I attended the session Immigration from a Local Government Perspective yesterday. This is certainly a pressing topic not only in our nation but internationally as well. Although the issue has been somewhat ignored in the presidential race as of late, it is certainly something that local governments cannot ignore. It was interesting to hear from Dr. Nadia Rubaii-Barrett about the paper she is writing on immigration and local governments; I look forward to reading it when the final draft is posted on the ICMA website. I also enjoyed hearing from two practitioners to learn about the unique ways in which their organizations have dealt with the issue. Public administrators in all areas must find innovative ways to deal with this issue, which will certainly require creativity and the ability to reach out to residents from all walks of life.
Last night was my class’s first KU MPA alumni event. At the banquet we introduced ourselves to the graduates of the program. It was exciting for all of us to meet so many accomplished graduates, and to experience the camaraderie that exists among graduates and supporters of the program.
I hope that everybody is finding the conference to be an enriching experience!
