The 2016 Northeast Conference on Public Administration (NECoPA) will take place on November 11-13, 2016, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The theme for this year’s conference is “Public Administration in the Era of Collaboration.”

The 2016 NECoPA is hosted by the School of Public Affairs at Penn State Harrisburg and is a great opportunity for academics, practitioners, and students to gather and exchange their research and praxis regarding collaboration. Awards will be presented to the best academic paper, practitioner paper, and student paper. 

Visit the NECoPA website for more information.  

The DAPA Outstanding Student Public Service Award is presented each year to a graduate student who best exemplifies the caliber of achievement necessary for a successful public service career. The $500 award is presented at DAPA’s Awards Dinner Meeting, which will be held December 15, at Buena Vista Conference Center in New Castle, Del.

Applications are due October 12, 2016. Visit the Student Public Service Award page for more information.  

Mark your calendar to celebrate public service in Delaware at DAPA’s Annual Awards Dinner!

The dinner will take place on Thursday, December 15, 2016 at Buena Vista Conference Center in New Castle, Del.

To view photos from past annual dinners, visit DAPA's Flickr page.

This summer, DAPA hosted another round of successful Third Thursday networking events!

DAPA’s first Third Thursday event was held on Thursday, June 16, 2016. J. Michael Bowman, Associate Director for the University of Delaware’s Office of Economic Innovations & Partnerships and State Director for the Delaware Small Business Development Center presented Stimulating Invention, Enabling Innovation, Forging Partnerships, and Creating Jobs.

The second Third Thursday event was held on Thursday, July 21, 2016. Kimberly A. Reinagel-Nietubicz, Chief of Fiscal and Policy Analysis for the Office of the Controller General, discussed trends and issues related to the State's budgeting and financial processes.

The final Third Thursday event was held on Thursday, August 18, 2016. Linda Ratchford, President of the City of New Castle City Council, presented Progress and Politics in New Castle: A Council President's Perspective.

Kimberly A. Reinagel-Nietubicz discusses state budgeting issues at DAPA's July Third Thursday event.

Please join us July 21 for the next Third Thursday at UD.

Our featured speaker is Kimberly A. Reinagel-Nietubicz, Chief of Fiscal and Policy Analysis for the Office of the Controller General, State of Delaware.

Third Thursdays take place at the University of Delaware’s Speakeasy, 44 Kent Way, Newark, DE 19716, from 5-7 p.m.

Register for this event on DAPA's events page.

Lexi West has been selected as a 2017 Legislative Fellow through the state legislature's partnership with the University of Delaware's Institute for Public Administration. Through this program, Lexi will research policy, develop legislation, staff committee meetings, and provide general assistance to her assigned caucus. Her work will begin when the state legislature reconvenes in January 2017. 

Lexi is currently completing her Master of Public Administration degree during her fourth year at the University of Delaware, where she graduated in May 2016 with an Honors Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and Political Science. After completing her work as a Legislative Researcher with UD's Office of Government Relations in the coming weeks, Lexi will travel to New Hampshire to work for Governor Maggie Hassan's campaign for Senate. Her past experience includes serving as a legislative intern, research assistant, teaching assistant, and holding leadership positions on campus.  

As a Delaware native, Lexi has a strong passion for improving the lives of Delaware citizens and serving their interests through the crafting of meaningful and effective policy. 

DAPA would like to congratulate all of our members who just graduated! 

Congratulations to the Class of 2016. Kudos on a job well done!

The Honorable Leo E. Strine, Jr., Chief Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court, gave a lecture on his experiences and lessons learned throughout his career in public service at the University of Delaware’s Gore Hall on the evening of Tuesday, May 3. A reception was held at The Speakeasy following Chief Justice Strine’s lecture.

Chief Justice Strine graduated summa cum laude from the University of Delaware before graduating from University of Pennsylvania Law School. He has held long-standing positions at Harvard Law School and served as the Chancellor of the Court of Chancery, as well as the Vice Chancellor prior. He was sworn in as Chief Justice on February 28, 2014, and in December 2014, Chief Justice Strine launched the Access to Justice Commission. The Access to Justice Commission is a task force aimed at helping low-to-moderate income people obtain legal services for civil and criminal cases, as well as a committee that works to decrease racial disparities in the criminal justice system in Delaware.     

DAPA Council meeting minutes from April 27, 2016, are now available on the Documents page of our website, here.

With assistance from Past-President Jonathan Justice, the DAPA Council recently reviewed and finalized revisions to our chapter's constitution. After the changes are reviewed by ASPA, members will have the opportunity to vote on whether or not to accept the recommended revisions.

Expect more information about the voting process in the coming weeks.