Introducing the Public Service Leadership Institute

Date

June 15, 2022 | Updated on June 17, 2022

Authors

Elyse Martin-Smith

Tags

On Wednesday, June 8, 110 attendees celebrated the launch of the Public Service Leadership Institute at the Partnership’s Washington, D.C., office. The kickoff event included a panel discussion featuring current and former government leaders.

Andrew Marshall, the Partnership’s vice president of leadership development, introduces the Public Service Leadership Institute.

The institute builds on our more than a decade’s worth of experience working in the leadership development space, offering training programs for federal employees, offices and teams, amplifying the importance of public service leadership through research and commentary, and working to create a single standard for federal leadership through the Public Service Leadership Model. These efforts will significantly help the Partnership achieve its mission of building a better government and a stronger democracy.

The day started with an opportunity for guests and speakers to connect with each other and network. One guest said that attending the event offered the chance to draw “inspiration from people who are committed to helping the government be the best it can be on behalf of the nation.”

Panel on the importance of public service leadership

“Good leadership is the most effective driver for effective government,” said Andrew Marshall, the Partnership’s vice president of leadership development, as he introduced our panel of great leaders.

In a discussion moderated by Marketplace correspondent Nancy Marshall-Genzer, five esteemed panelists shared their journey into public service and examined how developing effective leaders is key to our government’s success. Our panel featured the following public servants:

Adrianne Todman, deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Retired Maj. Gen. of the U.S. Marine Corps Charlie Bolden, former administrator of NASA.
Dr. Francis Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health and current science advisor to the president.
John Tien, deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
Steve Preston, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries, and former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

From left: Charlie Bolden, former administrator of NASA, Francis Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health, and Steve Preston, former secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, discuss the importance of public service during our panel.

John Tien (middle), deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security speaks during the panel discussion. Adrianne Todman (left), deputy secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development listens.

During the panel, Deputy Secretary Todman identified three key factors to fostering a productive and inclusive workforce at HUD: “Intentionality, using our mission to really attract the talent that we want to have, and then keeping and nurturing that talent to make sure that people feel like they have opportunities to grow and learn.”

These ideas are exactly what the Public Service Leadership Institute will promote across our government in the years to come.

To hear more from our panel, watch the event recording on our YouTube channel. To learn more about the Public Service Leadership Institute, listen to our latest podcast episode, “A New Home for Public Service Leaders.”