Each spring semester students, faculty, alumni and alumnae are invited to attend the MPA Dinner. Our first annual MPA Dinner was held in Spring 2001. The dinner is a chance to honor the students graduating that academic year as well to welcome back our alumni and alumnae for a visit. A special feature of the event is to hear a talk from a public sector leader who has a distinguished record of service.
The list of previous speakers include:
2012: Lester A. Salamon, Ph.D.
Professor at The Johns Hopkins University & Director of the Center for Civil Society Studies at The Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies.
2011: MaryAnn E. Tierney
Regional Administrator for the US Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Region III office (Philadelphia, PA)
2010: Camille Cates Barnett, Ph.D.
Managing Director for the City of Philadelphia
2009: Arthur Haywood
Executive Vice President and Legal Counsel of Esperanza, one of the largest Hispanic Faith-Based networks in the country.
2008: Basil L. Merenda
Commissioner of the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs; Villanova alumnus (Undergraduate & School of Law).
2007: Ms. Karen Kaskey
Executive Director of PennSERVE: The Governor's Office of Citizen Service; Villanova alumnus (School of Law).
2006: The Honorable Marwan Kreidie
Chair of the Pennsylvania Civil Service Commission; Executive Director of the Philadelphia Arab-American Development Corporation.
2005: Mr. Robert Gest III
Air Force Colonel (retired); More than 43 years managerial experience with the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Federal Executive Institute, and Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles.
2004: Dr. John DeFlaminis
Executive Director of the Center for Educational Excellence at the University of Pennsylvania; Retired Superintendent of the Radnor Public School System.
2003: The Honorable John Gartland
Director of Congressional Relations for the U.S. Office of Personnel Management; Villanova alumnus (Undergraduate).
2002: Mr. Sam Katz
CEO of Greater Philadelphia First; Republican Mayoral Candidate in Philadelphia.
2001: The Honorable John T. Martino
Superintendent of the United States Mint in Philadelphia 1989-1993.
