A Public Service Organization

COMPA/ASPA

About the Conference of Minority Public Administration

The Conference of Minority Public Administrators (COMPA) based in Washington D.C. was established in 1971. It is a section of the American Society for Public Administration. Our mission is to serve and assist public administrators, students and other professionals involved in public service. COMPA is dedicated to achieving and supporting the following goals: strengthening and increasing the role minorities play in setting public policy; influencing public managers and executives to insure that the interests and goals of minority employees are served; educating our membership about emerging issues in public sector management by sponsoring conferences and issuing periodicals; nurturing the career aspirations of our membership by identifying employment opportunities; and recognizing outstanding service by public administrators.

About the American Society of Public Administration

Since 1939, ASPA has been the nation's most respected society representing society representing all forums in the public service arena. We are advocates for greater effectiveness in government, agents of goodwill and professionalism, publishers of democratic journalism at its very best, purveyors of progressive theory and practice, and providers global citizenship. We believe that by embracing new ideas, addressing key public service issues, and promoting change at both the local and international levels, we can enhance the quality of lives worldwide. .

COMPA's History, Mission & Vision

History

Founded in 1971, COMPA is one of America's leading national public service organizations headquartered in Washington, DC. The organization was officially established in 1977 as a section of the American Society for Public Administration to provide a forum for leadership and professional development for minority students, public servants, administrators and governmental officials.

Vision

Our vision is to promote excellence in public service and administration in university settings and in city, county, state and national government operations. The mission is to advance the science, processes, technology and arts and image of public administration by providing leadership in the elimination of discriminatory practices against all minorities.

Mission

COMPA’s mission is to serve and assist public administrators, students and other professionals involved in public service.

COMPA's Purpose

Purpose

Within the broad purpose of ASPA, which is to advance science, processes, art, and image of public administration, COMPA’s purpose is to:

· Provide leadership in the elimination of discriminatory practices against all minorities regardless of race, gender, religion, and/or sexual preference in the public sector;

· Promote for employment the recruitment of minorities for leadership positions in the public sector as well as the academic world of public administration;

· Provide a forum to provide continued education, skills enhancement, and professional development of minority public administrators;

· Develop and maintain a roster of qualified minority professionals in public administration;

· Form partnerships with educational institutions, engage in discussions and recommendations about curricula in public administration education;

· Establish linkages with other organizations and agencies in a coalition building effort that will address issues relevant to the purposes of COMPA.

COMPA is dedicated to achieving and supporting the following goals for its members:

· Strengthening and increasing the role minorities play in setting public policy.

· Influencing public managers and executives to ensure that the interests and goals of minority employees are served.

· Educating our membership about emerging issues in public sector management by sponsoring conferences and issuing periodicals.

· Nurturing the career aspirations of our membership by identifying employment opportunities

· Recognizing outstanding service by public administrators.

COMPA 2020-2021 Executive Board

Executive Board Members

Immediate Past President
Dr. Kristie Roberts-Lewis
(MPA Coordinator/Professor of Public Administration, Point University)

President
Dr. James Agbodzakey
(Director Urban SERCH Institute, Associate Professor of Public Leadership, the University of North Texas at Dallas)

President-Elect
Dr. Patricia Robertson

(Associate Professor, Southern University at New Orleans -SUNO)

Vice President
Dr. Kelechi Uzochukwu
(Assistant Professor, University of Baltimore)

Secretary
Dr. Cassandra Hawkins
(Coordinator, Masters of Art Rural Public Policy and Planning, Assistant Professor of Rural Public Policy, Mississippi Valley State University)

Treasurer
Dr. Talya D. Thomas
(Associate Professor, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Jackson State University)

Regional Representatives
Regional Representative-District/Region I
Dr. De Lacy Davis
(Executive Director, Family Support Organization - Union County)

Regional Representative-District/Region II
Dr. Elijah Agyapong
(Assistant Professor, Regent University)

Regional Representative-District/Region III
Dr. Nicole Diggs
(Assistant Professor, North Carolina Central University)

Regional Representative-District/Region IV
Dr. Anthony Starke, Jr.
(Assistant Professor, University of Colorado - Denver)

Regional Representative-District/Region V
Dr. Elizabeth Overman
(Professor, University of Central Oklahoma)

At-Large Representative
Dr. Catherine Foster Rowell
(Councilwoman, City of South Fulton, District 1)

At-Large Representative
Dr. Chalonda Smith
(Operations Analyst, Clayton County BOC)

Parliamentarian
Dr. Nicholas Bolden
(Assistant Professor, Columbus State University)

Student Representative Mr. Karim Willis
(Student, Rutgers University – SPAA)

COMPA Members at the Capital

Strategic Partnerships

Concentrating our efforts, our team form partnerships with educational institutions, engage in discussions and recommendations about curricula in public administration education.

Results, Return & Exposure

Visibility and exposure are key for any organization or initiative. COMPA develops and implements professional development tracks that focus on remediation and elimination of discriminatory employment practices in the public sector.

Coalition Building

Understanding COMPAs goals and minority administrators' needs are vital to building the right educational platforms. At Conference of Minority Public Administrators , we do our due diligence to build coalitions that will address issues relevant to the purposes of COMPA.

Conference of Minority Public Administrators (COMPA)