On Feb. 8, Nova Southeastern University will host the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) South Florida 13th Annual Best Practices Conference in the Carl DeSantis building from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The event is open to the public and encourages NSU students to learn from and network with professionals in the fields of public affairs and administration.
According to Agatha Caraballo, the co-director of the conference and past president of the South Florida ASPA chapter, “The ASPA is the oldest and most recognized professional association for public affairs and administration. The South Florida Chapter, with over 300 members, is one of the largest chapters in the nation and is comprised of public administrators, university educators and aspiring students.”
It is also among the most active chapters in the nation with a mission to promote the arts and sciences of public administration.
The theme of this year’s conference is advocating for renewed passion and commitment to public service. Various sessions will encompass a wide range of topics, to best suit attendees interests. Some of the panels include a session on strategic procurement, the benefits of public employment, social media, managing your brand, public relations, work and life balance and climate change resilience. There will also be a student panel, a non profit panel and a law enforcement panel.
“There aren’t too many opportunities where you get this many high level department directors, city managers, etc. together. It creates an intimate environment where we encourage the professionals to network with the students and share advice with them. We [also] have a student panel that focuses specifically on making the transition from being a student to a public servant. So with the learning and networking opportunities, it is really a unique opportunity where students can interact with professionals,” said Caraballo.
Students interested in attending the conference can register online at http://aspasouthfl.org or on the event’s Eventbrite page. Registration costs $30 for students, $50 for ASPA members and $60 for Non-APSA members.
“On-site registration will also be provided, but we do encourage people to register ahead of time so we can plan ahead of time for catering,” said Caraballo.
For additional information students can visit the website listed above to find out more.
