Georgia Chapter - ASPA:  Notices and Minutes

AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
Georgia Chapter

Council Meeting of November 6, 2009

 
          The meeting was called to order by President William E. “Bill” Baker at 1:10 p.m.

          Secretary-Treasurer Barry D. Friedman reported that the chapter has a total of $7550.42 on deposit in a checking account, savings account, and certificate of deposit.

          The members of the council discussed the proposed design of a new chapter logo.  The council approved the logo.  The council also permitted an expenditure of up to $200 to acquire a banner for display at chapter events.

          The council agreed on these plans for the Georgia Public Administration Academic Conference (scheduled for Friday, March 26, at Kennesaw State University):
 

■ Select a speaker to deliver the keynote address during the luncheon.

■ Award to each person who presents a paper at the conference a T‑shirt (preferably made of organic material) bearing the chapter’s logo, if that person is present during the annual dinner meeting.  The council permitted an expenditure of up to $600 to purchase the T‑shirts.

          The president recommended to attendees that they consider nominating qualified candidates for the chapter’s “Public Administrator of the Year Award.”

          President Baker asked for volunteers to serve on the Award Committee and the Nominating Committee.  Dr. Friedman and Marlon Carpenter volunteered to serve on the Award Committee.  Dr. Saundra J. “Sandy” Reinke and Mr. Carpenter volunteered to serve on the Nominating Committee.

          The council discussed the possibility of providing support to the North Carolina Chapter for its role of hosting the Southeastern Conference on Public Administration in Wilmington, N. C., in October 2010.  President Baker will obtain more details about the obligations of the North Carolina Chapter.

          The meeting adjourned at 1:50 p.m.

                                                Respectfully submitted,

                                                Barry D. Friedman
                                                Secretary‑Treasurer

 
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AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
 Georgia Chapter

Council Meeting of July 17, 2009

 
             Dr. William E. Baker, president, called the meeting to order at 11:05 a.m.

             He reported that Dr. Martha A. Griffith has retired from the faculty of Kennesaw State University and resigned from the council.  The nominating committee nominated Dr. Saundra J. Reinke of Augusta State University to fill the vacancy.  Dr. Reinke was elected unanimously.

             Dr. Barry D. Friedman, secretary-treasurer, delivered the treasurer’s report (the same report that he distributed to all members by E‑mail on July 6).

             Dr. Baker asked the council members and other chapter members who were in attendance for input about the fall meeting.  The discussion widened to discuss the kinds of topics that our members might like to hear about at both the fall meeting and the Georgia Public Administration Academic Conference this March.  A consensus developed that these are two topics of intense contemporary interest that would enliven the meetings:  (1) the effort to provide universal health-care insurance coverage to Americans and (2) the struggling U. S. economy, including its effects on the availability of public employment, the job security of public employees, and/or the viability of public employees’ retirement/pension programs.  Dr. Charles E. Mitchell, vice president, will lead the search for a speaker for a chapter meeting in October, and Dr. Baker will lead the search for a speaker for the chapter’s annual meeting (i.e., the dinner meeting on the day of the spring conference).  The members agreed that money to pay honoraria and/or travel expenses to suitable speakers should be made available for either or both events, if appropriate.

             A discussion ensued about the location of the spring conference.  Dr. Baker stated a preference to hold the conference at Kennesaw State University.  Dr. Friedman observed that doing so would disrupt the “rotation” under which the conference has been sponsored by the participating universities in turn since the first one in 1999.  He said that the discontinuation of the use of the rotation, if we do that, should give rise to the creation of a new rule about the determination of where the conference will be held.  The members agreed that the next conference will be held at Kennesaw State.  Also, hereinafter, the incoming president and vice president will be responsible for reporting to the council, during the summer (ordinarily at the summer council meeting and otherwise by E‑mail), their recommendation about where the next conference will be held and then ensuring that plans to hold the conference there will be effectuated.

             Dr. Baker expressed concern about the fact that the chapter’s award program, which was revived and redesigned two years ago, be reconsidered, especially in so far as no nominations have been received since the redesign.  The members agreed that the three awards‑‑Policymaking Public Administrator of the Year Award (for an elected official or political appointee), Unsung Hero Award (for an employee who is neither an elected official or a political appointee), and Member of the Year Award‑‑be replaced by a single Public Administrator of the Year Award.  Annually, a committee will receive nominations for that award, with all public employees other than elected officials being eligible for selection through this process.  Anticipating the possibility that, on occasion, the efforts of an elected official will be deemed so dramatic as to warrant recognition, the council reserved the right to bestow, on its own initiative, another Public Administrator of the Year Award to such an individual.

             Dr. Baker stated that he has given extensive thought to a process of revitalizing the chapter’s membership by creating reasons for members to be enthusiastic about their affiliation with the Georgia Chapter and encouraging others, including M.P.A. students and practitioners, to want to become new members of ASPA and our chapter.  He suggested, for example, that the chapter make itself more visible and distribute, especially to students who present research papers at our spring conference, items carrying the ASPA logo.  The council members and other members in attendance had a spirited conversation, and developed these proposals:

● The council will cause a design for a chapter logo to be created.  The logo will include ASPA’s standard logo and, possibly, such elements as a map of Georgia, the state Capitol’s gold dome, and a state symbol such as a peach.

● Students who present papers at the spring conference will receive a certificate, on which the new chapter logo will appear.

● The council will cause shirts bearing the new chapter logo to be created.  Preferably, the shirts will be organic (made of recycled materials).  Each student who presents a paper at the spring conference will receive a T‑shirt.  Others will be able to purchase shirts.