ASPA leadership and staff is excited to welcome everyone to Washington, DC next March. Registration is open; current rates stay in effect through December 20, 2024.

Rates* are as follows:

• Members: $449
• Students/New Professional Members: $279
• Two-Day Member Admittance: $329
• Nonmembers: $559
• Two-Day Nonmember Admittance: $439

• More than 150 concurrent sessions
• Fourteen presidential panels and plenary addresses
• Eight symposia
• Three workshops
• Opening Reception
• Career Fair
• Gloria Hobson Nordin Social Equity Luncheon
• SWPA National Awards Breakfast

Mary Hamilton, who led ASPA with unparalleled professionalism and humanity as our executive director from 1997 to 2004, passed away earlier this month following an extended illness. She embodied the essence of what ASPA is about: advancing excellence in public service.

Mary was special in so many ways. Perhaps one of her finest abilities was to articulate and give greater visibility to what public service always has been about: the people—the dedicated professionals who do the public good, and those served by them. For her, this was a professional and personal mission.

During her nearly two decades at GAO, she directed operations in multiple divisions, overseeing significant improvements in recruitment, technology and cross-division collaboration. As the first woman to head a GAO regional office, she was a role model for those who followed.

At ASPA, she revitalized our organization, expanded our reach and impact with likeminded public service organizations and significantly expanded programs for our members—all while, as she put it herself, “leading from the back of the room” and providing essential continuity, focus and guidance to volunteer leaders. She cherished the organization’s history and built bridges between its past and future, leaving it in a far stronger position than what she inherited.

Then, she made the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) her professional home, where she was senior executive in residence and founded the Nebraska Certified Public Manager Program. More than a decade later, the program remains thriving, educating scores of public and nonprofit managers who have gone on to improve their communities. The National CPM Consortium went on to ask Mary to serve as its chair, which she did from 2014-2015.

Mary founded and co-led the Public Service Stories: Ask Me Why I Care project, where she and her collaborators produced videos showcasing outstanding public servants, countering government bashing and raising up the people, as she did throughout her career. These videos remain available on YouTube and continue to inspire people today.

"I have many fond memories of times spent with Mary while 'growing up' as a professional in ASPA," said current ASPA President Patria de Lancer Julnes. "Most importantly, I remember Mary’s unwavering commitment to the cause of public service. Not only did she embody selfless service to the profession, but also she was a fierce advocate and promoter of public service values through her work in the society. Mary nurtured and inspired young professionals like myself and left an enduring legacy that will forever shape our field."

Mary will be missed greatly by her family, friends, colleagues, peers and coworkers. The ASPA staff are grateful for her tremendous contributions to our organization, specifically, and will continue in our efforts to raise up the people in her memory.

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: Teaching International and Comparative Perspectives in Public Administration
November 7 | 10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. ET

Sponsored by ASPA's Section on International and Comparative Administration

Speakers:
Mehmet Akif Demircioglu, Associate Professor, Carleton University in Canada
Kim Moloney, Former SICA Chair and Associate Professor, Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar
James L. Perry, Moderator, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Indiana University, Bloomington
Cristina Stanica, SICA Chair-Elect and Assistant Professor, Northeastern University in Boston
Kohei Suzuki, Assistant Professor, Leiden University in the Netherlands
Srinivas Yerramsetti, Associate Professor, KIMEP University in Kazakhstan

This webinar, featuring SICA leaders and other international experts, will look at classroom methodology around the world.




BookTalk: Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations
November 12 | 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET

Speakers:
John Bryson, Professor of Planning and Public Affairs, University of Minnesota
Bert George, Professor, Department of Public and International Affairs, Ghent University

Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations is a comprehensive, practical guide to building and sustaining a more effective organization, delivering a clear framework for designing and implementing a better strategic planning and management process. The field's leading authorities share insights, advice, helpful tools and specific techniques, alongside a widely used and well-regarded approach to real-world planning. This revised and updated edition contains new literature cited, new cases, more information on international public and nonprofit concerns, and a more extensive discussion of design and agile methods of strategy development and implementation.




From the Archives
KeepingCurrent: Peer-Reviewed Journals: Publishing from the Practitioner Perspective
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 explored this topic including journal editors' perspectives. (Members only)



Students and New Professionals: Persuasive Presentations: The Art of Effectively Conveying Research Results
This webinar provided attendees with different tactics to get more comfortable with presenting your research—especially if they’re of a scientific nature—to a variety of audiences. Whatever your level of presentation skills, this webinar provided great pointers! (Members only)

ASPA Slate of Nominees Announced

We are pleased to announce that ASPA's Nominating Committee has placed the following individuals on this year's election ballot. Those standing for election are:

President-Elect

• Michael Ahn
• Agatha Caraballo
• Jeremy Hall
• Roger Hartley

• Roseanne Mirabella
• Malcolm Oliver (incumbent)

• Saltanat Liebert
• Thomas Stanton (incumbent)

• Seraphin Bernard
• Brett Johnson
• Donovan Segura
• Tomicka Williams

• Thomas Becker (incumbent)

• Joel Vallett
• Miha Vindis

• Christopher Bellingham
• Linda Nathan

Annual Awards Program Opens Nominations Form

ASPA’s annual awards program has opened its call for nominations. Now through November 8, you may nominate someone (including yourself!) to be recognized by ASPA and its members as one of public administration's most dedicated public servants.

• Do you know a current or former city official who has dedicated themselves to the public good?
• Do you know an unsung scholar who produces excellent research?
• Do you know a public official who has stood up for equity and integrity in government?
• Do you know someone who has bridged the academic/practitioner divide and encouraged best practices as a result?
• Do you know someone who is all-around excellent?

Of course you do!

Make the most of this opportunity to nominate them to be recognized for their efforts this March during ASPA’s 2025 Annual Conference! More than 20 awards honor a variety of practitioners and scholars who advance excellence in public service at all levels. Just some of the awards categories for which one can be nominated include:

• National Public Service Award
• Nesta M. Gallas Award
• Gloria Hobson Nordin Social Equity Award
• Public Integrity Award
• Elmer B. Staats Lifetime Achievement Award
• Paul P. Van Riper Award
• Donald C. Stone Service to ASPA Award
• Allan Rosenbaum International Public Administration Award
• Walter W. Mode Scholarship
• Wallace O. Keene ASPA Conference Scholarship

This is an abbreviated list; find all of our categories online here. Please also be aware that the nominee does not have to be an ASPA member to be considered for all categories. City managers, local government service providers, public health advocates, nonprofit executives, organizations and more are eligible and our committees look forward to considering a wide range of nominees. Review the criteria for each award and think carefully about who you will nominate.

Every year more than 30 public servants are recognized by ASPA as exemplifying the best of public administration, but only those who are nominated can be considered! Review ASPA's awards program details and begin work on your nomination today.

All awards submissions are due November 8, 2024.

Founders' Fellows Application Open through November 11

ASPA's Founders' Fellows program is accepting applications now for its 2025 class! All applications are due by November 11 at 11:59 p.m. ET. View the application form today, if you haven't already, and start planning your materials.

The Founders' Fellows program is ASPA's most competitive fellowship program of the year. It recognizes the exceptional accomplishments and future potential of the next generation of public servants—in the academic and/or practitioner communities—and provides those accepted with results that could last throughout your career. Think: Stellar exposure to public administration legends, highly promoted research at the 2025 Annual Conference and in PA Times Online, specially planned web-based professional development and more!

There are only 20 spots available, so make sure you are thoughtful and thorough with your responses, including letters of nomination, demonstrating why you should be in the 2025 cohort.

Fellows receive the following benefits:

• Guaranteed acceptance to present their work as part of ASPA's 2025 Annual Conference, March 28-April 1 in Washington, DC, including complimentary registration and hotel room
• A year-long mentorship with a senior mentor in the discipline, matched with each Fellow based on academic and professional interests
• Tailored professional improvement webinars that address their specific educational and professional needs

• Contact information and relevant biographical details
• An outline of career and research interests
• A resume or curriculum vitae
• A personal statement
• An analytical essay (details are provided within the application form)
• A letter of recommendation from your nominator

No-Blame Problem-Solving Materials Available for Access

If you missed our webinar earlier this fall 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 31!

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.

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 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!

Federal Jobs in Hawaii and Alaska—Sounds Like a Dream. So Why Are They So Hard to Fill?
You might think job hunters would be clamoring for an opportunity to work from a winter wonderland like Alaska or island paradises like Hawaii and the U.S. territories in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. But the federal government has struggled.

Tips, Resources and the Fun Stuff

Why We Shouldn’t Romanticize Failure
We expect people will learn from their setbacks. New research suggests the truth is more complicated.

The Peaceful Transfer of Power Starts Now
Why we need to talk about election anxiety in the federal workplace.

Elite Colleges Accused of Price-Fixing to Make Divorced Parents Pay More
Forty of the country’s top colleges were sued this week and accused of colluding in a price-fixing scheme that has increased the cost of college for students with divorced or separated parents.

Who Can Vote in U.S. Elections, and What Steps Must You Take to Do So?
So you want to cast a ballot on Election Day? Or maybe vote by mail? It helps to know the rules. The federal government sets some basic standards: U.S. citizens age 18 or older are eligible to vote. But each state can adopt additional voting requirements and restrictions. For example, many states disqualify voters serving a prison sentence for felony crimes.

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

• FEMA Vows Readiness As It Prepares Responses to Concurrent Crises
• Why Governments Are "Particularly Well-Positioned" to Offer Identity Validation
• The Rise of the Chief AI Officer
• Biden Signs First National Security Memorandum Focused on AI
• Department of Labor Releases AI Best Practices for Employers
• Federal Personnel Are Facing Threats During Hurricane Response, DHS Chief Warns
• Law Enforcement Officials Prepare for Possible Post-Election Violence in D.C.

• Biden Forgives More Student Loans: 60,000 Borrowers Will Get Notices Canceling $4.5 Billion in Debt
• Cost-of-Living Adjustments Will Decline for Federal Retirees Again in 2025
• AI Tools Helped Treasury Recover Billions in Fraud and Improper Payments

• Review Panel Calls for Overhaul of Secret Service Leadership
• Government Mistrust High among Young Americans, Many Cite Communication Failures: Survey
• OPM Issues Guidance for Agencies to Implement Anti-Schedule F Regulations
• "Put Them in Trauma": Inside a Key MAGA Leader’s Plans for a New Trump Agenda
• Secret Service Needs to Fix "Corrosive Cultural Attitudes" with Its Workforce to Prevent a Successful Assassination, Panel Finds

• Racism Was Called a Health Threat. Then Came the DEI Backlash.
• The Federal Government Is Striving to be a Model for Employing People with Disabilities, But Retention Is a Problem
• Cutting Red Tape Is Key to Financial Inclusion, Treasury Says

Members in the News

What Has Been Learned about Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement
By Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene

Why Cybersecurity Awareness Month Should Be Every Month
By Alan Shark

Tell Me Something Good...

Early Voting Is Open and Going Smoothly
Despite some isolated events, one election expert says it is remarkable how “few problems we’ve heard about. We are certainly not hearing about harassment or violence at polling places. We are certainly not hearing about harassment or violence directed at election workers or poll workers.”

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:

• 2024 NECoPA
  Co-hosted by Pace University and Baruch College, CUNY
  New York | November 1-2
  Theme: Building a Flexible Public Service through Innovation and Collaboration
  Registration is open
  
  
• 2025 ASPA Annual Conference
  Washington, DC | March 28-April 1
  Theme: Not Robots Yet: Keeping Public Servants in Public Service
  Registration is open
  
  
• 2025 NFBPA FORUM
  San Francisco | April 9-13
  Registration is open

• 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.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• SECM Call for Nominations: Louise Comfort Dissertation Award
  The Section on Emergency and Crisis Management announces its 11th annual dissertation award program, newly renamed the Dr. Louise Comfort Dissertation Award, supporting dissertation research in progress. The award supports research being performed by doctoral candidates who have successfully defended their proposal but have not completed their dissertation, working in the emergency and crisis management area. The winner will be recognized at ASPA's 2025 Annual Conference. Membership in the Section is not required to apply but will be required for award acceptance. All applications are due January 15, 2025. Contact Kaila Witkowski for more information.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• PMM Special Issue Call for Papers
  Public Money and Management announces a special issue: The Politics and Management of Policing. The policing of society is a core feature of the modern state, lying at the heart of relationships between citizens and the state, with questions of legitimacy, equity, power, authority, governance as well as the effectiveness and efficiency of organizational performance as central matters of interest. Policing has some distinctive features, yet also offers insights to other public services. While police organizations are of particular scholarly and professional interest, the analysis of policing may include other groups, organizations and institutions concerned with order and safety in society, hence the focus is on policing not only police. With many countries contemplating or implementing reforms to police organizations, this topic is of wide interest to both academics and practitioners. The audience for readers of this themed issue is an interdisciplinary and broadly defined community of academics and professionals who share an interest in the research of policing, law enforcement and the provision of public safety from an organizational, managerial, governance and/or public policy analysis perspective. Editors invite articles exploring questions of policing and public management, for example concerning the legitimacy, equity, power, authority, governance and organizational performance in policing; the analysis of organizational functions such as strategic planning, human resource management, budgeting and evaluation, coordination of operations, control of accountability of policing, cooperation with public and private partners; whether and how policing is value-creating or value-destroying in different settings and social environments; changing roles and expectations of police at points of political and societal change and/or stress and austerity; comparative analysis of policing values, operations, consequences in or across different locales; political governance systems and their implications for the provision of an effective, fair and accountable police service—in both its ideal forms and its practical manifestations—for policing. All submissions are due June 16, 2025. 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!)

• In Final Days Before the Election, Cost of Living Concerns Remain a Voter Priority
  By The VCU Wilder School Office of Research and Outreach
  
  
• The Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022: Welcome Reforms, but Is More Needed?
  By Stephen Rolandi
  
  
• Vote! It Is Your Civic Responsibility!
  By Shone Hughes