ASPA Elections – View the Candidates’ Profiles

VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATES

Maria Aristigueta

University of Delaware School of Public Policy & Administration

Newark, DE 

These are critical times for our field of public administration and, as Vice President of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) I will lead in advocating for a stronger, more effective public sector. Public administration is called to address the most pressing societal problems requiring informed decisions from the public sector.  ASPA is a special place where research and practice can interface to address these challenges.  I look forward to serving as your Vice President and, if elected, I promise to work with you to:

• Advance a more visible and proactive advocacy role for ASPA, including exploring opportunities to partner with others involved in advocating for public service.

• Strengthen linkages between our practitioner and academic members ensuring greater support and outreach to our chapters, sections, student members, and potential new members.

• Further develop, enhance, and support relationships with international associations.

• Advance the initiatives, collaborative programs, and activities of ASPA’s working groups.

I have worked in the world of practice, first with the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) and then with local government prior to returning to school for a doctorate and entering the world of teaching, research, and service.  I believe the world of practice made me a better teacher and research has made me a better practitioner and ASPA provides a unique forum to broadly explore and enhance these linkages.

I have been involved with ASPA for over three decades. My involvement includes leadership positions in the Center for Accountability and Performance; serving as program co-chair for the ASPA 2011 conference in Baltimore, Maryland; serving on the organizing committee for ASPA’s 2010 and 2009 conferences; serving as Chair for the Section on Public Administration Research (SPAR) and serving on the Section on Public Performance and Management (SPPM). In addition, I presently serve on the PAR and PPMR editorial boards.

I am currently the Charles P. Messick Professor of Public Administration and the Director of the School of Public Policy and Administration at the University of Delaware. I consider it an honor to be nominated for the position of Vice President for ASPA. I offer my commitment, enthusiasm, knowledge, and experience to represent ASPA and advocate for its mission. I look forward to serving in this expanded capacity and thereby giving back to the organization that has been so instrumental in my career.

 

Ann Hess Braga, Esq. MPA

City of Boston & Northeastern University

Dorchester, MA 

MY EXPERIENCE

City of Boston: HR Compliance Office & City Council Staff Director

Northeastern University: Adjunct Faculty in Urban Policy, Budget & Finance

ASPA … VALUE ADDED 

ASPA’s success is tied to making its benefits a “value added,” beyond paying annual membership dues.  ASPA is VALUE ADDED

• To our members, with opportunities at the chapter, section and national levels for discussions, professional development, and networking.
• To our members, with stronger connections to other organizations sharing our mission.
• To our members and others, with “good news stories”, and recognition throughout a career.
• To the public, as the voice of professional practitioners, academics, students through cutting edge interdisciplinary research and best practices.

Why ASPA VP? 

I am a life member and a 20+ year member.  While I have served ASPA in Massachusetts and nationally, I also have a lifelong public service commitment with experience at the local and state levels, non-profit, and as adjunct faculty.  ASPA leadership experience includes MA Chapter President, National Council, SPALR Chair, Finance, Governance, Conference, and SIG chair.

What do I have to add to ASPA leadership? 

ASPA benefits from member diversity even as it has challenges managing it.  My locally focused practitioner career and teaching experience provides a different voice.  I am a mid-career professional with a family and ASPA has been working to retain people like me.

I look forward to working to make these goals happen and I ask for your vote!

Contact me at (617) 828-3170 or [email protected]

 

 

DISTRICT I REPRESENTATIVES

William Ciaccio

MTA New York City Transit Authority

New York, NY 

I am completing my second term on ASPA’s National Council and have been extremely active on the council serving as Vice Chair of the Governance Committee, member of SIG 5, and member of the Board of Financial Sustainability.  In these capacities, I have been involved in both assuring the financial stability of ASPA and assisting in many of the behind the scenes efforts of ASPA that the Governance Committee manages.  In my role as chapter liaison on the council I am involved in the New York, New Jersey and Connecticut Chapters and have provided support to both my chapters and region.  I am proud to have been the President of the NY Metropolitan Chapter from 2001-7 (which is now the largest chapter in the country) and was personally responsible for building up the financial reserves of the chapter due to my fundraising. I am also involved in ASPA’s Section on Transportation Policy and Administration, serving as Treasurer of the section. In addition, in 2011 I was elected Chair of NECOPA (North East Conference on Public Administration) which runs conferences in this region.  NECOPA has run successful conferences at Rutgers and John Jay and we are having a conference at UMASS Boston on November 2-3, 2012.  In 2013 we are having our conference at the University of Delaware.  As chair I have been involved in setting up the financial and organizational structure of NECOPA and am involved in planning our conferences.

Professionally, I hold the title of Senior Director, Capital Program Management, MTA/NYC Transit, in which capacity I am involved in managing a $3 Billion Infrastructure Capital Program for MTA/NYC Transit.

If reelected to the council, I will use my experience and knowledge to continue to improve ASPA for all our members, concentrating on increasing membership and maintaining the financial stability of our organization.

 

DISTRICT II REPRESENTATIVES

Michael Brintnall

American Political Science Association

Washington, DC 

I have been engaged in the practice of public administration, and in the cultivation of the field, from many perspectives. As a former federal employee at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) in Washington, as a research scholar and professor, as the executive director of NASPAA working to frame standards for PA education and to assure quality in PA programs for the public and NGO sectors, as an active participant in international networks in public administration and PA education, as a NAPA fellow, and as executive director of the American Political Science Association supporting cross disciplinary research, teaching and public engagement.  I value, and work toward, the interconnection among all these roles – practice, scholarship, teaching, ethics and standards, training, and management – and would hope to advance all through service on the ASPA National Council.

With this breadth of perspective in mind, a prominent commitment I offer as a National Council member is to help make ASPA itself strong as a professional society for the public administration community and to advance the recognition of the role of professional societies broadly as an element of a strong public sector and civil society.  Simply put, professional associations in public administration provide a valuable, and unique, asset to the society.   They are an independent, open, and transparent environment in which leaders can interact with peers to share information, identify and test ideas, gather knowledge, provide accountability, and when appropriate, to stand together. These assets are often under recognized, and the development, cultivation, and support of professional associations are not often included in agendas for public sector reform.  ASPA has a powerful role to play in these arenas that I would work to enhance.

Chad Rogers

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

Lansing, MI

Thank you to the members of the Michigan Capital Area Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration who nominated me to stand for election as a District II Representative on the National Council.  It is an honor to serve you in my current position as Vice President for Membership and to be considered for this national position.

For people who don’t know me; my name is Chad Rogers and I have been an ASPA member since 2008.  After I earned my MPA from Western Michigan University in 2009 I joined the Board of Directors of the Michigan Capital Area Chapter of ASPA and accepted the responsibility of publishing the newsletter, creating our promotional materials and re-engineering our web presence.  Since then, I have also taken on the responsibility of Vice President for Membership which includes developing and welcoming new members and maintaining existing members.

In my professional life, I serve as a Pollution Prevention Coordinator with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality where I work to further the mission of the MDEQ which is to be leaders in environmental stewardship, full partners in economic development and to provide excellent customer service.  In this role I act as a liaison between MDEQ and state, local and federal agencies, businesses, and various non-governmental organizations.  By working with this diverse set of organizations I have learned how to create a shared vision, build partnerships and accomplish common goals.
Public service is very important to me and it would be an honor if you elected me as District 2 representative.  As our chapter president has stated I am a, “solution-oriented person who is adept at developing new and innovative approaches to any project” and I would like to use my skills to represent you.  Please vote for Chad Rogers for District II Representative.

James Savage

University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA  

Much of the life of APSA takes place within its sections, but since 1998 section membership has fallen by 42 percent, far more than the overall 16 percent drop in ASPA membership.  Nine of the 25 sections have experienced a loss of over half their members.  APSA’s drop in total membership can be ascribed, for example, to changes in the attractiveness of pursuing a career in public administration given fiscal constraints and politically inspired attacks on civil servants, and to trends in the national economy.  A good deal of the decline in section membership is due to the lack of attention shown to section activities and the benefits of section membership.   As the current Association for Budgeting & Financial Management section chair, ASPA’s largest section, I have encouraged ASPA leadership to promote the visibility of all the sections, to help build their memberships, and assist the sections retain their tax-exempt status.  As a member of the National Council, I would continue my efforts to energize the sections, encourage ASPA members’ appreciation of section membership, and strengthen relations among sections, and section relations with the National Council and ASPA’s leadership.

 

 

DISTRICT III REPRESENTATIVES

Ines Beecher

City of Hialeh

Cooper City, FL  

Have you ever been asked “Why should I join ASPA?”  I get this question frequently and I explain it in the following manner:

• You can develop a network of colleagues across the nation to discuss issues affecting the public sector
• You can attend chapter events, section conferences, and the national conference to expand your professional development
• You can volunteer in your chapter’s activities to feel involved and gain wonderful friends

ASPA has been all of the above for me and so much more.  I have been an ASPA and South Florida Chapter member for over 30 years, joining as a graduate student. I’ve served on the Chapter Board, been Chapter President four times, completed a third term on the SECoPA Board, and last year, was the National Finance Committee Chairperson. I currently serve as Secretary of the Gold Coast Chapter of ASPA (in the midst of assisting its revival), am on the National Finance Committee as Past-Chair, the Boards of the LGBT and CPM Sections, and a member of the ABFM Section.  Yes, I am an involved member and hope you will give me an opportunity to serve you on National Council with all my experience.

My plan is to focus on two issues:

• Be your strong voice on National Council and represent the interests of the unique Southeast region
• Strengthen chapters by opening dialogs with District III members to exchange ideas and listen to your concerns to solicit resolutions

I work for the City of Hialeah, Florida, Public Works Department as Assistant Director for Administration, hold a Master’s Degree in Public Administration, and a post-graduate certificate in Budget and Financial Management from Florida International University.

I would greatly appreciate your vote and thank you for this opportunity.

 

Jeremy Hall

Rutgers University

Newark, NJ 

My connections to District III are strong. I am a life-long Kentucky resident and a member of the Kentucky chapter. I am an Associate Professor of Public Affairs at Rutgers—Newark, but live in Kentucky to be near my farm and family. I joined ASPA in 2001 as a Ph.D. student at the University of Kentucky Martin School. As a Ph.D. student I received the Collins Award for Best Doctoral Manuscript at SECoPA in 2003.

As a new faculty member, I became more integrally involved with ASPA and affiliated organizations. I was an officer in the Greater Birmingham chapter at a time of rebuilding. I served on the SECoPA board from 2007 through 2010, and continue to be active in committee service.

I am now serving my second term on the Center for Accountability and Performance board, including a rotation as CAP chair from 2010-2011. I was elected as a member of the board for the Section on Public Performance Management in 2012. I have organized program tracks for both SECoPA and ASPA Annual Conferences. I am proud to serve as a member of the editorial boards for both Public Administration Review and Public Performance and Management Review.

My goals for ASPA are as follows:

• Invigorate chapters
• Ensure solvency and sustainability
• Membership growth and retention
• Enhance value for members
• Maintain quality journals, publications, and resources

I have a passion for excellence in public administration scholarship and practice. My vision is a sustainable and solvent ASPA that will be a valued resource to students, practitioners, and faculty alike, long after my term of service ends. ASPA’s strength is in the people who comprise its chapters and sections, and it would be my honor to represent District III as your National Council Representative.

 

 

DISTRICT IV REPRESENTATIVES

J Paul Blake

City of Seattle

Seattle, WA  

My ASPA membership and the friendships developed through ASPA activities are, without a doubt, the highlight of my public service career. It’s been an honor to serve as District V Representative these past two years.  I look forward to serving another term as ASPA looks toward celebrating its 75th anniversary.

I’ve had the opportunity to support ASPA including serving as Master of Ceremonies for the Annual Conference in Las Vegas.  I’ve represented ASPA at international programs in Japan and Korea and I’ve presented at several ASPA Annual Conferences.

I am a member of COMPA and SWAPA and I’m serving as a member of the Ethics Working Group and the National Conference Site Selection Committee.   I’ve had a number of articles published in PA Times, the most recent concerning the “Public Service Recognition Event at Safeco Field” which I created.

My interest in encouraging capable young people to become public servants, led me to develop the Career Program for three ASPA Annual Conferences.  The programs were an outgrowth of two very successful “Public Service Career Fairs” sponsored by the Evergreen Chapter.  Those programs, along with a series of professional development programs for our members, earned the Chapter two Presidential Citations and the Hobby Baker Culp Award for Chapter programming.

This is a critical time for ASPA as an organization, for public administration practitioners and member academics.  The organization’s financial viability, membership development and support for public servants, especially ASPA members, are just a few of the issues ASPA’s staff, volunteer leadership and members must address to maintain ASPA’s role as the most prominent organization for public administrators and academics.  I will use another term on the National Council to enhance ASPA’s position as the premiere organization for public administration practitioners and academics.

 

Sharon Mastracci

University of Illinois – Chicago

Chicago, IL  

Serving as District IV representative would continue my involvement with ASPA, which began in 2004 when I was elected to the Executive Council of the Greater Chicago Chapter. I served one term as president and am currently chapter secretary. I am an associate professor in the Department of Public Administration at the University of Illinois at Chicago and director of graduate studies for our MPA program. Prior to joining the academy, I worked for the State of Ohio Legislative Budget Office and the government consulting practice of Coopers & Lybrand Consulting.

In my current role, I study public personnel policies, the changing labor force, policies affecting low-wage workers, and gender and diversity in the workplace. More recent research examines depictions of government in popular culture. My interest in serving as District IV representative stems from this interest in popular depictions of government. I support ASPA’s efforts to elevate the public service profession through such efforts as the Memos to National Leaders Project, which places practitioners and academics at the center of problem solving. This is a critical time, as public servants are cast as public enemies in state- and local-level budget battles where public pay and pensions are blamed for cuts in essential services and tax hikes.

Anti-government sentiment pits neighbor against neighbor as economic problems are placed at the feet of firefighters, police officers, school teachers, and state employees demanding pay raises and cushy pensions on the backs of overburdened taxpayers. Arguably worse is the perception that public administrators play partisan politics, as suggested by those questioning whether recently-reported unemployment figures were manipulated to favor incumbent politicians.

This is a critical time for our profession, and as District IV representative, I would support ASPA leadership’s continued efforts to showcase exceptional public service. Thank you for your vote.

 

 

DISTRICT V REPRESENTATIVES

Paul Danczyk

University of Southern California

Sacramento, CA  

Through my current role as director of executive education at the University of Southern California’s State Capital Center, my outlook on the future of public administration is bright!  Working with professionals from varied parts of America and some in Mexico, including devoted experts from all levels of government and from business and non-profit sectors, in developing leadership and professional development programs, I am impressed by opportunities for responsible leadership.  Despite major challenges, including budgetary restrictions, workforce changes, and needs for vastly improved systems, many individuals, organizations, and institutions are forging ahead with successful accomplishments.  I am fortunate to be part of these developments.

I have been an ASPA member since 2001 when Chet Newland first encouraged me to join as a MPA student.  Since earning my doctoral degree at the University of Pittsburgh, I have remained active, including participation in ASPA’s Annual Conferences and service as the immediate past president of the active and diverse Sacramento Chapter.  I am also fortunate to participate in some Los Angeles Chapter meetings and to network and share experiences.  I am a member of ASPA’s Section on International and Comparative Administration, drawing on my Peace Corp experience in Namibia, program support in Mexico, and World Affairs Council interests.

Challengingly, ASPA’s District V encompasses eight states, ranging from Oklahoma and Texas through New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, and California and on to Hawaii. This District is blessed with rich diversity of people, organizations, and institutions.  Valued histories of ASPA leadership are present in all of these states.  As an ASPA National Council member, I shall be devoted to facilitation of successful Chapter and Section activities regionally and nationally, and sharing responsibilities to advance values of constitutional democracy via exemplary public administration.

 

 

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE

Melissa Emerson

Mississippi State University

Mississippi State, MS  

During my time as a doctoral student in the Department of Public Policy and Administration at Mississippi State University, I have been impressed with the effectiveness of ASPA in reaching out to students, practitioners and academics. Whereas these three groups have overlapping interests and needs in their focus on public administration, they are each unique enough in their own regard to present obstacles that a national unifying organization must surmount. ASPA’s ability to include and represent all of its members sets an exciting foundation for the future of public administration which, to be effective, requires a nexus between these groups. If chosen as ASPA’s National Student Representative, I hope to continue to maintain and foster this commitment to all segments of ASPA’s membership, while ensuring advancement and improvement of the student cohort of membership. For example, I hope to help ASPA find ways to increase student membership and participation by assisting with the development of a mentorship program. Mentorship programs have the potential to further strengthen the linkages between student members and practitioner/academic members. Also, I hope to find new and innovative communication techniques to get student members involved. Finally, I intend to highlight, strengthen, and improve the Founder’s Forum, as it is an outstanding benefit to student members. I cannot understate what an honor it is to have been selected as a candidate for the position of National Student Representative. It would be a privilege to serve in a leadership capacity in an organization that is composed of such an outstanding membership.

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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