P22 Bridging Global Public Service Leadership: Innovation, Equity, and the Future of Public Affairs Education

Panel Members & Contact Details

Sara Rinfret, NASPAA President-Elect, Director & Professor at Northern Arizona University. Email: sara.rinfret@nau.edu

Roger Hartley, ASPA President-Elect, Dean of the College of Public Affairs at the University of Baltimore. Email: rhartley@ubalt.edu

Martha Bohrt, Interim Executive Director, NASPAA. Email: mbohrt@naspaa.org

Summary

This panel explores the evolving role of public service leadership in an era of global uncertainty, democratic backsliding, and technological change. Featuring leaders from NASPAA and ASPA, it highlights how public affairs education and professional associations are fostering inclusive leadership, practitioner-academic collaboration, and curricular innovation to strengthen democratic resilience and institutional trust. The session invites contributions on educational reform, global perspectives, and leadership development, aiming to spark dialogue and share actionable strategies for building forward-looking public institutions.

Description

In an era marked by global uncertainty, democratic backsliding, and rapid technological transformation, the role of public service leadership has never been more critical. This panel brings together three distinguished leaders in public affairs education and administration—Sara Rinfret (NASPAA President-Elect), Roger Hartley (ASPA President-Elect), and Martha Bohrt (NASPAA Interim Executive Director)—to explore how public service institutions can lead with purpose, equity, and innovation.

The panel will examine the evolving responsibilities of public service leaders in shaping the next generation of public administrators. Drawing on their leadership roles in NASPAA and ASPA, the panelists will share insights into how professional associations are responding to global challenges by reimagining curricula, fostering inclusive leadership pipelines, and strengthening practitioner-academic collaboration. The discussion will highlight how public affairs education can serve as a catalyst for democratic resilience, social equity, and institutional trust.

In this panel, we propose to encourage papers that focus on:

• innovations in public administration education, including experiential learning
• intersection of academic research and public service practice, emphasizing the importance of co-creation between scholars and practitioners to address complex policy problems
• global perspective on public service
• Efforts by professional associations to bolster a new pipeline to public service in an era of policy and workforce change.

The session will be structured to encourage dialogue and engagement. Participants will be invited to share their own experiences and strategies for cultivating leadership in their institutions and communities. This panel is designed for scholars, educators, practitioners, and students interested in the future of public service leadership. It will provide actionable insights and foster a global conversation on how to build resilient, inclusive, and forward-looking public institutions.   

Relevance

The IRSPM 2026 theme, “Beyond Boundaries: Wellbeing, Innovation and the Future of Public Management,” calls for bold thinking and cross-sector collaboration. This panel directly addresses these imperatives by focusing on the leadership required to navigate the future of public service.

Public service leadership is inherently boundary-spanning. It requires navigating the intersections of policy and practice, local and global governance, and tradition and innovation. The panelists—leaders of NASPAA and ASPA—represent institutions that are at the forefront of shaping public administration education and practice across these boundaries. Their insights will illuminate how leadership development can be a lever for systemic change. The panel’s emphasis on wellbeing and equity aligns with IRSPM’s call to center human values in public management. By exploring how public affairs education can foster inclusive leadership and support underrepresented voices, the panel contributes to a broader conversation about justice and belonging in public institutions.

Innovation is another core theme. The panel will explore how public service leaders can harness emerging technologies and pedagogical tools to prepare students and professionals for an uncertain future. This includes not only technical skills but also the ethical and adaptive capacities needed to lead in complex environments. Finally, the panel’s global perspective—grounded in NASPAA’s international reach and ASPA’s practitioner network—offers a rich comparative lens. It invites IRSPM participants to consider how leadership practices can be shared, adapted, and scaled across contexts to build a more resilient and responsive public sector worldwide.