CONFERENCE PROGRAM

1730 Rhode Island Ave., NW, Suite 500 • Washington, DC 20036
Telephone: 202-393-7878 • Fax: 202-638-4952 • www.aspanet.org
Dear Colleagues:
We extend to you a warm welcome to Atlanta, site of our 78th Annual Conference and a city that in so many ways exemplifies ASPA’s
mission of advancing excellence in public service. Home to thousands of dedicated federal, state and local public servants—plus
highly regarded academic institutions that are so well represented at this event—Georgia’s capital city provides a lively and thriving
setting for our time together. Thank you for investing your time in ASPA as we celebrate and make real this year’s conference theme,
Saluting the Public Service: A Bold and Noble Profession.
Public service is no easy task; it truly is a bold and noble profession. Our responsibilities are greater, our goals are grander and our
challenges are tougher. At its core, public administration at all levels of government—both domestically and internationally—is
focused on building a more effective, equitable and just society. Through our plenary and panel sessions, presidential panels and
special symposia, we will devote collective intellectual capital to addressing contemporary challenges while honoring public servants’
dedication and commitment here and around the world.
In keeping with our theme, we will salute individuals who embody the ideals of those for whom our lectures our named, including
Nesta M. Gallas, Elliot Richardson and Donald Stone. We will celebrate a core ASPA value—social equity—through the Gloria Hobson
Nordin Social Equity Award and recognize career-long public service excellence through the National Public Service Awards. And, of
course, we will honor the 2017 class of Founders’ Fellows, the next generation of those serving the public good. We are grateful to the
individuals and organizations that have generously supported our conference through their sponsorships, contributions and other
financial gifts. We appreciate their valuable support and encourage attendees to recognize those listed on our plenary screens and in
this program.
Of special note, this year’s conference also shares a conference venue and connection with the Conference of Minority Public
Administrators (COMPA). Earlier this week, COMPA joined with ASPA for a public “Salute to the Public Service.” Held at the Georgia
State Capitol, this salute recognized the dedication of public servants and the vital importance of their work.
Our Welcome Reception will take place in a special location: The Carter Presidential Center Library. We hope you join us for this
momentous event. University and group receptions will take place Sunday and Monday evenings, offering the opportunity for
you to network with your peers and honor individuals for their accomplishments throughout the past year and their entire career.
Please make the most of these networking opportunities. We thank the organizations that have sponsored receptions at this year’s
conference. Their support is significant to our attendees’ experience.
We are delighted to recognize and thank Honorary Co-Chairs Gail Christopher and Charles Goodsell for their many contributions to
public administration and building a stronger community. We also recognize the leadership and guidance of the 2017 Conference
Program Committee, led by Conference Co-Chairs RaJade Berry-James, Lindsey Evans and Dan Lasseter. We owe them our deep
appreciation for developing a content rich program that brings together practitioner and scholarly perspectives in our 170-plus
concurrent sessions, presidential panels and networking opportunities. We thank J. Paul Blake for again serving as our master of
ceremonies during the plenary sessions. We are grateful to the Georgia Chapter for its support of the conference here in its home town.
We extend a warm greeting to those who have made attending the ASPA Annual Conference an annual tradition. For those joining us
for the first time, we know you will find this conference to be a welcoming place to forge new professional and personal relationships;
we hope this is the first of many you will attend.
Thank you for attending the 2017 Annual Conference and, even more important, for actively and meaningfully engaging in the work
of our Society. We salute each of you.
Susan T. Gooden
Bill Shields
2016-2017 ASPA President Executive Director
2 ASPA 2017 Annual Conference • Atlanta • #ASPA2017
Saluting the Public Service: A BOLD & Noble Profession