The Future of Public Service: Questions from Students

The webinar was held on Thursday, January 21, 2021 – Noon – 1pm Eastern.

“That’s when America soars, when we look out for one another and we take care of each other, when we root for one another’s success, when we strive to do better and to be better than the generation that came before us and try to build something better for generations to come, that’s why we do what we do. That’s the whole point of public service.” – Barack Obama

In November 2020, we asked students – the next generation of public service leaders –  what issues, questions, or concerns they have regarding responsive public service of the future. As 2021 dawns, we attempt to address their issues, questions, and concerns.

The webinar’s three panelists discussed three themes that are top of mind for our students and future public service leaders:

• Citizen engagement on critical public service issues
• Social equity and environmental justice
• Workforce of the future

Panelists:

• Dr. Kenneth Chandler, Deputy City Manager, City of Virginia Beach
• Mrs. Latara Rouse, Communications Manager, James City County
• Mr. Zach Nissen, Community Outreach Coordinator, Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore

The Hampton Roads Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration (HR ASPA) is moving virtual for our quarterly events in 2020-2021. These will be free Zoom webinars available to anyone interested in public service — anyone interested in the challenges and opportunities of providing effective, efficient public services to a diverse community in a dynamic environment.  

We will be sharing registration information and more detail on each event as it nears, but we wanted to reach out and share this brief glimpse into our schedule so you might “Save the Dates” in your calendar.

We look forward to your participation. If you have any questions, please contact Thomas.Poulin@Capella.edu.

HR ASPA: 2020-2021 Schedule of Events

Responsive Public Service: Social Equity
September 17, 2020 (noon-1 pm [Eastern])

Our first webinar of the year brings in a diverse group of panelists exploring how to successfully approach social equity challenges in the public sector. Public administrators should be actively pursuing social equity, helping to develop an environment of fairness, justice, and equality for everyone in our communities. We will hear from Brandi Blessett (Associate Professor and MPA Program Director for the University of Cincinnati), Mary E. Guy and Sean A. McCandless (editors of Achieving Social Equity: From Problems to Solutions), and Jim Reddick (Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response, City of Norfolk, VA). 

Responsive Public Service: Local Government Leadership and Management Resiliency Challenges, Lessons and Opportunities In the COVID-19 Era: Staying the Course Under Duress
November 19, 2020 (noon-1 pm [Eastern])

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented public administrators with unprecedented stress and uncertainty given the toxic mixture of increased service demands juxtaposed with diminishing financial resources. This highly variable and uncertain public health crisis with its sweeping economic political, and cultural effects also presents a unique opportunity to promote innovative and creative solutions that will benefit public administration long after the pandemic ends. The Webinar will feature three experienced local government administrators reflecting on their past and present experiences in providing quality services under duress and their views on the potential positive outcomes of the crisis. The panelists will discuss both leadership and management practices as well as personal coping strategies to remain steady under pressure.

Responsive Public Service: The Future of Public Service: Student Perspectives
January 21, 2021, (noon-1 pm [Eastern])

Public service is a dynamic, broad discipline, seeking to provide a higher quality of life for the communities we serve. This requires public administrators continually assess and reassess the needs and expectations of the public, fine-tuning goals, processes, and practices to best meet these evolving needs and expectations. In this webinar, the focus will be on student perspectives. Students of public administration are the future of the discipline, and their insights on where we are going and how we should get there should be of interest to us all. Whether it is an exploration of how the COVID-19 pandemic might fundamentally alter the practice of public administration, or how changes in our definitions of vulnerable populations evolve, we need to reassess what public service means, as well as what it might take to be an effective public administrator in the future. 

Responsive Public Service: Research Symposium
March 18, 2021 (9:30 am – noon)

Each year, HR ASPA hosts a research symposium tied to our annual program theme, which this year is “Response Public Service.” The symposium theme this year might encompass such topics as responsive service for the pandemic, social equity, public sector accountability, government finance reform, intergovernmental relations, collaboration, immigration policy, or the emergent challenges and opportunities in public service. We will be seeking proposals from practitioners, academics, and students seeking to develop either original research or a professional presentation, creating a platform for discussing current issues in a manner which bridges the world of practice and theory. It promises to be an exciting time. 

Currently, we are planning on two sessions, the first from 10:00-10:50 am and the second from 11:00-11:50 am).  Each session panel will include 3-4 speakers, with the number of panels each session dependent upon the number of accepted proposals. Further information on this will be shared at a later date. 

Responsive Public Service: Annual Awards 
May 20, 2021 (To be determined)

Traditionally, this event has been a luncheon with a guest speaker. If circumstances change for the better, we will continue with that tradition in 2021. However, if concerns with the pandemic remain high at that time, we might have a guest speaker via a Zoom meeting. Further information on this will be shared at a later time.

Our guest speaker for the November luncheon was Latiesha D. Handie, Executive Director of the Hampton Diversity College. “The Hampton Diversity College (HDC) is a multi-level and interactive educational program that concentrates on increasing knowledge on the value of diversity, unity, and inclusion in contemporary workplaces and in our community.” The HDC is an exciting municipal program, working actively with the community, public agencies, and the public sector. Since its inception, the HDC has achieved numerous national accolades for innovations and diversity in local government.

The September 28, 2017 luncheon’s topic was Mission Focused and Service First: Creating Innovative Solutions; with our speakers were Newport News City Manager Cindy Rohlf and Norfolk City Manager Doug Smith. The event was held at The Holiday Inn Norfolk Airport. Good crowd!

 

“Building Bridges: Working Towards Collaborative Governance and Non-profit”

The annual symposium was held on Friday, March 20, at the Holiday Inn Select (Norfolk Airport, 1570 North Military Highway – Norfolk, VA 23502).

Panels

Economic Development Perspective – Economic Development professionals from Hampton Roads city’s discussed individual and collaborated efforts in economic development. Panelists:  Leonard Sledge, Director, Economic Development, city of Hampton; Ben White, Assistant Director of Economic Development, City of Chesapeake; Chuck Rigney, Economic Development Director, City of Portsmouth; Chris Morello, Administrator of Development Projects, City of Newport News Department of Development.

Collaboration & Public-Private Partnership – Experts answered questions from a moderator and the audience on collaboration and public-private partnership. Panelists: Dr. John C. Morris, Professor of Urban Studies and Public Administration at Old Dominion University; Retired Rear Admiral Bill McCarthy, Adjunct Professor of Public Administration at Old Dominion University. Moderator: Tonya Neaves, Adjunct Prof., George Mason University.

Lucnheon Speaker – Christine Morris, Chief Resilience Officer, City of Norfolk