SECoPA 2022 in Lexington KY

Come to SECOPA 2022 in Lexington, KY!

Community amidst Collaboration, Conflict, and COVID

Recent events – even those only peripherally related to the pandemic – have heightened public awareness of the importance of community in all its forms. As the hallmark of our profession, public administrators rely on technical expertise to identify and address the needs of our communities. No stranger to collaboration or conflict before the Age of COVID, public administrators now face new and more intense challenges in providing public goods and services as we are battered and bolstered by the forces of politics.

Public administration research and practice have consistently emphasized mechanisms of accountability as important tools to combat negative images and document the positive impact of public agencies. We rely on evidence from research and practice to develop and utilize management tools to help eradicate corruption and build trust while meeting public needs. The challenges of the pandemic were exacerbated by a divisive and highly partisan political environment, drawing additional attention to the importance of technical expertise and ethical competence in public service.

The Age of COVID is teaching us many things while raising a myriad of questions, some that are new, some that are variations on a familiar theme. For more than 50 years, practitioners and academics have come together at the Southeast Conference for Public Administration to address the challenges and celebrate the impact of public administrators. For SECoPA 2022, we once again issue the call to academics and practitioners to provide research and reports to assist public administrators at all levels as they build community through the collaborations and conflicts that characterize practice. 

The program committee for the SECoPA meeting in Lexington, Kentucky (September 29 – October 2, 2022) invites participants to offer papers and presentations on all topics of public administration, but particularly encourages proposals dealing with the many ways public administrators across agencies, sectors, and levels of government build and promote community. This could include practices and policies that bolster (or undermine) public trust in government, such as efforts to increase transparency and accountability, improve government and agency branding, and foster communication with the public.

You can view the program in preparation for the conference!

About SECOPA

Since 1969, the Southeastern Conference for Public Administration (SECoPA) has been the gathering place of ideas for public service in our ten-state region.  Founded to help bridge the gap between academic and professional public service in the New South, the conference offers attendees the opportunity to engage in scholarly discourse, discover the latest innovations, share ideas from practitioners in the field, and network with other public service administrators across the region. It is the most prestigious regional conference within the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA).  The 2022 conference is being held at the Downtown Hilton in Lexington, KY, and we are very excited to bring together hundreds of scholars and practitioners, September 29 through October 2, 2022.

Our Call for Proposals ran through June 15, and had 213 submissions -including more than 10% which came from practicing public servants.  Check this space for the full program and further details as they come available, or sign up for our e-mails.

If you have further questions, e-mail Conference Chair, Dr. Matthew L Howell, at Matthew.Howell@EKU.edu.

Conference Logistics

SECOPA 2022 is being held at the beautiful Downtown Hilton across from Triangle Park and Rupp Arena.  From downtown, you have easy access to dozens of restaurants -ranging from high class speakeasies like Carson's, to local landmarks like Dudley's, and coffee shops like Chocolate Holler.  Lexington also offers many attractions, including bourbon distilling at Town Branch, the beautiful scenery of Keeneland Racetrack, and the history of the American Saddlebred Museum at the Kentucky Horse Park.  For more history, food, tours, and attractions, you can see VisitLEX for all your Lexington visiting needs.

The conference has a room block, available through the Hilton, offering both two queen and single king size beds.  The rate is available starting at check in on Thursday, September 29 through checkout on Sunday, October 2.

Getting to Lexington

You have many options for getting to Lexington.  Lexington is served by Bluegrass Airport, which has terminals for Delta, United, American, and Allegiant, and flights arrive daily from Charlotte, Dallas, Atlanta, Punta Gorda, Florida, and Washington, DC.  Also United flights arrive from Chicago, O'Hare.  The airport has several rental car options, is served by multiple taxi companies.  Of particular interest, there is a direct shuttle from the Airport to the LexTran bus station downtown, which is a third of a mile from the hotel (google Map).

If that doesn't work for you, the Bluegrass is also served by Louisville's Muhammad Ali International, and Cincinnati's CVG Airport.  Both of which also have several car rental options available.  Louisville | Cincinnati

And if you would like to drive, Lexington is served by both I-64 and I-75.  The two interstates are the same road as they round the city, and you can access the Hilton Downtown most easily by taking either Exit 113 (Paris Pike/Broadway) or 115 (Newtown Pike) -both of which will take you straight to the heart of Downton.

Registration and Sponsors

Registration is now open.  EKU's College of Letters Arts and Social Sciences is now directly handling registration.  If you already registered via eTix, we should still have your information, and will send a confirmation in July.  You do not need to register again.

If you are a new registrant, please register here.

The Early Bird registration is $185 for faculty, staff, and practitioners, and $125 for students.  Early Bird ends July 22.

Sponsors

We can keep bringing SECOPA to you because the of the generosity of our many sponsors.  Thank you to all our sponsors!

Silver Sponsors

University of Georgia School of Public and International Affairs | Auburn University Master of Public Administration and PhD Program

Bronze Sponsors

Kentucky League of Cities | Ohio University Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service

Luncheon Sponsors

Universty of Kentucky Martin School of Public Policy and Administration | Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs at Florida International University

Metro Louisville Chapter of ASPA | Clemson University Department of Political Science & Master of Publuc Administration

Session Break Sponsors

Northern Kentucky University Master of Public Administration Program | University of Texas at Dallas School of Economic, Political, and Policy Sciences

Stennis Institute at Mississippi State

South Florida Chapter of ASPA

And we will have more our our sponsors posted soon.

Interested in Sponsoring SECOPA 2022?  See our Sponsor's Packet, and donate securely online.

There is More to Come!  For the time being, here is information about the potential tracks, and student awards.

Topic Areas

We welcome proposals for presentations, full panels, and posters related to the conference theme “Community amidst Collaboration, Conflict, and COVID” in one or more of these suggested topic areas: