Submitted by NCAC President, Dale Jones

ASPA’s 2025 Annual Conference will take place in person in Washington, DC, at The Mayflower Hotel during March 28 to April 1. The conference is the premier professional development event for those who practice, teach, or study public administration. The conference features 150 panels across six tracks examining this year’s theme: “Not Robots Yet: Keeping Public Servants in Public Service.”

For more information and to register to attend for in-depth conversations, research presentations, workshops, networking and so much more, please click here: https://aspanet.org/Conference2025/Conference2025/Home.aspx

Our National Capital Area Chapter is sponsoring two events at this year’s conference.

Reception & Relationships: First-Timers and Others!
Friday, March 28 | 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. | Chinese Ballroom

Sponsored by the Iowa Chapter, the National Capital Area Chapter, Kitty Wooley (NCAC Board Member), and ASPA.

This session is dedicated to all who wish to jump-start their conference participation over light hors d’oeuvres and facilitated conversation. By the time you leave the room, you”ll have met colleagues whose experience of public service is like and unlike your own. That will expand your circle and increase the possibilities for good times over the next few days and lasting professional connections after everyone goes home. First-timers and old hands, academics and practitioners, introverts and extroverts, local
residents and far-flung members—you'll encounter them all. Please join us for a heartfelt welcome to ASPA 2025.

Trust in Government Presidential Panel
Sunday, March 30 | 3:45 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Room TBD

Sponsored by the National Capital Area Chapter.

Presenters:
Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene, Moderator and Presenter, Principal, Barrett and Greene, Inc.
Lura Forcum, President, Independent Center
Nick Mastronardi, Cofounder and CEO, Polco
Mark McDaniel, Deputy City Manager, Fort Worth Texas

If someone comes down with a bad case of the flu, they would be disinclined to tell friends that they were “healthy because they did not have pneumonia.” That is exactly how the critical issue of trust in state and local government is couched when compared to the situation in the federal government. Data demonstrates that though states and localities are more trusted than the federal government, levels of faith in these institutions have been on the wane in recent years. This session will dig deep into the best data available about this topic and explore the reasons why trust in government is such an important issue. It also will consider a variety of ways states and localities can bolster residents’ faith in government services, including heightened transparency; access to government officials and people who directly provide services; engendering citizen engagement; skillful use of social media; and more.

Volunteers for ASPA 2025 Annual Conference

Volunteers can receive a complimentary conference registration. To support the conference, ASPA would love it if some NCAC folks want to volunteer. This option is open to student and retiree ASPA members. If you would like to volunteer, please contact the ASPA conference staff at aspaconference@aspanet.org to receive more information. They would be happy to assist and would appreciate your support. Anyone who serves as a volunteer must work at least 16 hours of time in support of the conference to receive a free registration. Types of jobs needed include working at the registration desk, assisting with hallway monitoring and session set-up, providing general customer service, and helping with pre-conference set-up (bag stuffing, etc.).