The department’s Dr. Miha Vindis was elected as the American Society of Public Administration’s (ASPA) District 5 representative. This area includes Texas, Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. Representatives serve three-year terms. Dr. Vindis is a professor of practice in the department and directs its Certified Public Manager Program (CPM).
One of the responsibilities for district representatives is to represent their district at ASPA conferences and participate in various leadership discussions. They also engage in policy deliberations and decision making impacting ASPA, serving as a liaison between organization Chapters, Sections, and the national level. Dr. Vindis will also represent Texas State University, working closely with Dr. Howard Balanoff who holds Texas State University’s William P. Hobby Endowed Professorship for Public Service. and serves as the Director of the department’s William P. Hobby Center for Public Service. The Hobby Center houses the Certified Public Manager Program.
At the national ASPA conference in Washington, D.C. at the end of March, Dr. Vindis will give a talk on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its practical applications for public sector professionals. According to Dr. Vindis, the presentation’s focus “will be on how AI can be leveraged effectively without requiring technical expertise in coding or advanced technology.”
Dr. Vindis stated that his goal in this position is to “strengthen and expand existing partnerships between ASPA and both our university and the broader region. For example, I plan to explore ways to involve other Certified Public Manager (CPM) programs, expand collaboration with city managers, and engage other local organizations that represent the public sector and public service.” He continued by saying that as he gains more experience in the role, he hopes to “identify additional ways that ASPA can be a valuable resource for our students and faculty.”
For more information on ASPA, visit their webpage here. For more information about the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service, visit their webpage here.
