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Our Goal, Vision & Commitment

Network, Learn, & Grow

Join ASPA Today!

The American Society for Public Administration was established in 1939 and is the largest and most prominent professional association in public administration. With a diverse membership of approximately 9,000 government and nonprofit administrators, scholars, educators, and students, ASPA advances the art, science, teaching, and practice of public and nonprofit administration.

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The Utah Chapter sponsors luncheon meetings and other events on topics of interest to local public and nonprofit administrators, educators, and students. As an ASPA - Utah Chapter Member, you have the opportunity to become involved in the local public administration community, enhance your professional development, and advance your career. 

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Mission
COUNCIL
Jedi Statement

Our Mission

The Utah Chapter of ASPA strives to bring public administrators together to discuss important issues. We have a diverse group of members from a wide range of public and nonprofit organizations working to achieve our mission.

 

ASPA is the leading interdisciplinary public service organization that:

 

  • Advances the art, science, teaching, and practice of public and non-profit administration.

  • Promotes the value of joining and elevating the public service profession.

  • Builds bridges among all who pursue public purposes at home and internationally.

  • Provides networking and professional development opportunities to those committed to public service values.

  • Achieves innovative solutions to the challenges of governance.

 

The American Society for Public Administration is the largest and most prominent professional association for public administration. It is dedicated to advancing the art, science, teaching and practice of public and non-profit administration. ASPA’s four core values are:

 

  • Accountability and Performance

  • Professionalism

  • Ethics and

  • Social Equity

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Utah ASPA Commitments to Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The Utah ASPA Chapter is committed to recognizing, prioritizing, and promoting the values of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) among our council and members, which are composed of public and nonprofit administrators. We have begun this change by providing education in our yearly programs and applying the values in board discussions and decisions. 

 

We are committed to expanding the diversity of our council membership and ensuring diverse council members' voices are heard and heeded. Our emphasis will be to advocate for the application of a lens of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) in public administration programs, policies, and practices throughout Utah organizations. 

 

JUSTICE:

 

  • It is our responsibility to educate those in our field, especially our members, on the historic race and gender based injustices that public administration has contributed to since its inception. Additionally, we must work to dismantle the current injustices that still exist in our systems by having continuous open dialogue and action.

 

EQUITY:

 

  • As a public administration focused association, equity is paramount to our field. Yet only in the last 25 years was equity added as the fourth pillar of public administration by the National Academy of Public Administration (Norman-Major, 2011). The Utah Chapter of ASPA recognizes, though equity is a widely taught pillar of public administration, there is room to improve on the amount of attention and intention that is invested across the sector, specifically in Utah.

 

DIVERSITY:

 

  • We recognize a lack of diversity and representativeness in the Utah ASPA council board. Diversity is crucial in all fields, but especially in public administration where sociodemographic differences catalyze policy change that is representative of traditionally marginalized groups. 

 

INCLUSION:

 

  • We have a responsibility to empower participation in our membership, resources, and events by creating a culture and environment of belonging, specifically for the traditionally marginalized. We understand that the perspectives of our members represent a greater diversity and proximity to JEDI issues than those of the council, and commit to putting those perspectives into practice.  This requires us to assess our current culture, make crucial changes, and keep a continuous critical eye on the environment for our members.

 

The Utah ASPA Chapter has identified and continues to develop actionable steps to put these principles into practice. To learn more about our current priorities, and to help us co-create strategies, please contact us at utah.aspa@gmail.com

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Our Commitment

Meet Our Utah ASPA Council

ASPA Spring Award Ceremony

Info coming soon

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Join Us

Calling all public & non-profit administrators!

Utah Public Service Awards 2021

AWARDS
Contact Us
We recognized four individuals/organizations in three categories in 2021:
Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Administration
Distinguished Service Award for an Appointed Official 
Distinguished Service Award for Excellence

The Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Contributions to Public Administration honors publicly-engaged individuals who have made significant contributions to the academic field or practice of public administration in Utah. This award is intended to recognize for, for example, K-12 and post-secondary educators, merit government employees, leaders in the nonprofit sector, and other often unnoticed individuals who have helped make Utah a better place to live and work

The Distinguished Service Award for an Appointed Official recognizes and honors appointed public officials who have played significant leadership roles in the implementation of government policies and programs. This award is intended for appointed officials at the national, tribal, state, and local level (including counties, cities, towns and service districts) who have demonstrated exceptional commitment and integrity in their service.

The Distinguished Service Award for Excellence recognizes and honors organizations, boards, commissions, or other groups that have contributed to improving the lives of people in Utah with an emphasis of advancing the circumstances of underrepresented populations. Awardees advance the common good through inclusive leadership, public participation, and community engagement.

2021 Award Winners:

Dorothy Adams, Deputy Director

Salt Lake County Health Department

Dr. Angela Dunn, State Epidemiologist

Utah Department of Health

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Justin R. Lee, Director of Elections

Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office

Utah Multicultural Commission

Award accepted by Nubia Peña, Director for the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs

UTAH CHAPTER

Advancing Excellence in Public Service​

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