Name: National Conference
Start: 2026-11-08T09:00:00-05:00
End: 2026-11-10T15:30:00-05:00
Location: National Academy of Sciences 2101 Constitution Ave. NW Washington, D.C., 20418

About the Conference

Big challenges demand bold collaboration. Join leaders from across the public administration community at the Academy's National Conference from November 8-10, 2026 for a dynamic conference focused on connection, learning, and impact.

This conference will include:

Engaging discussions from distinguished speakers on key issues for public administrators
Continuing education and professional development opportunities
Celebrations of excellence through award programs and the induction of the 2026 class of Fellows
Key updates on the Academy's initiatives and priorities
Valuable opportunities for connection and collaboration

To view the full Conference agenda at a glance, click the Agenda tab at the top of this page.

Learn more about sponsoring the conference

Registration Information

Please note that a ticket to the National Conference includes entry to the Flemming Awards on Sunday, November 8 from 5:30-9:00 pm. You do not need to buy a separate Flemming Awards ticket if you are registering for the full conference. When purchasing the ticket, the system will ask you if you are planning to attend the Flemming Awards.

Venue, Hotel, and Travel Information

All three days of the conference including pre-conference sessions will take place at the National Academy of Sciences Building, at 2101 Constitution Ave NW, Washington DC 20418.

For attendees coming from out of town, we invite you to stay in the nearby Hotel Hive or River Inn. You can book your stay at these hotels for a discounted rate until Tuesday, October 13.

Hotel Hive is a 10 minute walk (0.5 mile), and River Inn is a 20 minute walk (0.9 mile) from the National Academy of Sciences building.

Book at the River Inn

Book at Hotel Hive

We've put together an exciting lineup for this year's conference! To see the full agenda, select the Agenda tab at the top of this page.

Featured Speakers

Interested in Sponsoring?

You're invited to join the National Academy of Public Administration as a sponsor of the Academy’s 2026 National Conference. This year marks a turning point for both the Academy and the nation. Interested in sponsoring? For questions and additional information, please contact Gillian Townsend at gtownsend@napawash.org.

Sponsorship Opportunities →

Accessibility/Questions

For accessibility needs or questions, please reach out to Academy staff at natcon@napawash.org.

Sunday, November 8

9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Richardson Leadership Lab

1:00 – 2:00 p.m.

Lunch

2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Board Meeting

3:00 – 5:00 p.m.

New Fellows Orientation

5:30 pm

Welcome and Check in

5:30-6:30 p.m.

Flemming Awards Welcome Reception

6:30-7:30 p.m.

Flemming Awards

Speaker

Susan Swain

Former President and Co-CEO, C-SPAN

7:30 - 8:00 pm

Post Awards Reception

Monday, November 9

8:30–9:00 a.m.

Breakfast

9:00–10:00 a.m.

Keynote Speaker

with Opening Remarks from James-Christian Blockwood

10:15–11:15 a.m.

Plenary Panel – Technology, Talent, and the Future of Government

Moderator: Aaron Lemon-Strauss, Chief Digital and AI Officer at Recoding America

Speakers

Jennifer Anastasoff

Executive Director, Tech Talent Project
Arun Gupta

CEO, NobleReach Foundation
Kevin Hennecken

Senior Advisor to Director, and Director, OPM, Tech Force

11:25 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

Keynote Speaker

Awarding of the Brownlow Book Award

12:15–1:10 p.m.

Lunch

1:15–2:00 p.m.

Rethinking Federalism Panel

Awarding of the Roback Scholarship Awards

2:15-3:15 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions 1

Featuring Sessions on

An update on the future shocks initiative from IBM
A workshop on Effective Oversight presented by the Levin Center
The Joint Technology Leadership and Public Service Standing Panel
A conversation on transformational government featuring Academy Fellow, Mark Pisano

Speaker

Mark Pisano

Vice President and General Manager, Frank Pisano and Associates

3:30- 4:30 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions 2

Featuring:

Building Election Infrastructure presented by the Brennan Center
A panel on building resilience in response to climate change
An update from the Social Equity Standing Panel on recent research findings

4:30 – 5:00 p.m.

Break

5:00-5:30 p.m.

New Fellows Induction

5:30-6:30 p.m.

New Fellows Reception

Tuesday, November 10

8:00- 8:30 a.m.

Breakfast

8:30 – 9:30 a.m.

Plenary - Fellows Forum

For our non-Fellow attendees, we will be offering an extended breakfast and an opportunity to take an updated headshot

Plenary – U.S. Senator Tim Kaine

Speaker

Tim Kaine

U.S. Senator for the State of Virginia, State of Virginia

10:45 – 11:30 a.m.

Plenary Panel - Past, Present, Future of Federal Workforce Panel

Speakers

Noah Peters

Senior Advisor for Policy and Legal Affairs and Counsel, OPM
Kevin Hawickhorst

Research Fellow, Foundation for American Innovation
George Nesterczuk

Former Senior Advisor, Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources

11:30-12:30 p.m.

Lunch

Business meeting for Social Equity Standing Panel

12:30-1:30 p.m.

Concurrent Sessions 3

Insurance and Risk Management featuring R Street's CEO, Eli Lehrer
Why Nothing Works Book Conversation with author Marc Dunkelman - Research Fellow, Brown University’s A. Alfred Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions
International Affairs Standing Panel
A Guide for Agile Government featuring Academy Fellow Ed DeSeve
About the Academy Session

Speakers

Eli Lehrer

CEO, R Street
Marc Dunkelman

Research Fellow, Brown University’s A. Alfred Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions
G. Edward DeSeve

Academy Fellow and Coordinator of the Agile Government Center at the National Academy of Public Administration, City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

1:45–2:35 p.m

AI and the Future of Government

2:40-3:00 p.m.

Closing Plenary - Admiral Linda Fagan

Awarding of the George Graham Award for Exceptional Service to the Academy

Speaker

Linda Fagan

Former Commandant of the Coast Guard

How We Help

What We Do

Resources

Events

National Conference

About the Conference

Big challenges demand bold collaboration. Join leaders from across the public administration community at the Academy's National Conference from November 8-10, 2026 for a dynamic conference focused on connection, learning, and impact.

This conference will include:

Engaging discussions from distinguished speakers on key issues for public administrators

Continuing education and professional development opportunities

Celebrations of excellence through award programs and the induction of the 2026 class of Fellows

Key updates on the Academy's initiatives and priorities

Valuable opportunities for connection and collaboration

To view the full Conference agenda at a glance, click the Agenda tab at the top of this page.

Learn more about sponsoring the conference

Registration Information

Venue, Hotel, and Travel Information

All three days of the conference including pre-conference sessions will take place at the National Academy of Sciences Building, at 2101 Constitution Ave NW, Washington DC 20418.

For attendees coming from out of town, we invite you to stay in the nearby Hotel Hive or River Inn. You can book your stay at these hotels for a discounted rate until Tuesday, October 13.

Hotel Hive is a 10 minute walk (0.5 mile), and River Inn is a 20 minute walk (0.9 mile) from the National Academy of Sciences building.

Book at the River Inn

Book at Hotel Hive

We've put together an exciting lineup for this year's conference! To see the full agenda, select the Agenda tab at the top of this page.

Featured Speakers

Tim Kaine

Paul Lawrence

Eric Ueland

Interested in Sponsoring?

Accessibility/Questions

Sunday, November 8

Monday, November 9

Tuesday, November 10