Forum to focus on careers in local government

Public administration professionals will discuss opportunities for career advancement in local government in Massachusetts and across New England during a public virtual event on Nov. 15 sponsored by the Boston chapter of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, the Master of Public Administration program at UMass Boston and the Collins Center for Public Management at UMass Boston.

The discussion will show that opportunities are especially present in smaller communities, which need younger and more diverse professionals more than ever.

Massachusetts, like other states in the Northeast, is facing decreasing rates of population growth, and even population decline in smaller towns and rural areas. The state is also grappling with an ongoing and intensifying shortage of professionals in municipal government, as long-serving employees retire and relocate.

Cities and towns increasingly need to recruit and retain younger and more diverse professionals, especially in areas such as municipal finance and information technology, and to do so in an era of increased mistrust of government and limited funding for municipal operations.

The event will run from noon to 1 p.m.

Featured speakers are:
• Brianna Sunryd, Public Services Manager, Collins Center at UMass Boston, and former Director of Communication and Civic Innovation, town of Amherst
• Mohammed Uddin, Management Analyst, Office of Budget Management, city of Boston
• Michael Ward, Director, Collins Center for Public Management, McCormack Graduate School, UMass Boston

The moderator is Carlisle Town Administrator Ryan McLane.

Registration is available online.

This event is supported by the Northern New England chapter of the American Society for Public Administration, the Massachusetts Municipal Management Association and Small Town Administrators of Massachusetts.

For questions about this event, contact Michael Johnson at michael.johnson@umb.edu or Mike Ward at michael.ward@umb.edu.