New York Metropolitan Chapter ASPA NEWS

Upcoming Chapter Events

- Open Board Meeting of N.Y. Metro Chapter - Thursday, Sept. 24th, 6-8 pm, U.S. Court House, 500 Pearl Street, Room 801 , Office of the District Court Executive (Clifford Kirsch)

- Opening Social/Networking Reception, Thursday, October 1, 6-8 pm, City Hall Library (D.O.R.I.S.-New York City Department of Records), 31 Chambers Street, First Floor (opposite City Hall)

- Technology & Public Administration Workshop (Networking Software) - October 16 @ John Jay College, CUNY (Please see the article below entitled “Professional Development Initiative.”)

Chapter Elections

The Chapter Election Committee tallied the ballots for the NY Metropolitan Chapter ASPA Elections in July. Stephen Rolandi was re-elected as Chapter President. William A. Allen and Usha Narasimhan were elected as Chapter Vice-Presidents. Deborah Bula, Paul Gallo, and Lorraine Motola were re-elected to the Chapter Council. Maria J. D’Agostino was newly elected to the Chapter Council. Each Council Member was elected to a two-year term. They will be joining Patricia L. Caines, Emmanuella Mathurin, Steven Parker, and Pamela E. Ransom who are now in the second year of their two-year term from the 2008 Chapter Elections.

Mr. Rolandi has re-appointed Chris Meyer as Chapter Treasurer and Michael V. Jameson as the Chapter Newsletter Editor/Webmaster. He has appointed Clifford Kirsch as the Chair of the Constitution/By-Laws Committee. He also appointed Bill Ciaccio and Jeanne-Marie Col as co-chairs of the 2010-2011 Chapter Nominating Committee. An appointment to the position of Chapter Secretary/Communications Chair is pending at this time.

Bill Ciaccio will continue as the ASPA National Council liaison to the New York Metropolitan Chapter.

Mr. Rolandi also announced that he is reactivating the following Committees and is looking for volunteers: Program Committee, Membership Committee, 2010 Annual Meeting and Public Service Awards Committee, and Outreach/Advocacy Committee. If you are interested in volunteering to serve on one of these committees, please contact Mr. Rolandi at SRolandi@aspanet.org.

Chapter President’s Column

Dear Colleagues,

Hope you had a good summer, and welcome back to New York Metro-ASPA!

I want to thank those members who participated in the recent chapter election, and for electing me to a full, one-year term. My objectives for the coming year include:

- Sponsoring a varied program of events, lectures and professional workshops;

- Expanding membership communications and benefits;

- Helping to build the next generation of public service leadership in the greater New York Metropolitan area;

- Serving an advocate role for the public service.

The chapter board met late last spring to begin planning the 2009-2010 program year. Our first open board meeting will be on September 24th, followed by our first kick-off event -- a social/networking reception on October 1st. On October 16 at John Jay College, we will have the first of a two-part series of workshops on technology and public administration. And we have more to come!

Look for the chapter newsletter and web-site for the latest news and programming information. I hope to see you at as many chapter events as possible.

Regards,

Stephen R. Rolandi

President, New York Metropolitan Chapter

for 2009-2010

Interim President at Baruch College

Stan Altman was named as interim president of Baruch College after the resignation of Kathleen M. Waldron from that position. The selection was announced by Matthew Goldstein, the Chancellor of the City University of New York. Dr. Altman will serve in this position while a search committee seeks a permanent president.

Dr. Waldron had served as president of Baruch since 2004. Prior to that, she had been the dean of Long Island University’s School of Business, Public Administration and Information Sciences at the Brooklyn campus. Chancellor Goldstein announced that Dr. Waldron would become a University Professor at CUNY.

Dr. Altman received his undergraduate degree at City College, CUNY. He then earned a master’s degree at Purdue University and a doctorate at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. He was dean of Baruch’s School of Public Affairs from 1999 through 2005 and has remained at that school as a professor since then.

Professional Development Initiative

Project directors with contact information

Emmanuella Mathurin, MPA

imanimath@gmail.com or (917) 445-2119

Marian Bobian, MPA

marian_bobian@hotmail.com or (914) 497-4588

This project will be led by two John Jay College, City University of New York, Public Administration alumni, Emmanuella Mathurin and Marian Bobian. Emmanuella and Marian are two active members of the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA) and the Section on Women in Public Administration (SWPA), who will be entering the field of public service after graduation in May 2009. Pursuant to their desire to continue developing professionally and meeting others with an interest in public service, they are developing a workshop series in collaboration with SWPA and the New York Metropolitan chapter of ASPA.

Program Description

The New York Metropolitan chapter of ASPA is a professional organization, comprised of approximately 300 members and supporters, offering a number of opportunities for professional development in the field of public administration (http://mvjnymetroaspa.homestead.com/index.html). SWPA, one of the largest and most active sections of ASPA, is an organization, where women and men work together on projects and programs, which promote and recognize women at all levels and areas of the public sector (http://www.aspaonline.org/swpa/).

In keeping with the tradition of these organizations, the professional development workshops will focus on education, training and research for women and all public service professionals in the New York metropolitan area. The first Professional Development workshop, Networking Software, is scheduled to take place at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 899 Tenth Avenue, New York, NY 10019, in Room 630T on Friday, October 16, 2009 from 6:00-8:00 pm. This workshop will be divided into two one-hour segments. The first hour will be facilitated by Chandra Hanke, a John Jay graduate student and an emerging female leader in the field, and Adam Wandt, J.D., M.P.A., a John Jay College professor, specializing in technology and public administration. The second hour will be allocated for participants to network, connect and discuss issues relevant to their specific professions and interests.

Presently, social networking websites are “all the rave!” But have you ever wondered what social networking is really about? The purpose of this workshop is to inform and discuss the uses of social networking applications from a business and marketing approach. The workshop components will (1) introduce the history of social networking and advertising; (2) provide examples of the more widely used social networking applications, i.e. FaceBook, Twitter and LinkedIn; (3) discuss the advantages, disadvantages and differences between such applications; and (4) discuss proven techniques and strategies that can be utilized to market small to medium size businesses via social networking applications.

National ASPA Webinars

Three webinars will be held in 2009 and include the following topics: Human Resources (October 14^th); Performance Measurement and Accountability (November 17^th); and Public Budgeting and Financial Management (December 9^th). National ASPA realizes how important time management is in today’s workplace and offers this professional development format to help public administrators maximize their time. For additional information, please visit the National ASPA website at www.aspanet.org.

How to Write a Perfect Cover Letter

Your cover letter has only one job. It is meant to entice the reader to open and read your resume. Sounds simple, but job seekers often stress as much over their cover letter as they do the resume. If this sounds like you, relax, there is a simple approach to cover letters that will streamline your application process and give you confidence every time you send out your resume. Just keep these three cover letter tips in mind and you'll never stress over writing them again.

1. Keep it short.

More often than not you'll send your cover letter via email or some other electronic system. Your reader won't be looking at a piece of paper, but at their computer screen. Ever notice how short your reading attention span is when you're reading text on your computer? That's why online articles are typically shorter than print articles. The same holds true for email messages. If you've got 60 messages in your inbox you don't have the patience for lengthy text. Now imagine you're a recruiter or resume screener and you must get through a couple hundred resumes in a day. If you want your cover letter read keep it short, concise and to the point.

2. Focus on qualifications.

Most job seekers freeze up when writing cover letter because they don't know what information recruiters want to see. The first person in an organization to read your resume is a recruiter or HR professional who acts as a screener. They are interested only in identifying candidates who match their set of qualifications. The better the match the higher the interest. Don't worry about explaining why you are interested in the position, the screener probably doesn't care. He/she only want to know if you qualify as a viable candidate. Use the job posting as a guide to know exactly what qualifications to mention in your cover letter.

3. Don't try to get fancy.

Job seekers get frustrated writing cover letters because they try to make it into a creative writing exercise. That's not necessary. It's much more important that you keep your ideas clear and easily understood. When writing about your qualifications do use the same verbiage to describe your skills as the job posting. You'll make the resume screener's work much easier and they will recognize you as a perfect candidate match much quicker.

Using this simple approach will allow you to take a customized approach with each cover letter you send. Generic cover letters usually sound canned no matter how much time was spent writing them. Worse, a one-size-fits all cover letter looks like it was borrowed off the page of a sample cover letter book. Would you take the time to read a mass-produced letter?

I'm often asked if cover letters are still relevant in today's fast-paced job market. While the form has changed from paper to electronic they are still a vital part of your job-search marketing materials. Cover letters provide your first opportunity to make a good impression on your potential new employer. It pays to write them with clarity and simplicity.

Deborah Walker, CCMC is a career coach helping job seekers compete in the toughest job markets. Her clients gain top performing skills in resume writing, interview preparation and salary negotiation.

Read more career tips at:

http://www.AlphaAdvantage.com

Deborah Walker, Career Coach

Deb@AlphaAdvantage.com

888-828-0814

www.AlphaAdvantage.com

Big Apple to host 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service

(from empirestatenews.net)

Albany - Governor David Paterson announced that New York City has been selected to host the 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service. At the conference, scheduled for June 28-30, 2010, more than 6,000 leaders in volunteerism and community service will join Governor Paterson to work towards finding solutions to the nation’s most challenging problems through service. The announcement was made at the conclusion of the 2009 National Conference on Volunteering and Service, held June 22-24, 2009 in San Francisco, California.

“I could not be more honored to learn that the Corporation for National and Community Service and the Points of Lights Institute have selected New York to host the 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service. Community service is a part of our shared culture in New York; altogether, we volunteered over 397 million hours of community service last year. The selection committee could not have chosen a better location for the 2010 National Conference.”

“In designating New York City as the 2010 National Conference on Volunteering and Service host site, we have the opportunity to expand upon our State’s service network and to reinforce our commitment to community,” First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson said. “Volunteerism is a powerful tool that helps us meet real needs; for instance, assisting our neighbors or protecting our environment. I am confident that with the 2010 National Conference, we in New York will continue to make significant service achievements and learn from our fellow volunteers, both in the State and across the nation.”

Governor Paterson has made community service and volunteerism a priority in his administration. In September, the Governor elevated Susan Stern, Chair of the State Commission on National and Community Service, to his cabinet. New York is the second state to emphasize the importance of service and civic engagement with a cabinet-level position. In April, Governor Paterson encouraged governors across the nation to support the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act that was signed into legislation by President Obama on April 21, 2009.

In May, Governor Paterson and First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson launched the 2009 National AmeriCorps Week in New York City and announced the appointment of First Daughter Ashley Dennis to Chair of the State Youth Service Committee. She is tasked with engaging a younger generation of volunteers and public servants. On June 22, First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson helped kick-off the national United We Serve initiative for New York with a day of service activities at the Executive Mansion.

The Governor also announced the appointment of four new members to the New York Commission on National and Community Service, the body responsible for promoting and implementing volunteer and community service programs across the state.

ASPA's 2010 Award Nomination Period Opens

National ASPA's 2010 Awards nomination period is now open! Each year during the Annual Conference, ASPA presents awards to deserving individuals in over 25 categories. Awards are given to individuals who have made significant contributions to ASPA, to the profession of public administration, and to the world. Also, ASPA's chapters and sections are recognized for their outstanding service to our members through their newsletters and professional development programs. For additional information and guidelines, contact Patricia Yearwood at pyearwood@aspanet.org.

National ASPA Elections

National ASPA has announced the slate of candidates for 2010-2011.

The Candidates for Vice President are Abraham Benavides and Kuotsai “Tom” Liou.

The Candidates for National Council Representatives are:

DISTRICT I: William Ciaccio and Goktug Morcol

DISTRICT II: Cryshanna Jackson and Patricia Ann Cotten

DISTRICT III: Allan Rosenbaum and Phin Xaypangna

DISTRICT IV: John Bretting, Sherri Greenberg, and Bruce Rodman

DISTRICT V: J. Paul Blake

ASPA Member Request for Information

Hi everyone: I have been asked by my Assistant Director to request information from my ASPA contacts concerning successful business ideas and programs for Parks that have been implemented throughout the US. The Park & Recreation Department, where I have worked for the past 30 years, will be facing the toughest budget I have ever seen. We are looking at business plans which could assist us in increasing revenue, utilizing programs that are working in other locales. I would appreciate any and all ideas, contacts etc. that could assist me in this endeavor. This could be a great reason to become a member of ASPA’s network of colleagues. Thank you.

William E. Solomon, J.D.

Park & Recreation Resource Coordinator

Strategic Business Management Division

Miami-Dade Park & Recreation

Ph:305-755-7873/Fax:305-755-7890

pbs@miamidade.gov

New York City Solar Summit

The City University of New York (CUNY) convenes the New York City Solar Summit. New York City, a U.S. Department of Energy Solar America City, is aggressively pursuing a strategic plan coordinated by CUNY to accelerate New York City’s Solar Market.

Registration Open

September 25, 2009

New York Solar Summit 2009

@ John Jay College

899 10th Ave

New York, NY 10019

718-289-5334

For Conference Booth or additional registration information please email: Victor.rajcoomar@bcc.cuny.edu

Agenda

9:00 a.m.

Opening Remarks : Tria Case, University Director of Sustainability & Exec. Dir. CSE

Introduction: Ron Spalter, Deputy COO, City University of New York

Welcome: NYC MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG *

9:30 a.m.

Morning Keynote Speaker: Frank Murray, NYSERDA President & CEO

10:00 a.m.

Moving the Market: NYC Solar Today Solar Potential for Tomorrow - Moderator: Carol Murphy, Executive Director, Alliance for Clean Energy NY

Current NYC Policy and Incentives - James Gallagher, Senior Vice President for Energy & Telecommunications, NYC Economic Development Corp.

Solar Potential - Richard Perez, Senior Research Associate, ASRC, University at Albany

Policies at work around the world - Wilson Rickerson, Meister Consultants Group, Senior Vice President

11:00 a.m.

Coffee Break

11:30 a.m.

Smart Solar: Integrating Solar into the Grid - Moderator: Sheila Hayter, Senior Engineer, NYC Tiger Team Lead, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Solar Technology Today - Martha Symko-Davies, Ph.D, Senior PV Research Supervisor, National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Smart Solar on the NYC Grid - John Mucci, Vice President, Engineering and Planning, Con Edison

Enabling Technologies - Dr. Charles Korman, Chief Technologist for GE's Global Research Center

12:30 p.m.

Lunch

Keynote Introduction : New York City Council Member Daniel R. Garodnick

Keynote: Robert E. Curry, Jr., Commissioner, Public Service Commission of the State of New York

2:15 p.m.

Guest Speaker: The Future of Solar - JoAnn Milliken, Ph.D, Solar Program Manager, U.S. Department of Energy

2:40 p.m.

Remarks and Panel Introduction: Robert D. LiMandri, Commissioner, New York City Buildings Department

NYC Solar America City: Implementing Solar in NYC - Moderator: Melissa Wright, Special Projects & Energy, Office of the Mayor, NYC

Solar City Plan: The Next Phase - Alison Kling, Assistant Vice President, Energy, NYC Economic Development Corporation

Solar Thermal is Solar Too - Tate Rider, Senior Project Manager, Renewable Energy, NYC Economic Development Corporation

New Building Codes - Deborah F. Taylor, AIA, LEED AP, Chief Sustainability Officer, New York City Department of Buildings

Grid Interconnection - Margarett Jolly, DG Ombudsman, Con Edison

4:00 p.m.

Conference Adjourned

Viewing of Booths and Solar America City panel members available until 5:00

* = Invited

IPAC National New Professionals Conference

The 2009 IPAC National New Professionals Conference will take place October 26 to 28, 2009 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The conference theme is “Winds of Change: New Style and Energy Building on the Strengths of Today.”

The conference will be an opportunity for new professionals in your organization to learn from and make contacts with new and experience public sector professionals from across Canada. In a time when budgets are limited due to the current economic situation, you will want to get the most out of your learning budget. The 2009 IPAC National New Professionals Conference provides an excellent learning opportunity for new professionals in your department and a very effective use of your training dollars.

The conference will:

provide learning opportunities for those who are new to the public sector;

provide an opportunity to connect and strengthen networks with other new professionals across the country, forming bonds and relationships that could transfer knowledge and new ideas about public service management;

create opportunities for new professionals to develop as leaders by bringing back new ideas and concepts to their workplaces;

provide an opportunity for new professionals to learn about championing new ideas and change, how to increase citizen and community engagement in public sector initiatives, how technology can best be used and managed in work and life, and how environmental and sustainability concerns are changing public policy.

The conference will feature a pre-conference workshop on October 26th that will be an excellent leadership development opportunity for new professionals in your organization through the exploration of the policy and public administration challenges and opportunities facing Canada over the next decade.

To register and for full conference information, visit: http://www.ipac.ca/newprofessionalsconferencehalifax09/.

To join the conference Facebook group, visit: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=49616195045.

Follow the conference on Twitter at http://twitter.com/IPACHalifax2009.

Member News

Congratulations to Chapter Vice President William A. Allen who was elected as the Adjunct Representative to the Faculty Senate and College Council at John Jay College, City University of New York.

New Chapter Members

The Chapter welcomes our newest members: Olaolu Akande, Bright Akhere, Edward Anthony, Karen Barry, Gwendolyn Collins, Ingrid Criss, Elizabeth Entien, Patrick Fahey, Arlene Fairweather, Toni E. Gill, Lynne Harting, Boubacar Maiga, Josefina Martinez, Denise Roberts, Brima Sylla, Frank Valverde, Adam Wandt, Tracey Warner, and Anna Zhurbina.

Chapter Events:

Thursday, September 24, 2009: New York Metropolitan Chapter ASPA Open Board Meeting (6:00PM – 8:00PM) (Location: U.S. Court House, 500 Pearl Street, Room 801, Office of the District Court Executive)

Thursday, October 1, 2009: Opening Social/Networking Reception (6:00PM – 8:00PM) (Location: City Hall Library (D.O.R.I.S.-New York City Department of Records), 31 Chambers Street, First Floor (opposite City Hall).

Friday, October 16, 2009: Technology & Public Administration Professional Development Workshop: Networking Software (6:00PM – 8:00PM) (Location: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY, 899 Tenth Avenue, Room 630T, Manhattan) (Contacts: Emmanuella Mathurin at imanimath@gmail.com or 917-445-2119 and Marian Bobian at marian_bobian@hotmail.com or 914-497-4588)

October 2009 (Date and Location To Be Announced): Chapter Program Event: Recession-Proofing Your Career

Spring, 2010: 2009-2010 Annual Public Service Awards Dinner

Regional and National Events:

September 11 – 13, 2009: ASPA’s Mid-Year Leadership Meeting (Location: ASPA National Office, Washington, DC) (Information: www.aspanet.org)

September 24 – 25, 2009: The West Virginia Political Science Association, West Virginia Chapter of ASPA & West Virginia University MPA Student Conference (Theme: Status of America: Changing Priorities) (Location: West Virginia University (Information: http://publicadmin.wvu.edu/home/conference or WVPSA-MPA@mail.wvu.edu)

September 30 – October 3, 2009: 2009 SECoPA (Southeastern Conference on Public Administration) Conference (Location: Louisville, KY)

October 1 – 3, 2009: District IV ASPA Conference (Location: Omaha, NE (Information: mary.hamilton@cox.net)

October 26 – 28, 2009: IPAC National New Professionals Conference (Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada) (Information: http://www.ipac.ca/newprofessionalsconferncehalifax09/)

October 31 – November 5, 2009: International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM) Annual Conference (Theme: Emergency Management: United We Stand) (Location: Orlando, FL)

November 2 – 3, 2009: Second Annual ASPA/The Public Manager Conference (Theme: Strengthening Trust in Government – Opening Dialogues, Building Collaborations) (Location: Washington, DC) (More Information: www.aspanet.org)

April 9 – 13, 2010: ASPA 71^st Annual Conference: Invigorating Public Service for Change (Location: San Jose, CA) (Information: www.aspanet.org)

NY Metropolitan Chapter ASPA

Governing Board

2009 - 20109 Elected Chapter Officers:

President: Stephen Rolandi

Vice President: William A. Allen

Vice President: Usha Narasimhan

2009-2010 Appointed Chapter Officers:

Treasurer: Chris Meyer

Communications: To Be Announced

Chapter Newsletter Editor and Chapter Webmaster: Michael V. Jameson

2009-2010 Chapter Council:

Deborah Bula (July 2009 - June 2011)

Patricia L. Caines (July 2008 - June 2010)

Maria J. D’Agostino (July 2009 – June 2011)

Paul Gallo (July 2009 - June 2011)

Emmanuella Mathurin (July 2008 – June 2010)

Lorraine Motola (July 2009 - June 2011)

Steven Parker (July 2008 - June 2010)

Pamela E. Ransom (July 2008 - June 2010)

Ex-Officio Chapter Officer:

Immediate-Past President: Jeanne-Marie Col

Chapter Constitution/By-Laws Committee: Chair: Clifford Kirsch

Chapter 2010-2011 Nominating Committee Co-Chairs: Bill Ciaccio and Jeanne-Marie Col

NY Metropolitan Chapter ASPA

Mailing Address:

New York Metropolitan Chapter ASPA

c/o Mr. William Ciaccio

Metropolitan Transportation Authority

2 Broadway, Fourth Floor

New York City, NY 10004

NY Metropolitan Chapter ASPA

e-Mail Addresses:

Webmaster@nymetroaspa.org

Communications@nymetroaspa.org

NY Metropolitan Chapter ASPA Web Site:

http://www.nymetroaspa.org/index.html

National Council/District 1 Representative:

William Ciaccio (William.ciaccio@nyct.com)

ASPA National Office:

1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 840

Washington, D.C., 20004

Phone: 202-393-7878 FAX: 202-638-4952

National ASPA Web Site:

http://www.aspanet.org