SAPA SUMMER NEWS

August 2022

Stephen, who was SAPA's Program Director and Board member for more than 6 years, passed away in July. He was responsible for restoring, reinventing and invigorating SAPA's Essentials in Public Administration Program and Candid Conversations. Stephen kept moving SAPA forward through his own efforts and many contacts. He already is sorely missed. In his honor and memory the SAPA Board of Directors decided to rename the Essentials Program the Stephen Schechter Essentials Program in Public Service Leadership. The Essentials Program will continue under the leadership of Dan Cunningham. Link to Stephen's obituary.  More can also be found about Stephen at nysapa.org

NEW OFFICERS FOR THE 2022-23 PROGRAM YEAR

• Chair - Fausto Franco
• Vice-Chair - Dan Cunningham
• Treasurer - Christopher Curtis
• Secretary - Kimberly Jones
• Immediate Past Chair - Tom Lukacs

ANNUAL MEETING

SAPA pursuant to its bylaws is required to have an annual meeting. The tentative plan is to have this sometime in October. Information will be sent to membership once a date and time are set.

WELCOME 2022-23 ESSENTIALS PARTICIPANTS

SAPA’s Officers, Board, and Program Committee are proud to welcome the inaugural class of its Stephen Schechter Essentials Program in Public Sector Leadership.  The 2022-23 class has 23 participants representing 12 NYS Agencies, the NYS Assembly, Albany County and a college.

The program meets the first Wednesday of each month from October-April, with the exception of January. During each session, participants will learn from and interact with one another and a senior practitioner, plus SAPA board members. Each month, speakers focus on a topic that relates to a larger issue or theme of direct practical relevance to state, local, and non-profit public service today. Speakers incorporate hypotheticals and activities that encourage lively discussion that relates to participants’ current jobs and career plans. Participants who successfully complete the program will receive a Certificate of Completion and become SAPA members.

SAPA wishes this year’s class all the best as they prepare for and participate in this year’s program.

BOARD MEETINGS

SAPA members are encouraged to attend Board meetings which are held monthly, presently via Zoom. The meetings typically are held on the first Tuesday of the month from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. Dates are posted on the SAPA website. If you are interested in attending, send a brief email to [email protected] and we will send the meeting link to you.

As the Board of Directors plans for the next program year, member

involvement is welcomed and critical to ensure that SAPA continues to be relevant and evolve. We count on our existing members to recommend people for membership. 

If you would like to discuss how you can 

help, drop us a note at [email protected]

Enjoy the rest of the summer. We'll be in touch!

Be sure to visit our website: stateacademy.org