2021-2022 Executive Committee
Section chair - Helisse LEvine
Professor and Director MPA Program, Long Island University (LIU), School of Business, Public Administration and Information Sciences,Brooklyn, New York.
Dr. Levine earned her Ph.D. in public administration from Rutgers University, School of Public Administration and Affairs, Newark, N.J. in 2005, and a M.A. in financial economics from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, N.J. Her research interests include gender and inclusion in public sector organizations, and the role of fiscal and economic constraints in organizational sustainability. Since entering academe in 2008, she has contributed to numerous peer reviewed journals and book chapters, convened and presented at countless national and international conferences, and is co-editor of 1) Women in Public Administration: Theory and Practice, 2) The Handbook of Local Government Fiscal Health, and 3) Positioning Markets and Governments in Public Management. She is recipient of several research and teaching awards including SWPA’s 2014 Dr. Rita Mae Kelly Distinguished Research Award for her collaborative work on women in public administration and LIU-Brooklyn’s prestigious David Newton Award for Teaching Excellence. Helisse is a member of the UNDP Roster of Experts in Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Public Administration.
Dr. Levine earned her Ph.D. in public administration from Rutgers University, School of Public Administration and Affairs, Newark, N.J. in 2005, and a M.A. in financial economics from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, N.J. Her research interests include gender and inclusion in public sector organizations, and the role of fiscal and economic constraints in organizational sustainability. Since entering academe in 2008, she has contributed to numerous peer reviewed journals and book chapters, convened and presented at countless national and international conferences, and is co-editor of 1) Women in Public Administration: Theory and Practice, 2) The Handbook of Local Government Fiscal Health, and 3) Positioning Markets and Governments in Public Management. She is recipient of several research and teaching awards including SWPA’s 2014 Dr. Rita Mae Kelly Distinguished Research Award for her collaborative work on women in public administration and LIU-Brooklyn’s prestigious David Newton Award for Teaching Excellence. Helisse is a member of the UNDP Roster of Experts in Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in Public Administration.
Vice-Chair - Charlene M. L. Roach
The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad and Tobago
Head of Department, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences and Head of Department and Lecturer Public Management Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Lecturer (UK system-this is equivalent to Assistant Professor in the USA)
Dr. Roach holds a BA in history, post graduate diploma in public administration, and post graduate certificate in University Teaching and Learning from The University of The West Indies, and a master's and doctorate in public administration from Arizona State University, U.S.A. Her areas of research and teaching are in public management, leadership, public human resource management, organizational behavior/studies, comparative public administration, E-government policy and scholarship in teaching and learning.
Head of Department, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences and Head of Department and Lecturer Public Management Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, Lecturer (UK system-this is equivalent to Assistant Professor in the USA)
Dr. Roach holds a BA in history, post graduate diploma in public administration, and post graduate certificate in University Teaching and Learning from The University of The West Indies, and a master's and doctorate in public administration from Arizona State University, U.S.A. Her areas of research and teaching are in public management, leadership, public human resource management, organizational behavior/studies, comparative public administration, E-government policy and scholarship in teaching and learning.
Secretary - Kris Norman-Major
Professor and Director of Public Administration and Nonprofit programs, Hamline University School of Business.
Dr. Norman-Major research concentrates on issues of social equity, diversity and cultural competence, including co-editing with Susan Gooden of Virginia Commonwealth University, the book Cultural Competency for Public Administrators. In 2020 she received the Joan Fiss Bishop Award from SWPA and she currently serves as SWPA Secretary. Kris received her PhD in Political Science from Vanderbilt University, her M.A. in Public Affairs from the Humphrey School at the University of Minnesota and her B.A. in Political Science and Business Administration from Hamline University.
Dr. Norman-Major research concentrates on issues of social equity, diversity and cultural competence, including co-editing with Susan Gooden of Virginia Commonwealth University, the book Cultural Competency for Public Administrators. In 2020 she received the Joan Fiss Bishop Award from SWPA and she currently serves as SWPA Secretary. Kris received her PhD in Political Science from Vanderbilt University, her M.A. in Public Affairs from the Humphrey School at the University of Minnesota and her B.A. in Political Science and Business Administration from Hamline University.
Treasurer - Elaine Yi Lu
Professor and director in the Department of Public Management at the City University of New York-John Jay College.
Dr. Yu's primary field of study is fiscal policy and performance accountability. Her book, Public Performance Budgeting: Principles and Practice (2019), is published by Taylor and Francis with co-author, Dr. Katherine Willoughby. She engages with professional associations in various capacities on numerous occasions, including but not limited to: a commissioner of NASPAA’s Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA), executive committee member of the Section of Public Performance and Management (SPPM), the Chair of Section of Chinese Public Administration of American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and the treasurer for SWPA. She sits on the editorial boards of three journals (two in US and one international). In recognition of her international services, she was selected as the recipient of the Julia J. Henderson International Award by the SWPA of ASPA in 2019. Currently, she also directs one of the largest NASPAA-accredited MPA programs in the world.
Dr. Yu's primary field of study is fiscal policy and performance accountability. Her book, Public Performance Budgeting: Principles and Practice (2019), is published by Taylor and Francis with co-author, Dr. Katherine Willoughby. She engages with professional associations in various capacities on numerous occasions, including but not limited to: a commissioner of NASPAA’s Commission on Peer Review and Accreditation (COPRA), executive committee member of the Section of Public Performance and Management (SPPM), the Chair of Section of Chinese Public Administration of American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) and the treasurer for SWPA. She sits on the editorial boards of three journals (two in US and one international). In recognition of her international services, she was selected as the recipient of the Julia J. Henderson International Award by the SWPA of ASPA in 2019. Currently, she also directs one of the largest NASPAA-accredited MPA programs in the world.
Immediate Past Chair - Michelle Evans
Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, Department of Political Science & Public Service
Dr. Evans joined the Department of Political Science & Public Service, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga in Fall 2016. Her research interests include nonprofit performance management, volunteerism and service learning, ethics, and social equity/diversity.
Prior to joining the world of academia, Dr. Evans spent more than 20 years working as a nonprofit practitioner. She spent the majority of her nonprofit career with the Special Olympics, based first in the international office in Washington, DC and more recently in state and local Special Olympics programs in Florida. Dr. Evans has served on the board of SWPA and the ASPA Section on Ethics and Integrity in Governance. She currently serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Health & Human Services Administration, and previously for the Editorial Board of Public Integrity Journal. She is also an active member of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) Section on Values, Religion, Altruism and Drawbacks (VRADS).
Dr. Evans joined the Department of Political Science & Public Service, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga in Fall 2016. Her research interests include nonprofit performance management, volunteerism and service learning, ethics, and social equity/diversity.
Prior to joining the world of academia, Dr. Evans spent more than 20 years working as a nonprofit practitioner. She spent the majority of her nonprofit career with the Special Olympics, based first in the international office in Washington, DC and more recently in state and local Special Olympics programs in Florida. Dr. Evans has served on the board of SWPA and the ASPA Section on Ethics and Integrity in Governance. She currently serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Health & Human Services Administration, and previously for the Editorial Board of Public Integrity Journal. She is also an active member of the Association for Research on Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Action (ARNOVA) Section on Values, Religion, Altruism and Drawbacks (VRADS).
Historian - Kathy Hensley
Kathryn Hensley has enjoyed a distinguished career as a practitioner, including 27 years in the federal government and 21 years in critical roles at the state and local level, the most recent as a Commissioner of the Lexington, South Carolina Soil and Water Conservation District since 2006. In 2018, she was elected and is now serving the second of a two-year term as the national secretary/treasurer of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association in Alexandria, Virginia.
Hensley joined ASPA almost 50 years ago and has served actively in various roles at the Chapter, Section, regional and national levels, receiving many awards and accolades for her dedicated service. She also is one of the SWPA’s original founding mothers,” having collaborated with three other women in ASPA’s National Council to establish the Section in 1982.
Hensley joined ASPA almost 50 years ago and has served actively in various roles at the Chapter, Section, regional and national levels, receiving many awards and accolades for her dedicated service. She also is one of the SWPA’s original founding mothers,” having collaborated with three other women in ASPA’s National Council to establish the Section in 1982.
STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES
KIT KELLY
STEPHANIE PUELLO
LASHAE LAMBERT
National Board
Terms ending in 2023:
Maren Trochmann
Assistant Professor, Political Science Department, College of Charleston, South Carolina
Dr. Trochmann is an Assistant Professor at the College of Charleston in the Political Science Department where she teaches MPA and undergraduate courses in ethics, public administration, and human resources management. Her research interests social equity, ethics, and human resources. Prior to entering academia, she worked for the federal government in affordable housing for almost a decade.
Dr. Trochmann is an Assistant Professor at the College of Charleston in the Political Science Department where she teaches MPA and undergraduate courses in ethics, public administration, and human resources management. Her research interests social equity, ethics, and human resources. Prior to entering academia, she worked for the federal government in affordable housing for almost a decade.
Nicole Elias
Associate Professor, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY, NY
Dr. Elias is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY and Founding Co-Director of Women in the Public Sector at John Jay College. Her research focuses on equity in public administration and policy, with an emphasis on the ethics of administration, management of human resources in public organizations, and public policy impacts on different populations. She regularly collaborates with practitioners in government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Dr. Elias was a Research Partner with the New York City Commission on Gender Equity and held a Research Fellowship at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Office and U.S. Department of Defense’s Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI). She served as the Lead Faculty Advisor to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management on the 2016 Government-wide Inclusive Diversity Strategic Plan. She is the winner of the 2019 Audre Lorde Award for Social Justice and co-recipient of the 2018-19 Inaugural Presidential Student-Faculty Research Collaboration Award for her work examining gender equity in municipalities. Dr. Elias is the author of numerous journal articles, book chapters, government reports, and practitioner training modules on means of fostering greater representation and inclusion in public service. Her recent work appears in Public Administration Review, Administrative Theory & Praxis, and Public Integrity. Dr. Elias is the co-editor of a special issue symposium on the future of women in public administration appearing in Administration & Society. Her recent book projects include two co-edited volumes: Ethics for Contemporary Bureaucrats: Navigating Constitutional Crossroads (2020) and Handbook of Gender and Public Administration (forthcoming 2022).
Dr. Elias is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Management at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY and Founding Co-Director of Women in the Public Sector at John Jay College. Her research focuses on equity in public administration and policy, with an emphasis on the ethics of administration, management of human resources in public organizations, and public policy impacts on different populations. She regularly collaborates with practitioners in government agencies and nonprofit organizations. Dr. Elias was a Research Partner with the New York City Commission on Gender Equity and held a Research Fellowship at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Office and U.S. Department of Defense’s Equal Opportunity Management Institute (DEOMI). She served as the Lead Faculty Advisor to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management on the 2016 Government-wide Inclusive Diversity Strategic Plan. She is the winner of the 2019 Audre Lorde Award for Social Justice and co-recipient of the 2018-19 Inaugural Presidential Student-Faculty Research Collaboration Award for her work examining gender equity in municipalities. Dr. Elias is the author of numerous journal articles, book chapters, government reports, and practitioner training modules on means of fostering greater representation and inclusion in public service. Her recent work appears in Public Administration Review, Administrative Theory & Praxis, and Public Integrity. Dr. Elias is the co-editor of a special issue symposium on the future of women in public administration appearing in Administration & Society. Her recent book projects include two co-edited volumes: Ethics for Contemporary Bureaucrats: Navigating Constitutional Crossroads (2020) and Handbook of Gender and Public Administration (forthcoming 2022).
Michaela Abbott
Ph.D. Student , North Carolina State University
Michaela Abbottt is a Ph.D. student at NC State University and serves as the editorial assistant of the Journal of Public Affairs Education. She received her BA in documentary production from Ithaca College and a MPA from the College of Charleston. Her areas of interest include social equity, women and gender studies, collaborative governance, and representative bureaucracy.
Michaela Abbottt is a Ph.D. student at NC State University and serves as the editorial assistant of the Journal of Public Affairs Education. She received her BA in documentary production from Ithaca College and a MPA from the College of Charleston. Her areas of interest include social equity, women and gender studies, collaborative governance, and representative bureaucracy.
Terms ending in 2024:
Jourdan Davis
Ph.D. Candidate, American University
Jourdan Davis is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University. Davis' research agenda focuses on the role of fair and equitable government actions and decision-making in citizen-government relations. Her research interests include behavioral public administration, social equity, equality and fairness, performance measurement, citizen satisfaction, and citizen-government relationships. Prior to enrolling, Jourdan worked on public and patient engagement at a healthcare research funding institution.
Jourdan Davis is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Public Administration and Policy at American University. Davis' research agenda focuses on the role of fair and equitable government actions and decision-making in citizen-government relations. Her research interests include behavioral public administration, social equity, equality and fairness, performance measurement, citizen satisfaction, and citizen-government relationships. Prior to enrolling, Jourdan worked on public and patient engagement at a healthcare research funding institution.
Kayla Schwoerer
Ph.D. Candidate, Rutgers University-Newark
Kayla Schwoerer is a Doctoral Candidate at Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA). Her research focuses broadly on public sector transparency and citizen attitudes and participation with a specific emphasis on how new and emerging technologies may shape more equitable citizen-state interactions. In addition to being an active SWPA member, she was elected the 2021-22 ASPA Student Representative.
Kayla Schwoerer is a Doctoral Candidate at Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration (SPAA). Her research focuses broadly on public sector transparency and citizen attitudes and participation with a specific emphasis on how new and emerging technologies may shape more equitable citizen-state interactions. In addition to being an active SWPA member, she was elected the 2021-22 ASPA Student Representative.
Colette Knuth
Assistant Professor, School of Business, Public Administration and Information Sciences, Long Island University (LIU)- Brooklyn
Dr. Knuth’s research interests are health payment policy, workforce dynamics, and the social determinants of health. Prior to joining LIU, she was a consultant to organized medicine, health care providers, and government agencies. Dr. Knuth also conducted health policy and services research at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) and US Department of Veterans Affairs.
Dr. Knuth’s research interests are health payment policy, workforce dynamics, and the social determinants of health. Prior to joining LIU, she was a consultant to organized medicine, health care providers, and government agencies. Dr. Knuth also conducted health policy and services research at the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) and US Department of Veterans Affairs.
Terms ending in 2025:
RACHEL EMAS
LASHAE LAMBERT
Roslyn Alic-Batson
SWPA Committees
National Awards
Scholarship Program
Professional Development
National Awards Breakfast
SWPA Social
Social Media and Marketing
Membership and Recruitment
Newsletter
Journal
Website
Scholarship Program
Professional Development
National Awards Breakfast
SWPA Social
Social Media and Marketing
Membership and Recruitment
Newsletter
Journal
Website
Leadership History
1971-73 Joan Fiss Bishop, MA *
1973-74 June Martin * 1974-75 Barbara Hawkins 1975-76 Ruth Ann Barrett 1976-77 Dona Wolf, MD & Sherry Suttles 1977-78 Genevieve C. Sims 1978-80 Sally Gutierriez, CA 1980-81 Nancy Foye, OH & Jean McDonald 1981-82 Christine Gibbs, NV 1982-83 Jana Bagwell, OK 1983-84 Carol Gandy, CA * 1984-85 Jeanne Marie Col, NY 1985-86 Kathryn Hensley, VA Marie Barovic Rosenberg, WA 1986-87 Lynn Brown, CA 1987-88 Kathy Roth Moore, CA 1988-89 Eileen Larence, VA 1989-90 Mary Ellen Guy, TX 1990-91 Debra Martin, MI 1991-92 Willa Bruce 1992-93 Anne Swafford 1993-94 Mary Timney Bailey 1994-95 Ann Snyder 1995-96 Michelle A. Saint-Germain * Deceased |
1996-97 Marjorie Lomax, VA
1997-98 Linda M. Lazer 1998-99 Mary M. Hale 1999-00 Linda deLeon, CO 2000-01 Meredith Newman, FL 2001-02 Cheryl Simrell King, WA 2002-03 Wendy Haynes, MA 2003-05 Kathryn Hensley, SC 2005-07 Claire Felbinger, DC * 2007-08 Becky Schergens, VA 2008-10 Patricia Shields, TX 2010 L. Dara Baldwin (term incomplete) 2010-12 Roslyn Alic-Batson, FL 2012-13 Barbara Lewkowitz, AZ 2013-14 Suzanne Discenza, KS 2014-15 Suzanne Discenza, KS 2015-16 Elisa Graffy, AZ 2016-17 Hillary Knepper, NY 2017-2018 Meghna Sabarwal, TX 2018-2019 Michelle Evans, TN 2019-2020 Agatha Caraballo, FL 2020-2020 Shilpa Viswanath, NY 2020-2022 Helisse Levine, NY |
A Short History of SWPA:
By 1971, a few women had joined ASPA and it didn’t take long for them to look for inclusion in programs and on committees. At the 1973 convention, six resolutions about the status of women in ASPA were presented and adopted by National Council. A Task Force on Women was appointed to make recommendations. Based on their recommendations, National Council created the National Committee on Women in Public Administration (NCWPA) and Joan Fiss Bishop became its leader. One of the first goals was to provide grants to local chapters to promote women. (1974-75). Read more....
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