Seattle -- 3rd Session

My day started much like most other days, well with the exception that it started in Seattle. I had breakfast and read the newspaper at the local Starbucks -- there was literally another Starbucks across the street. Really?

I scoped out the presentations that I wanted to attend on Saturday, Friday evening -- have I ever told you about the 6Ps? It is a rule of life -- most of my former employees and students know it. It means Prior Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. So, I was ready and primed to listen and learn. One of the topics I explored in my dissertation research was Public Service Motivation (PSM) -- the basic premise of this theory is that people who work in the public sector are motivated intrinsically more than someone who would prefer to work in the private sector (extrinsically). So, I attended a presentation on Motivation in the Public Sector. The conversation was excellent and the topics very germane to what motivates people to work for the public.

Then I attended a discussion on CJ in Public Administration -- there were several presentations in this area...all very interesting. The presentation that garnered a great deal of attention and conversation was on immigration issues, especially related to Muslims. The interesting thing about the research is that economic independence -- in other words the ability to make money and thrive in a community (country) -- was found to be most positively correlated to assimilation. Let me just say that the conversation was very energized.

I bumped into one of the most interesting academics I have had the pleasure of knowing, Dr. Jim Alexander, Texas Woman University. He is such a nice man. So, we headed over to the MOHAI (Museum of History and Industry) for the welcoming reception. What a nice place to visit -- full of artifacts related to industrial history.

The day was full of exploration, explanation and education. In other words, enlightening opportunities.

To summarize, I heard presentations relative to GIS, PSM, crisis management,  WEBEoC, 3-strikes punishment processes in Florida, EBOLA crisis in Dallas and immigration assimilation. All from well respected academics and Ph.D. candidates. In totality, a full day.

Tomorrow, I will report on my adventures Sunday. Stay tuned.

Dr. GM Cox
Director, MPA Program and
Asst. Professor
School of Criminology, Criminal Justice
    and Strategic Studies
Tarleton State University