Delaware Association for Public Administration ASPA President Meredith Newman Speaks of ASPA’s Potential International Leadership Role
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On Thursday, April 29, DAPA, with support from the University of Delaware’s School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy, hosted a conversation with Meredith Newman, President of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Administration at Florida International University. The event was held in Newark at the Caffé Gelato.
Dr. Newman was joined by a panel of four Delaware administrators, who contributed to the evening’s discussion of advancing excellence in public administration.
Julia O’Hanlon, DAPA president, introduced and welcomed Dr. Newman and provided the opening remarks.
Dr. Newman opened the discussion with her vision for and role in ASPA for the coming year. Dr. Newman strives to advance ASPA’s professional role and retain a positive outlook for the association and the field of public administration. Previously, public service has been bashed and has carried a negative connotation; Dr. Newman hopes to play a role in changing that perception.
Dr. Newman insisted, “ASPA is on the move!” ASPA is strong despite the economy, and it is critical to retain a positive outlook; there were over 1,000 participants at the ASPA conference held in San José, Calif., in April. Dr. Newman believes that ASPA has a role in informing the policy debate in Washington, D.C., and she plans to extend Paul Posner’s achievements in the national and international spheres.
Dr. Newman believes we all have a role in advancing excellence in public administration. “Each ASPA member is one of 8,000 ambassadors for ASPA,” Newman said. Dr. Newman asked the audience to join her in creating an “ASPA without borders,” which is the theme for the 2011 annual conference in Baltimore, Md. Planning and development of this conference will be led by UD’s Dr.Maria Aristigueta.
Following her remarks, Dr. Newman was joined by four guest panelists representing various sectors within the field of public administration here in Delaware—Captain Robert Becker, Special Operations, New Castle County Police Department; Meaghan Brennan, Deputy Director of Budget Development, Delaware Office of Management and Budget; Kim Kostes, Community Relations Officer, Food Bank of Delaware; and Kyle Sonnenberg, City Manager, City of Newark.
O’Hanlon asked the panelists to address today’s realities in public administration, and each one responded to one of two questions—“How do you foster a positive work environment?” and “How has the economy impacted your organization?”
The take-away message from the panelists’ responses was that it is critical to treat people respectfully and as individuals and celebrate their successes, in whatever way you can.
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