By Tera Hannah
The USC Price School of Public Policy in Sacramento recently signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Asian Pacific State Employees Association to develop APSEA’s biennial leadership symposium and quarterly training workshops for its members and guests.
Founded in 1971, APSEA is a non-profit organization that offers career advancement services for its members and promotes the betterment of the Asian Pacific Islander community.
The MOU is the result of the partnership between APSEA and USC. Paul Danczyk, director of executive education in Sacramento, served on the steering committee and presented in the association’s inaugural symposium – “Navigating Leadership Challenges and EEO [Equal Employment Opportunity] in a Changed World” – which took place in November.
“This partnership models the best in collaborative practices,” noted Danczyk, “as it brings together professional expertise from multiple organizations to strengthen public service.”
More than 200 state employees attended the first APSEA leadership symposium at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) auditorium in Sacramento. The event was emceed by Selvi Stanislaus, executive officer of the Franchise Tax Board, and featured several keynote speakers, including State Controller John Chiang and State Personnel Board President Maeley Tom.
Attendees had the option of participating in two tracks. The leadership track featured a panel on leadership paradigms, as well as a secretaries’ roundtable panel on leadership and innovation. Concurrently, the equal opportunity employment track covered sexual harassment prevention training and recent legislative changes and court decisions, and concluded with a directors’ roundtable panel on EEO best practices.