2024 Annual Deans Summit Takes Place in Washington DC

The Volcker Alliance convened the annual Deans Summit in Washington DC this month, hosted by Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Anchored by a set of collective values, the Deans Summit has grown to include more than 70 member schools. Recognizing that broadening the reach of public service education is critical to the future of our democracy, Deans Summit members have been collaborating to design and implement cutting-edge, national initiatives that elevate public service and aim to grow and diversify talent pipelines into government careers.

This year’s meeting featured two guest speakers: United States Office of Personnel and Management Acting Director Robert Shriver and Humans of Public Service (HOPS) founder Brian Whittaker. Shriver provided insights regarding the federal government’s approach to recruiting early career talent and described recent reforms to the Pathways Program. Brian Whittaker shared how HOPS showcases stories of diverse public servants solving critical problems through their work in government to an expansive audience on social media and engaged in a discussion with Deans Summit members about impactful avenues for collaboration.

The day closed with a reception to welcome the third cohort of Future Leaders of Schools of Public Service participants to the program, with opening remarks from Randi Gamble, program associate at the Volcker Alliance, and the co-chairs of the program Matthew Auer, dean of the School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Georgia, Nisha Botchwey, dean of the Humphrey School of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota, and Carissa Slotterback, dean of the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh.

Read more about the Deans Summit and Future Leaders of Schools of Public Service.