Keystone State Chapter 10th Anniversary and Awards Ceremony

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

By Dave Margolis
October 7, 2022

The Keystone State Chapter held a 10^th Anniversary and Awards Ceremony on September 9, 2022. This in-person event celebrated the completion of 10 years of program and membership growth since its reactivation in 2011. The gathering in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania also honored recipients of 2022 chapter award recipients who were announced during Public Service Recognition Week in May. A highlight of the event was informal networking time before and after the formal ceremony.

The Keystone State Chapter serves all regions of Pennsylvania with a focus on professional development and networking opportunities. Membership has grown steadily over the past ten years and the roster now numbers about 140 members. In the past few years, the chapter conducted frequent virtual meetings to expand the number of program events and to keep members connected during the pandemic. A priority has been to support public administration students through our awards program and to provide them with opportunities to present their work. These student presentations help other members learn about current trends and research. The following university partners were recognized at the September 9 event for their collaboration with the chapter on programs and activities: Millersville University; Penn State University; University of Pittsburgh; and West Chester University.

Chapter President, Dr. Glenn McGuigan, served as master of ceremonies. Video greetings from ASPA President Allen Rosenbaum were followed by remarks from Penn State Harrisburg’s Dean Marvin Overby and University of Pittsburgh’s Dean Carissa Slotterback.

The ceremony concluded with a keynote address by Chapter Past President David Margolis who spoke on how humility, respect and trust are fundamental to the success of public servants. Mr. Margolis discussed not only the need for each quality but how these qualities, when working in tandem, can provide insights for developing innovative solutions to difficult problems.

Recipients of 2022 Keystone State Chapter awards were:

Chapter Leadership: Dr. Glenn S. McGuigan – Library Director and Head Librarian at Penn State Harrisburg
Scholar-Practitioner: Aravind Menon – Program Manager for Resource Optimization at Penn State University College of Medicine and Doctoral student at Penn State Harrisburg
Outstanding Student: Kristen Hoffa – Master of Public Administration student at West Chester University
Outstanding Student: Jessica Lord – Master of Public Administration student at Penn State University
Outstanding Student: Mingean Park – Doctoral student at Penn State Harrisburg
Student Paper: Aysha Muhammad, Therese Pitman, Georgia Verrastro, Aoxiang Wang and Haozhe Zhang – Graduate School of Public and International Affairs MPA Capstone Project at the University of Pittsburgh, “Digital Governance in Allegheny County”
Student Paper: Julie Brooks, William Cole, Michelle Curtis, Leah Mothersbaugh and Connor O’Leary – School of Public Affairs MPA Capstone Project at Penn State Harrisburg, “Measuring the Effect of Pay Transparency Laws on the Gender Pay Gap”
Student Paper: Richard Oliver – Master of Public Administration student at West Chester University, “Diversity and Inclusion in the Workforce”
Student Paper: Mingean Park – Doctoral student at Penn State Harrisburg, “Does Public Service Motivation Affect Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment?”