Delaware Association for Public Administration DAPA Members Know The Way to San José!
—by Julia O’Hanlon | download PDF 
DAPA was well represented at the 2010 American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) Conference, which took place in San Jose, Calif., on April 9–13. Six DAPA members attended and participated in various sessions, programs, and events over the course of the four-day conference.
Vice-President Jonathan Justice, Maria Aristigueta, and James Flynn were conference session presenters and panelists. President Julia O’Hanlon presented a poster titled “Sustaining Commitment to and Excellence in Public Service Through Generational Changes,” which described the impact of civics education on the nation’s youth and the role of ASPA chapters in promoting local public-service education projects. Highlighted on the poster was the “Earth’s Best Jobs” booklet authored by first-graders at John R. Downes Elementary School in Newark and sponsored by DAPA as part of a 2009 Public Service Recognition Week project.
Through a nationally competitive program for students of public administration and related fields, student members Graceanna Enzinger and Theodore Patterson had been named ASPA Founders Forum Fellows and attended the conference in that capacity. Enzinger and Patterson had been nominated for the fellowship by DAPA based on their demonstrated personal commitment to public service through community service and school/college/center-related involvement. As part of the Fellows award, Enzinger and Patterson received complimentary registration for the 2010 ASPA Annual Conference, a one-year ASPA student membership, and the opportunity to attend a number of special conference sessions and events while networking with other public administration students, faculty, and new professionals.
Also attending the ASPA Conference as Founders Forum Fellows were University of Delaware MPA students Devon Degyansky and Margaret Norris. MPA student Lawrence Mainja co-presented with James Flynn on a session related to succession planning.
Enzinger describes her Founders Forum Fellowship as, “…a wonderful opportunity to learn from the experts about a wide variety of issues we’re facing in the public and nonprofit sectors. I really appreciated having the opportunity to attend the ASPA conference.”
This year’s conference theme—“Invigorating Public Service for Change”—reflected not only a trend in public administration but the movement of the nation with respect to short- and long-term challenges related to economic growth, retiring baby boomers, healthcare costs, global warming, and infrastructure improvements.
Highlights included the Opening Plenary Session with John Berry, Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and the Elliot Richardson Lecture featuring Paul Volcker, Chairman of the U.S. Economic Recovery Advisory Board and former Chairman of the Federal Reserve. Former Secretary of Transportation Norman Mineta also led a session on state and local transportation issues. Dr. Meredith Newman, Professor and Chair of the Department of Public Administration at Florida International University, was affirmed ASPA President.
Several DAPA members have already been asked to assist in planning next year’s ASPA Conference, which will be held in Baltimore, Md. Volunteers for the event are welcome and appreciated!