Leading by Example: Modeling Global Public Service Excellence

Abstract

I am truly honored to assume the presidency of the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), and I thank you for entrusting me with this responsibility. Being selected by my peers for this position is incredibly humbling. The ranks of prior NASPAA presidents include so many individuals whom I hold in high regard, people who are true giants in terms of their scholarship and stature in the profession, and in terms of the contributions they made to shaping NASPAA over the years. I want to begin by thanking Fran Berry for her leadership as president during the past year, and Jeff Raffel for his role as immediate past president. Together these two individuals have set the bar high for the level of engagement and commitment as well as the work accomplished during their respective tenures. They have also been a delight to work with as part of the Executive Committee. I also want to extend my thanks to Rex Facer for agreeing to serve as chair of the Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA) in what will be the first year of full-scale implementation of the competency-based standards, and to Susan Gooden for her foresight in articulating the need for the Minority Serving Institutions (MSI) initiative and for developing a specific proposal for a NASPAA-led response. I also want to acknowledge and express appreciation to all of the NASPAA staff. I consider myself particularly fortunate to have had the opportunity to work closely with Laurel McFarland, Crystal Calarusse, and Stacy Drudy; I look forward to continuing working with them and also to working with the rest of the staff in the coming year. And, without mentioning names, I want to thank all those people who have—over the years—mentored me, provided me with opportunities, trusted in me, and worked alongside me in support of NASPAA's mission. NASPAA is an association dedicated to goals and values that are personally and professionally central to me, and I am excited to have this opportunity to lead the Association in the coming year as it continues to redefine how best to enhance the quality of public affairs education in a changing world. I would like