Please note that this event is open only to current WHLDP fellows and alumni.
The National Academy of Public Administration (the Academy) has developed a partnership with you, the alumni of White House Leadership Development Program (WHLDP), over the course of FY 2023. The Academy is an independent, non-partisan institution of top policy and management leaders who tackle the most critical, timely and challenging problems facing government. Established in 1967 and chartered by Congress, our organization is trusted across government to be objective and to find practical, innovative solutions by bringing the best thinking and experience to bear on government problems. Our unique feature is nearly 1,000 distinguished Fellows, who guide and lead the institution and its work. Among our Fellows are former cabinet officers; members of Congress; governors, mayors, and state legislators; and distinguished career public administrators, scholars, and business executives.
As an alum of the prestigious WHLDP program, you have made a valuable investment in your career of service to the federal government. The Academy’s Fellows and staff seek to further this investment by giving you the ability to interact with leaders who are addressing the most important governmental and societal challenges, including through such new tools such as agile management. The challenges to be addressed in this program—built along the core concepts of a “Master Class”—are some of those embodied in the Grand Challenges in Public Administration, the President’s Management Agenda, the Federal Learning Agenda, and the Federal Workforce Priorities.
Over the course of the year, the program will provide you with an opportunity to:
At each session, we will have 1 or more high-profile speakers who are experts in a particular challenge discuss the current situation, identify lessons learned from their careers, and dialogue with participants about the best ways to address these issues. Participants will have an opportunity to discuss the challenges among themselves in groups, and the Academy staff will identify resources to assist the groups.
We invite you to attend the next session on Friday, September 15, 2023. The business portion of this virtual meeting will start at 12 pm Eastern and conclude at 1 pm Eastern.
This session will consist of:
Please join us for this session! If you have any questions, you may reach out to Joe Mitchell, the Academy’s Director of Strategic Initiatives and International Programs (jmitchell@napawash.org).
BIOGRAPHIES OF SPEAKERS
Brenna Isman, Director of Academy Studies
Ms. Isman has worked at the Academy since 2008. She oversees Academy studies, providing strategic leadership, project oversight, and subject matter expertise to the project study teams. Before this, she was a Project Director managing projects focused on organizational governance and management, strategic planning, and change management. Her research engagements have included working with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and multiple regulatory and Inspector General offices. Before joining the Academy, Ms. Isman was a Senior Consultant for the Ambit Group and a Consultant with Mercer Human Resource Consulting. Ms. Isman holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from American University and a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Human Resource Management from the University of Delaware.
Mark Hertko, Senior Research Analyst
Mark Hertko is an experienced educator who has also worked in the environmental and business management industry. He’s worked at the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the Defenders of Wildlife. He worked as an Analyst and Project Director at the National Academy of Public Administration before becoming a high school science teacher in New York City and later in Greenville, SC. He rejoined the Academy in December 2022 as a Senior Research Analyst. Over his career, he’s worked on a wide range of Academy projects, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Department of Homeland Security—US Coast Guard; Department of Interior—National Park Service; Environmental Protection Agency’s National Center for Environmental Innovation, Office of Environmental Information, Office of Water, Office of Environmental Justice, Office of Air and Radiation; Corporation for National and Community Service; and the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. He holds a Master of Science Teaching from Pace University, an MA in Environmental Studies from the University of Illinois Springfield, and a BA in Biology and Environmental Science from Monmouth College.
Joseph P. Mitchell, Director of Strategic Initiatives & International Programs
Dr. Mitchell leads the Academy’s thought leadership activities. He runs the Grand Challenges in Public Administration campaign and the Agile Government Center, facilitates high impact strategic planning sessions with public agencies, manages the Academy’s externally sponsored events, and oversees the Center for Intergovernmental Partnerships. Previously, at the General Services Administration, he worked with other leaders in the Office of Government-wide Policy to stand up the Office of Shared Solutions and Performance Improvement and led a team responsible for cross-agency efforts in support of the President’s Management Agenda. Before serving at GSA, he led the Academy’s organizational studies program, managed projects requested by the U.S. Congress and agencies, and served as a senior analyst on reviews of a wide array of agencies across the federal government. He received a Fed 100 Award in 2022 for his contributions to increasing the agility of the federal government and moderated a joint series with the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee that received the Public/Private Partnership Award from the Council of Inspectors General (CIGIE). He is completing a second term on the National Science Foundation’s Business and Operations Advisory Committee. He holds a Ph.D. from the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, a Master of International Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a BA in History from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. He’s currently completing an Executive Certificate in Public Leadership at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.