UNT conference to focus on adapting to pandemic-related change, and emphasizing wellbeing and mental resilience in public administration

What: University of North Texas College of Health and Public Service 2022 Master of Public Administration Annual Alumni-Student Conference

When: 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. April 8 (Friday)

Where: UNT Gateway Center, 801 North Texas Blvd. in Denton

Media: Journalists interested in attending and/or discussing the event should contact Trista Moxley at Trista.Moxley@unt.edu or 850-543-8132.

More Info: Individual tickets before April 1 are $40. Individual tickets beginning April 1 are $60. UNT student tickets are $10 with student ID. Register now at https://one.unt.edu/pubadmin.  Businesses, organizations or individuals can sponsor the event at a variety of levels listed at https://hps.unt.edu/2022-mpa-alumni. All event proceeds benefit the MPA Excellence Fund and sponsorships may be considered tax-deductible. For more information on the event, contact Bob Bland at robert.bland@unt.edu.

 

The one-day conference with the theme New Horizons in Public Service will examine the impact that COVID has had on the workplace for public and nonprofit organizations. The individual sessions will feature experts as well as round table discussions on the pandemic's impact on metal resiliency, wellbeing and working conditions of those in public service.

The Honorable Andy Eads, Denton County Judge and MPA '96, will deliver the annual Chester A. Newland Colloquium, named in honor of one of the founders of the MPA program and international leader in public service education. Mr. Eads' address will build on the morning sessions by addressing how local government, and specifically Denton County, has adapted to the new realities brought on by the pandemic. His address will expand not only the impact on employees, but also on citizens and their expectations for county government.

“The MPA Alumni-Student Conference has become a featured event for engaging candid dialogue on issues of concern to public managers,” said Dr. Bob Bland, Endowed Professor of Local Government and organizer of this year’s event. “This year's conference, the first in-person event in two years, after being canceled in 2020 and held virtually last year due to the pandemic, promises to be especially engaging because of the topic's timeliness and its pervasive impact on all organizations.”

Full Schedule

  • 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Mock Interviews/Networking and Sponsor Tables
  • 9:30 – 10:15 a.m. New Horizons in the Public and Nonprofit Workforce
  • 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. New Horizons in Wellbeing and Mental Resilience
  • 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Luncheon and Chester A. Newland Colloquium Address: Denton County Judge Andy Eads (MPA ‘96)
  • 1:15 – 2:30 p.m. PADM Dessert Reception
  • 2:30 p.m. PASA Reception and Networking at East Side Denton, 117 East Oak Street in Denton