South Florida Administrator WINTER 2015
Newsletter of the South Florida Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration "Truth never damages a cause that is just." --Mahatma Gandhi
Editor’s Corner CONTENTS
By Keven Mayo
President’s Message. ................................ Upcoming Events ................................ Local Events ................................................................ Past Events ................................................................ Local Events ................................................................ Regional/National Events ................................ Dear Members, Get in Touch ................................................................ Our winter events came off smoothly with a Miami Job Listings, Internships & Dolphins game fundraiser and a holiday party at a beautiful Scholarships ................................................................ Member Benefits ................................ Coral Gables waterfront home. The Board was busy behind the scenes getting prepared for the Best Practices New Members ................................................................ Conference and lining up events for the remainder of the Board of Directors 2012-2013 ................................ year; you can read about what is upcoming in this New Ideas ................................................................ newsletter and put the dates on your calendar. An overhaul How to Join ................................................................ of the website is underway thanks to the effort of Roslyn Alic-Batson, and we now have a Student PA Chapter at FIU to assist with events that Dr. Agatha Caraballo has launched and hopes to expand. She is pushing for internships for the students so please contact her if you have any student internship positions available or if you are a student interested in joining the Student Chapter. A Florida Memorial University Student Chapter is in the works. Students: We have PA scholarships coming up to be awarded during Women’s History Month (late March) and the Annual Awards Ceremony in June. Please see our website aspaonline.org/southfla for details or contact Dr. Caraballo at acarabal@fiu.edu with any questions. Please check out the list of Committees at http://www.aspaonline.org/southfla/n_ASPA/committeesboards.html and sign up to help out with any that grab your interest by emailing aspasouthfla@yahoo.com. Your support through attending and volunteering to assist at our events is greatly appreciated. If you would like to submit an article for publication in our newsletter, it must be less than 1 page in length, and submitted to me at mayok@miamidade.gov .
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President’s Message by Glenn Joseph Fellow ASPA members, we have had a productive first half of the operational fiscal year of the South Florida Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration. This term we have held a series of events that have seen us turn the tide on both membership and participation in the activities of the chapter. Our luncheons have returned to the historical turnouts that we had become accustomed to, our membership has begun to increase again and our 9th Annual Best Practices Conference at Florida Memorial University had its highest level of attendance to date with attendees. It was a very successful conference in many ways; we had a very inspiring opening session, lively well attended breakout sessions, and an emotionally stirring luncheon in commemoration of Black History Month that featured the presentation of the Inaugural Vanguard Award to former Congresswoman Carrie Meek. Our Conference Luncheon panel moderated by Dr. Valerie Patterson presented a passionate narration of the history of Public Administration in South Florida. Legendary Activist Enid Pickney, Dewey Knight III, son of the legendary Black Public Administrator Dewey Knight Jr. and Lillie Q. Odom, City Councilwoman from the City of Miami Gardens presented moving personal experiences of participation in the development and activism of public administrators to date. In addition to the Vanguard Award we launched a new annual scholarship in the name of Dewey Knight Jr, which was awarded to two Florida Memorial University students. This scholarship and the Vanguard award will now become a permanent part of the Best Practices Conference which will be celebrating its 10th Anniversary in 2016. I believe that we have heeded my previous charge to recharge and engage with renewed energy, commitment and resolve. There are five months left in this term and we still have a lot to accomplish and with your help I am certain that we can continue our climb back to being the #1 Chapter in ASPA. This week we attend the National Conference and will be represented by a large contingent making our presence felt in Chicago. On March 26th we have our 12th Annual Women’s History Month Celebration and a number of student oriented events, along with at least two more Luncheons before the end of the year and our end of the year Awards Celebration. I thank you all for your support and I look forward to continued success over the remainder of this year. The creation of our first Student Group remains paramount among our objectives and we have begun this exercise at Florida Memorial University keeping focused on celebrating the importance of and commitment to diversity within our profession. Public Administration and Public Policy remains at the crossroads but is moving towards a path to restoration and expansion of our professional values and pursuit of the greater good. The road is long and the success in recovery of our profession from the clutches of those who impede our ability to have quality administration is within our grasp. As we continue to travel along this rocky road together, let us affirm our commitment to engage all of the members of the chapter in the activities that we conduct. We will continue to expand our membership to include students and young professionals who will be transitioned into the leadership of this organization. We must nurture those that we bring in and assist them in their development. Let us continue without fear the change that is needed and continue to be wise about what we change. Respectfully, Glenn Joseph, President
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Notes from Ines by Ines Beecher, ASPA District III National Council Representative National Council Update: The ASPA National Conference is this month, set in the “windy city” of Chicago! Check out the latest news on the ASPA Website www.aspaonline.org/events. I have been appointed as one of four Strategic Plan Chairs, specifically: Goal #1 Advocate strong, effective and ethical public governance • Objective #1-Engage ASPA members, government agencies at every level and private sector leaders on key issues of public administration and management, social equity, and ethics. Actively demonstrate our commitment to these ideals. • Objective #2-Adopt and promote ASPA positions on critical matters of governance, including those at the cross-section of public policy analysis and administration. Provide a flexible and nimble ASPA governance to do so. • Objective #3-Increase ASPA’s visibility as a go-to organization and advocate on public sector and public administration issues. I am looking forward to working with our goal members on this strategic goal and invite your input into this important item. Interesting Fact: If you search the Internet under the title “Big Seven” you will read the Wikipedia definition “a group of nonpartisan, non-profit organizations of state and local government officials.” The Big Seven are Council of State Governments, National Governors Association, National Conference of State Legislatures, National League of Cities, U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Association of Counties, and the International City/County Management Association.
Keep in touch, I am only an e-mail away at nesibeech@hotmail.com, and tell me your ideas, thoughts and comments. Until next time…
Upcoming Events Local Events Our events are open to everyone interested in public service, so please feel free to share the calendar of events with your colleagues, students, and professors. Visit our website: aspaonline.org/southfla for additional information.
ASPA Women’s History Month Reception Save the date! The Annual Women’s History Month Reception honoring important female figures in public life is scheduled on Thursday, March 26, 2015 at Jungle Island. Please plan to attend; details are forthcoming via email and you can always check our website aspaonline.org/southfla
April Luncheon Meeting Heads up! The Board is working to get a speaker for a luncheon meeting in April at City Hall Restaurant in Midtown Miami. The date will be either Wednesday, April 22 or 29 (depending on availability of the speaker).
Elections The ASPA South Florida Chapter elections will be held in May. If you are interested in running for an office on the Board, please contact Roslyn Alic-Batson for information.
Annual Awards Event Please Save the Date! The South Florida Chapter will hold its Annual Awards ceremony on Thursday, June 11, 2015. Place and time to be announced.
National/Regional Events 2015 National ASPA Conference The National Conference will be held in Chicago, March 6-10, 2015. The conference title is Building a Stronger and More Equitable Society. Make plans to attend at http://www.aspanet.org/public/ASPA/Events/Register_for_ASPA_Events/Core/Events/eventdetails .aspx?iKey=NC2015&TemplateType=A
Our ASPA Chapter member and SECoPA President Steve Bobes will receive the Donald C. Stone Service to ASPA Award at the Conference on March 9!
2015 SECoPA Keeping you posted! The Southeast Conference for Public Administration will be held in Charleston, SC in September, 2015. We will keep you informed as details become available.
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Past Events Local Events Best Practices Conference & Black History Month Celebration The 9th Annual ASPA Best Practices Conference celebrated Black History Month at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens on Friday, February 20, 2015. The Conference theme was Supporting and Advocating for the Public Sector. The morning panel topics included the following. Florida Employment Law Changes covered topics ranging from handling the use of prescribed medical marijuana by public employees if one of the new bills passes, to extending benefits to heterosexual and same sex partners now that same sex marriage is legal in Florida, to proving sexual harassment by a bisexual female (made-up situation), to “Ban the Box” which is the potential removal of the box job applicants may check for criminal arrest, to the need of public unions, some of which have been rescuing problematic employees. Another panel presented on Promoting Responsible and Sustainable Procurement. Procurement representatives from Miami-Dade County, the City of Miami, Broward County and Broward County Schools discussed the great need for transparency and related rules that bind the departments, the loss of staff due to retirement, how to retain staff when salaries are relatively low, and the importance of supporting local small businesses. Concurrent morning panel sessions to the two noted above (that the editor missed) were Arts & Culture as a Catalyst for Community Development, and Public Service and CrossSector Collaboration. In honor of Black History Month, the lunch panel topic was At the Vanguard: The History and Legacy of Black Public Service Leadership in Miami-Dade County and involved the Honorable Carrie Meek, Enid Pickney, Lillie Q. Odum (Mayor, City of Miami Gardens) and Dewey Knight III recollecting black life in segregated Miami (Mr. Knight’s recollection was from his father and grandfathers’ stories). The first ever South Florida Chapter Vanguard Award was presented to former Congresswoman Carrie Meek. In addition, the first Dewey Knight Scholarships of $500.00 each were awarded by ASPA to Alonna Williams, an undergraduate in Public Administration at FMU (in front in picture below), and Camille Branford, who is pursuing a BA in Sociology at FMU. President Glenn Joseph addressing the lunch crowd. (photo by Bill Solomon)
Dewey Knight Scholarship Award winner Alonna Williams (in front) with ASPA Board and student members. (photo by Bill Solomon)
Former Congresswoman Carrie Meek receives the Vanguard Award from Dr. Valerie Patterson and President Glenn Joseph. (photo by Bill Solomon)
The afternoon panel topics included Making Diversity and Inclusion an Organizational Priority and Preparing for a Public Service Career. Comments from the latter panel included that U.S. universities are training students from an American-Centric viewpoint and we need more of a foreign focus (since what happens abroad often affects the U.S.), tips on how to be good stewards of public funds, public employees must be professional (to keep unclassified positions during downturns) and open to change (officials are elected to limited terms), develop other people and give and embrace feedback, and to get jobs have a professional Linked-In profile, work as an intern if possible, and consider all of your educational, life and work experiences to determine what sets you apart from other job applicants. The Closing Plenary was titled Media as a Government Watchdog with panelists including local newspaper reporters and a publisher, plus Warren Master (Editor-in-Chief of ASPA Good Governance Worldwide and member of ASPA South Florida Chapter). Comments included that approximately 15% of the U.S. population are public servants, there is often no free-press in developing countries, the press is part of good government and publishes important stories that need to be written (muckrakers, Watergate and attempted cover-up, Vietnam war, and Cuban crime rings stealing from government programs and sending the money to Cuba), bad things can happen when the press is not around (Iraq War started over nuclear weapons that didn’t exist; economic meltdown occurred when no reporters wrote about the mortgages approved by financial institutions for people that could not come close to affording them). At one time there were 80 companies controlling the media and now there are six. Money greatly influences what the media puts out; advertisers sometimes try to control the media but journalists don’t necessarily go along.
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President Glenn Joseph moderates the Media panel including (l to r) Bobby Henry of Westside Gazette, Megan O’Matz of Sun Sentinel, Michael Sallah of Miami Herald, and Warren Master of Good Governance Worldwide. (photo by Bill Solomon)
The conference ended with a networking and career event with representatives from a variety of public programs and departments, a non-profit, as well as an MPA program.
ASPA South Florida Chapter Responds to Improper Punishment by Mayor When an advertising error for the 2015 County Budget was caught in November 2014, and required re-advertising to reapprove the budget and property tax rate, the Miami-Dade Mayor briefly suspended three high-level budget employees without pay, and required the director to additionally pay $12,000 out of pocket for the re-advertising. Chapter members were outraged by the punishments and voted to pass a resolution prepared by President-Elect Terry Murphy. “A human error was made, and the personnel involved have accepted responsibility,” Glenn Joseph, our Chapter President was quoted as saying in the Miami Herald. “To garnish the wages of an employee without due process or a court order, greatly exceeds the bounds of fairness and equity in the workplace. We are respectfully requesting Mayor of Miami-Dade County to rescind this unprecedented punitive action.” ASPA-SF approved a resolution and approached the Mayor to change his mind and the Board of County Commissioners (BCC) to “adopt legislation to protect” County employees from such actions in the future. The BCC sided with ASPA and Mayor Gimenez agreed to drop the suspensions and advertising fee. The same advertising error was made by some other Florida municipalities, including the City of Miami Beach.
2014 Holiday Party Our holiday party was held on December 19, 2014 at the home of National ASPA President Allan Rosenbaum and his wife Judy in Coral Gables. Many ASPA members and students were in attendance and enjoyed the ambiance of the beautiful home. One student wanted to move into the back yard where a former board member wanted to get married! A special ASPA member, Warren Master, drove from Martin County to attend the event. He is the Editor-in-Chief of The Public Manager, a journal focusing on federal government. Warren moved comfortably among the other ASPA members, conversing with many. All enjoyed the global souvenirs Dr and Mrs. Rosenbaum have collected in their travels. Our Chapter President, Glenn Joseph, spoke about the items he would like our Chapter to focus on this year, and introduced the other board members. Students enjoying the festivities at the holiday party
Chapter President Glenn Joseph addressing holiday party guests about his goals for ASPA in 2015. Board members (l to r) include Diane Benitez (Past President), Carolyn Francis-Royer (Corresponding Secretary), Glenn Joseph, and Dr. Allan Rosenbaum (National President and party host).
Toys were brought to the ASPA holiday party for children in need.
As has been ASPA’s practice in recent years, party goers brought toys to donate to children in need. This year the toys went to the Center for Family & Child Enrichment Inc. (CFCE) in north Miami-Dade.
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We received a beautiful thank you note from the CFCE:
The Center for Family and Child Enrichment, Inc. 1825 NW 167th Street, Suite 102 Miami Gardens, Florida 33056 305-624-7450 www.cfceinc.org
Thanks to ASPA South Florida Members for making my wishes come true.
The Center for Family and Child Enrichment Inc. (CFCE), a private 501 (c) (3) organization founded in 1977, has been enriching and enhancing the lives of the most vulnerable children and families in our community for more than 37 years. It is the Center for Family and Child Enrichment’s mission to help children and families help themselves live a better life and build stronger communities. The Center for Family and Child Enrichment, Inc. (CFCE) provides comprehensive case management, adoption services, road to independent living programs for children aging out of foster care, an array of behavioral health and prevention services including residential programs and a pediatric and family health and wellness center. Each year our services touch the lives of 5,000 individuals.
Your generous toy donations over the many years make it possible for us to put smiles on children faces during gift giving at Christmas. Thank You!!!
South Florida Chapter Dolphins Game and Tailgate Party Fundraiser By Bill Solomon, ASPA Historian & Board member Our Chapter purchased Miami Dolphin tickets at a reduced group rate to sell for fundraising.
On Sunday, December 21, 2014 members of the South Florida Chapter went to Sun Life Stadium to see the Miami Dolphins play against the Minnesota Vikings. Prior to the game, everyone met Roslyn Alic-Batson and Glenn Joseph for some tailgating fun. We enjoyed a wide variety of food including homemade corn on the cob, wings and snacks. Just prior to the start of the game we went into the stadium to find our seats. We were high enough in the stadium to see everything that happened on the field. The game turned out to be very exciting and both teams kept scoring when they had possession. With less than two minutes remaining, the score was tied at 35-35. It wasn’t until 1:30 left in the 4th quarter that we got to see an unusual play. The Vikings punted the ball and Miami Dolphins blocked the kick, resulting in a safety which won the game 37-35 for the Miami Dolphins. The crowd went wild! The Chapter plans on doing this again next season, so we will let you know when plans are finalized. We had a great time. I would definitely recommend everyone getting involved in next season’s game and tailgating event.
Get in Touch Do you have comments or questions for ASPA and the Board Members? Would you like to share your public administration experience? Please join us in the following sites:
https://twitter.com/ASPAmembership
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https://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Society-for-Public-Administration-South-FloridaChapter/380262092040295
http://www.linkedin.com/groups/ASPA-South-Florida-Chapter-2514976?trk=myg_ugrp_ovr
(must be a member to view page) http://www.govloop.com/profile/ASPASouthFloridaChapter
Job Listings, Internships & Scholarships ASPA's online career center at PublicServiceCareers.org aids members' career development at all levels and offers the most comprehensive and useful information about careers in the field. Another source of information for local jobs and possible internships is the chapter’s Facebook page. There are sometimes internship opportunities through Miami-Dade County and municipalities to get a first-hand look at operations in the public sector. They are directed to undergraduate or graduate college students. ASPA South Florida offers several scholarships for Public Administration students throughout the year. Please contact Dr. Agatha Caraballo at FIU for information.
Member Benefits 1. Networking - Interactions with professional public managers not only provide the basis for lasting friendships, but offers opportunities for informal consultation with skilled professionals on matters of public concern. 2. Professional Development - A series of luncheon speakers and professional development seminars on cutting edge topics enable you to develop critical technical, ethical and leadership competencies. 3. News and Views - ASPA membership is one way to keep your finger on the pulse of what is happening in your community. 4. Advancing Public Service - Learning about best practices provides the opportunity to better serve the citizenry of Miami-Dade County and other parts of South Florida 5. Conference Participation - Supplementing ASPA's national and state conferences on public administration is the inauguration of a South Florida conference with informative presentations from professional practitioners and academics. 6. Visibility Among Peers - ASPA's South Florida chapter rewards excellence in public service with annual awards, scholarships, internships and other forms of personal recognition for outstanding performance.
7. Community Service - Chapter efforts are designed to provide outreach and special assistance to needy segments of our community. 8. Liaison with Educational Efforts - The chapter has established linkages with higher educational institutions to encourage students to consider careers in public service. 9. Public-Private Partnerships - The ASPA chapter is cultivating close relationships with nonprofit and private sector service providers in recognition of the changing face of the public service profession.
Board of Directors 2014-2015 President: Glenn C. Joseph President-Elect: Terry Murphy Recording Secretary: Magaly Jeanty-Bashir Corresponding Secretary: Carolyn Francis-Royer Treasurer: Julie Ann Smith
Roslyn Alic-Batson Seraphin W. Bernard Agatha Caraballo Rina Gomez Keven Mayo Valerie Patterson William Solomon
Immediate-Past President: Diane Benitez Student Representative: Michele Tantardini
Southeast Conference President: Steven Bobes National Liaisons: Allan Rosenbaum, Ines Beecher, Terry Murphy
New Ideas As an organization that values interaction between academia and practitioners, ASPA South Florida Chapter would like to invite you to share your ideas to improve public administration either by email at aspasouthfla@yahoo.com or by attending one of our programs and talking to any of the board members.
How to Join 12
Future members can easily join by attending one of the many events planned and complete an application form onsite, or by filling out the online application posted at ASPA APPLICATION.