May 30-31, 2018
The Leadership in Public Service (LPS) program is a two-day in-residence program on the Texas A&M University campus hosted by the Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy (CNP). Attendees can anticipate educational workshops led by highly regarded academicians and public service practitioners at the Bush School.
Hotel Information
- Stella Hotel
- 4100 Atlas Pear Drive
- Bryan, TX 77807
- 979-421-4000
- Reservation Code – LPS0518
Program Fee
- General Registration Fee $795.
- Registration Close date – May 12, 2018.
- Meals will be provided.
Sessions
Sessions include the following:
- Leadership in Public Service
This session discusses the key features of leadership in public service organizations. Using a competency-based model of the organization, Dr. Brown distills some important activities and attitudes of public service leaders. The conversation focuses on the functions and activities of executive leaders, but individuals at all levels of the organization benefit from learning and appreciating priorities for effective strategic leadership. The session proposes objectives for individual leadership development goals. Participants are encouraged to consider the extent to which they possess these competencies as well as which areas are logical “next steps” in their personal leadership development. - Authentic Leadership in Public Service
This workshop will introduce Authentic Leadership theory, its constructs of self-awareness-transparency-ethical/moral-balanced processing, and how public sector and nonprofit leaders who exhibit these behaviors have the opportunity to excel in their roles. Responses from the completed Authentic Leadership Questionnaire will be used to provide an overall group rating of authentic leadership and used to inform attendees’ leader development plan. - Performance Measurement in Public Service
Using performance measurement data leads to better organizational performance, and this is true even when there are no compensation-based rewards attached to improved performance! Yet many public sector and nonprofit leaders hesitate to implement measurement, thinking it may not deliver results. This session prepares participants to design and use data to improve performance. After learning how data analysis works to improve decision making, participants will create a set of measures and learn how to implement a successful performance measurement program. - Maximization of Leader Strengths: StrengthsQuest
Can you imagine what the world would look like if we spent more time focusing on what we are naturally good at instead of trying to fix everything that’s wrong? Over fifty years ago, Dr. Don Clifton began researching a new area in psychology called positive psychology. The focus of positive psychology is on identifying and developing areas of strength and talent. From the beginning, the Gallup Organization was leading the way in research and application of the strengths philosophy, which eventually led to the development of the StrengthsQuest online assessment. Based on your input, you are provided a listing with your top five areas of talent (from a total of thirty-four signature themes). Once you learn about your individual areas of talent, you can begin working to develop them into strengths. This workshop will provide you with a basic understanding of the theory and will expose you to a variety of interactive activities and reflection exercises to help you understand your strengths. - Leading Diversity within Public Service
This workshop will provide participants with relevant human differences that exist within public sector and nonprofit organizations with regard to race and ethnicity, economic and social class, and gender. The session will specifically address and examine strategies for building consensus across the differences referenced above. Participants can expect to explore the advantages and challenges of diversity in the workplace and leave with leader strategies that will contribute to positive outcomes for employers/employees/other stakeholders. - Leadership and Board Development within Public Service
This session will explore the roles of nonprofit boards and consider how they support strategic decision making. The workshop is interactive in nature and will utilize case studies to explore the tactics and challenges of engaging board members. Strategy and planning are critical roles for the board, and participants will consider various tactics to support effective planning and decision making. - Leader Development within Public Service
This session will focus on personal leadership development. The workshop will focus on developing participants’ knowledge of relevant leadership styles, include a discussion and specific examples of how leadership narratives are relayed to others based on specific leader behaviors , and explore leader behaviors that positively impact employees and organization performance. Attendees will be exposed to a leader development blueprint, challenged to investigate their personal leadership path, and provided with strategies to further develop as a leader.
Facilitator Biographies
William A. Brown, Professor and Director of the Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy
William A. Brown is a Professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University and holds the Mary Julia and George Jordan Professorship. He serves as the Program Director for the Certificate in Nonprofit Management. He teaches the Nonprofit Management, Social Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Human Resource Management, and Capstone courses. He received a bachelor of science degree in education from Northeastern University with a concentration in human services. He earned his master’s and doctorate in organizational psychology from Claremont Graduate University. Prior to joining Texas A&M University, he was an Assistant Professor at Arizona State University, where he worked as the Program Coordinator of their Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Leadership and was an affiliated faculty member with the Center for Nonprofit Leadership and Management. He has worked with numerous organizations in the direct provision of services, consulting, and board governance. He served on the Board of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) from 2007 to 2012 and chaired the Education Committee from 2009 to 2011. His research focuses on nonprofit governance, strategy, and organizational effectiveness. He has authored numerous research articles, technical reports, and several practice-oriented publications. Examples of his work include exploring the association between board and organizational performance and developing the concept of mission attachment. Publication outlets include Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, Nonprofit Management & Leadership, International Journal of Volunteer Administration, and Public Performance and Management Review. He has completed an edited volume entitled Nonprofit Governance: Innovative Perspectives and Approaches (Routledge, July 2013) with Chris Cornforth. A textbook entitled Strategic Management in Nonprofit Organizations was published in March 2014 (Jones & Bartlett).
Kenneth Anderson Taylor, Assistant Professor of the Practice
Dr. Kenneth Anderson Taylor is an Assistant Professor of the Practice, the Director of Outreach and Professional Development within the Center for Nonprofits and Philanthropy, and holder of the Younger-Carter Endowed Practitioner-in-Residence. He routinely leads the Public Service and Administration Consulting Capstone Seminar, has taught a variety of nonprofit management courses, and has developed and delivered several workshops on the study of leadership. He earned his MBA from Bellarmine University’s Rubel School of Business and also holds a BA in sociology from the same institution. His PhD in leadership studies is from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, and his dissertation research investigated leader behavior and job satisfaction within nonprofit organizations.
Before arriving in College Station, Dr. Taylor founded and launched the Nonprofit Leadership Studies (formerly Youth and Nonprofit Leadership) program at Murray State University and held the appointment of Academic Program Director and Assistant Professor within their College of Health Science & Human Services.
As a true practitioner, Dr. Taylor has more than twenty years of leader experience inside, and working on behalf of, nonprofit organizations. His self-defined career highlights include the twelve consecutive years he served the mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and the five years he spent as a self-employed consultant. He is also a State of Texas Credentialed Mediator.
Years ago, when Dr. Taylor set his sights on transitioning into academia with a vision of developing tomorrow’s social sector leaders, he put the Bush School at the top of his list. He defines landing at Texas A&M as an “honor” and is simply here to mightily contribute to the School’s commitment to President George H. W. Bush’s philosophy of educating principled leaders for public service.
Deborah Kerr, Associate Professor of the Practice
Deborah L. Kerr, PhD, joined the graduate faculty of the Bush School of Government and Public Service in 1999 and is an Associate Professor of the Practice. She teaches graduate courses in public policy theory, organizational performance measurement, and management. Her teaching has been recognized with the University’s 2008 Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching (based on nomination and support from current and former graduate students) and with Silver Star Awards given by the Classes of 2009, 2014, and 2015 for outstanding service and dedication.
She has worked as an executive in private, public, and nonprofit organizations. Her expertise includes performance management and measurement, talent management, and manager and executive performance.
While an executive at the Texas State Auditor’s Office (SAO), she led the development of one of the nation’s first public sector balanced scorecards. In 2004, the SAO and its measurement system was recognized as one of the world’s best when it was elected to the Balanced Scorecard Hall of Fame. She helped implement other innovative work processes that were adopted by audit organizations across the US. She also served as an executive at the American Heart Association.
Dr. Kerr teaches occasional classes for the University of Texas’ Continuing Professional Education program; in 2016, she received the UT Continuing Professional Education Excellence Award for outstanding teaching and service. For the Maxwell School of Government, Syracuse University, she served on the National Advisory Panel for Human Resource Performance Measurement to develop public sector performance measures for the “Grading Government” studies published by Governing magazine.
Dr. Kerr has worked with various public, nonprofit, and private sector organizations to improve performance and measurement. Her measurement work has been called “best practice” by the Society for Human Resource Management. Her work has also been written about in Austin American-Statesman, Austin Woman, and Financial World magazine, and her work on performance measurement systems was featured in both Paul Niven’s book Balanced Scorecard Step by Step and Mohan Nair’s Essentials of the Balanced Scorecard.
Dr. Kerr’s articles have been published in Texas CEO, the Austin Chamber magazine, Perform magazine, and the Journal of Accountancy; her articles have been re-published in Italy and India as well. She co-authored a chapter on consulting to public sector organizations for the textbook In Action: Building a Successful Consulting Practice. She blogs and writes on evidence-based management at www.affintus.com.
She is frequently asked to speak at national, regional, and state conferences about measuring results and evidence-based management. She holds degrees from St. Mary’s College (Notre Dame), Columbia University (New York), and the University of Texas at Austin.
Holly Kasperbauer, Assistant Director of the Public Service Leadership Program
Holly J. Kasperbauer joined the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University as Assistant Director of the Public Service Leadership Program in February 2012. Her passion for leadership comes from her background and personal experiences, including leadership-related curriculum development, workshop facilitation, and teaching.
Ms. Kasperbauer is a native of Iowa and received her BS in agricultural education and a minor in horticulture from Iowa State University and her MS in agricultural education from the Department of Leadership, Education, and Communications at Texas A&M. She is currently finishing her PhD at Virginia Tech, where she is studying college student leadership development and critical thinking in the Department of Agricultural and Extension Education. Prior to working on her PhD, Ms. Kasperbauer taught high school agriculture and worked in curriculum development for an agricultural nonprofit organization. She has taught several courses that included topics on leadership theory, team development, leadership and popular culture, and oral communication.
At the Bush School, Ms. Kasperbauer works with faculty and staff to inspire students to become principled leaders and encourage them to identify and use strategies to continue developing their leadership identity. This is accomplished through the use of workshops, leadership assessment facilitation, and individual coaching sessions. Ms. Kasperbauer provides the students at the Bush School with opportunities to reflect on their personal values and to assess their leadership attributes, knowledge, and skills to become more self-aware as they set goals for personal development.
Frank B. Ashley III, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Senior Professor
Dr. Frank B. Ashley III is the Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. He came to the Bush School from the College Board, where he was Senior Vice President of Membership and Higher Education Engagement. The College Board is a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization that connects students to college success and opportunity.
As Senior Associate Dean, Dr. Ashley oversees graduate education and research activities as well as strategic planning, faculty affairs, student affairs, program development, diversity, assessment, communications and external relations, student services, and extended education programs in the Bush School. Dr. Ashley earned his bachelor’s degree from Louisiana College and a master’s and doctorate from the University of Alabama. He began his academic career as a science teacher and coach. His previous appointments include faculty positions and service as Dean of the College of Education and Interim Provost-Vice President for Academic Affairs at Texas A&M University-Commerce as well as Director of Admissions and Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and Teacher Education at Texas A&M University’s College of Education.
From 2007 to 2010, Dr. Ashley served as Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the Texas A&M University System, where he served as Chief Academic Officer for the System and represented the System at the state level on all academic issues. In 2010, he was named Vice Chancellor for Recruitment and Diversity and Chief of Staff. In this position, he collected and analyzed System data on diversity and assisted System universities and agencies in recruiting and retention of diverse students, faculty, and staff.
A former College Board trustee, Dr. Ashley also has served on boards and committees for numerous other organizations, including the North American Society for Sport Management, the Commerce Independent School District, and the Development Education Subcommittee of the P–16 Education Council of the Texas Education Agency. He was also a member of the editorial board of both the Journal of Applied Research in Coaching and Athletics and the International Journal of Sports Management.
Contact Information
Contact the Center for Nonprofits & Philanthropy at 979.862.3195 or email parker.dj77@tamu.edu.
