Public Administration
Mary Lee Rhodes, Associate Professor, Trinity College
Alasdair Roberts, Professor, University of Massachusetts—Amherst
Allan Rosenbaum, Professor, Florida International University
Sponsored By
The Future of the Public Sector Workforce
March 21 | 6:15 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.
High on the list of challenges for most cities, counties and states is the recruitment, hiring and retention of high caliber personnel. As a McKinsey & Company report put it, “When U.S. government jobs lie vacant, it ripples through the fabric of American life. Think long security lines at airports, stalled highway construction projects, difficulties in scheduling an appointment at the local DMV, or teacher shortages at public schools.” This panel, featuring five long-time authorities in the field of human resources in state and local government, will explore the reasons the public sector is confronting a workforce shortage, the impact of that state of affairs and a number of real-world solutions that have helped alleviate, if not solve, the problem.
Presenters:
Richard Greene, Moderator,
Principal, Barrett and Greene, Inc.
Katherine Barrett,
Principal, Barrett and Greene, Inc.
Jennifer Fairweather,
Chief Human Resources Officer, Jefferson County, Colorado
Ron Holifield,
Chief Executive Officer, Strategic Government Resources
Bob Lavigna,
Senior Fellow, UKG
Sponsored By
How to Be an International Civil Servant
March 21 | 8:45 p.m. - 9:45 p.m.
The United Nations (UN) is an international organization established for the purpose of promoting international cooperation and maintaining world peace. It is part of the UN system, which, in addition to the UN itself, comprises
many funds, programs and specialized agencies, each of which has its own area of work, leadership and budget. Most of the members of the UN system are part of the common system, established to prevent competition among UN System organizations and to facilitate co-operation and exchange between organizations. The number of organizations associated with the United Nations is large, as is the number of employees working there. Many students in the social sciences - including public administration and public affairs - are not aware of the recruitment and employment information available. More, remuneration of international civil servants working there is better than in other public sector organizations. This session will discuss and describe employment options and benefits associated with the UN.
Presenters:
Pan Suk Kim, Moderator,
Professor Emeritus, Yonsei University
Hong Kwon,
Chief, Strategic Talent Management Service, Global Strategy and Policy Division, Office of Human Resources, UN Department of Management, Strategy, Policy and Compliance
Martha Helena Lopez,
Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources, UN Department of Management, Strategy, Policy and Compliance
Patrick Voigt,
Chief, Policy, Employee Relations, Compensation and Social Benefits (PERCS), Division of Human Resources, UNICEF
Sponsored by
PAR—Past, Present and Future: An Idea-Sharing Session with the New Editors
March 22 | 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Join ASPA President Allan Rosenbaum for a discussion with incoming
PAR editors Jos Raadschelders and Katherine Willoughby about their plans for public administration's most prestigious journal when they take over as co-editors-in-chief in January 2024. Incoming editor Hongtao Yi will also join this discussion.
Presenters:
Jos Raadschelders,
Professor and Associate Dean, The Ohio State University
Allan Rosenbaum, Moderator,
Professor, Florida International University
Katherine Willoughby,
Golembiewski Professor of Public Administration, University of Georgia
Hongtao Yi,
Associate Professor, The Ohio State Universitybr />
Implementing DEI Efforts in Your Agency: A “How To” Guide
Thursday, March 23 | 8:15 a.m. - 9:15 a.m.
In April 2021, The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey issued a comprehensive report outlining 25 initiatives representing the most wide-reaching set of concreate deliverables focused on advancing diversity and inclusion in the agency’s history. This session will share the strategies and techniques used to develop this plan, the variety of actions taken to implement all of the initiatives and recent, thoughtful, ongoing efforts to improve and implement new initiatives toward integrating and sustaining diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the Agency’s workforce. This discussion will be guided by questions designed to elicit advice and guidance to those seeking practical and “how to” techniques and practices.
Presenters:
Rosemary O’Leary, Moderator,
Distinguished Professor Emerita, University of Kansas
Michael Massiah,
Retired, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Maurice Robinson,
Assistant Director of Workforce Diversity & Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
Sponsored by
Building an Agile Government: A New Framework for Results, Engagement and Trust
Thursday, March 23 | 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
The National Academy of Public Administration and the IBM Center for the Business of Government have formed the Agile Government Center, which has produced important thought leadership during the past three years. This session will discuss its integrated framework, which connects agility, customer experience, public participation and trust in government.
Presenters:
Joe Mitchell, Moderator, Director, Strategic Initiatives and International Programs, National Academy of Public Administration
Ed DeSeve, Coordinator, Agile Government Center, National Academy of Public Administration
Martha Dorris, President, Dorris Consulting International
Carolyn Lukensmeyer, Former Executive Director, National Institute for Civil Discourse
The Transition of COVID-19 from Pandemic to Endemic Status: Global Perspectives
Friday, March 24 | 8:45 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Three years after COVID-19 emerged as a global threat to public health, nations are coping with the disease differently. The virus is still circulating but at different rates and with different consequences; vaccines and post-infection treatments are available widely in most countries, though not all populations have accepted them and the risk of new variants emerging remains. While these concerns dominate the conversation, important discussions about mental health consequences on various populations—especially children and adolescents—largely are absent. Nations have developed ways to cope with the disease, but challenges and unanticipated consequences also have created new risks. This session will examine how four countries— China, Japan, Malawi and the United States—are responding to the threat of COVID-19 as it shifts from pandemic to endemic status around the world. Presenters will provide perspectives on this transition, as well as strengthening a policy framework and developing a more comprehensive strategy for public health.
Presenters:
Maria Aristigueta, Moderator, Charles P. Messick Chair of Public Administration, University of Delaware
Gloria Billingsley, Discussant, Professor, Jackson State University
Louise Comfort, Discussant, Professor Emerita, University of Pittsburgh
Harvey White, Discussant, Affiliated Professor, University of Delaware
Christine Crawford, Associate Director, Psychiatry Medical Student Education and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Boston University
Address Malata, Vice Provost, Malawi University of Science and Technology
Shusaku Sasaki, Associate Professor, Department of Economics and Guest Associate Professor, Center for Infectious Disease Education and Research, Osaka University
Haibo Zhang, Professor, Nanjing University
Sponsored by
Reflections on Democracy in the United States: Federal, State and Local Issues
March 24 | 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Democracy is a fragile concept to grasp and the United States has seen its share of challenges to our democractic ideals in recent years (some may argue decades). This session will explore how this has taken shape in real life, as well as what we all can do about it going forward. Join us for an insightful session and help us all take steps toward shoring up our democracy for current and future generations.
Presenters:
Allan Rosenbaum,
Professor, Florida International University
More to be announced shortly!
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