Investing in the Future of Public Service: The Alabama Chapter Model

The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ASPA as an organization.

By Christopher Tyler Burks
June 3, 2024

The Alabama Student Consortium for Public Administration brought students, professors and professionals of public service together from across the state on February 15, 2024. The consortium was hosted by the Alabama Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Forty people attended the event to learn from guest speaker ASPA Executive Director Bill Shields about how they can get the most out of ASPA membership. Then attendees enjoyed lunch, speed mentoring and professional networking.

Alabama Chapter President Christopher Tyler Burks opened the event. He introduced the Chapter’s work to advance public service in the state and made three major announcements in line with the consortium’s theme of investing in the future of public service:

All Alabama students are invited to become members of the American Society for Public Administration and the Alabama Chapter.
A $650 student scholarship to attend the ASPA 2024 conference in Minneapolis on April 13-16 was awarded to Auburn University’s doctoral student Steven McKnight.
The Alabama Chapter revised its bylaws to include a student representative on its governing council.

Standing with ASPA Alabama Chapter President Christopher Tyler Burks (left) and ASPA Executive Director Bill Shields (right), Auburn University Doctoral Student Steven McKnight receives the Alabama Chapter’s $650 Scholarship to attend ASPA 2024 Conference.

To further invest in the future of public service, ASPA Alabama Chapter Vice President Kadijah Benson organized a speed mentoring program. Mentors from various professional backgrounds sat at separate tables throughout the ballroom as students shuffled between them in ten-minute increments. Speed mentoring is designed to expand the student’s network while giving them diverse perspectives on how to take the next steps in their career.

The ASPA Alabama Chapter is committed to supporting our public servants. That begins with our students—the next generation of public leaders. We are investing in our future, and we’re just getting started. Join us!

Follow news from the ASPA Alabama Chapter at our website and on X and LinkedIn.

Students and mentors gather for a group photo at the conclusion of the Alabama Student Consortium for Public Administration.

The ASPA Alabama Chapter Council took Bill Shields out to dinner at Helen, an award-winning restaurant in Birmingham. From left to right: President Christopher Tyler Burks, Executive Director Bill Shields, At-Large Council Member Akhlaque Haque, Communications Committee Chair Brett Johnson, At-Large Council Member Melinda James Lopez, Vice President Kadijah Benson, and Treasurer Peter Jones.