Budgets at every level of government are stretched, and the need for services—particularly in communities hit hard by the recession—is growing. At the same time, many government programs struggle to identify and retain quality “talent”—the human capital that is often the deciding factor in their success or failure. National service is a critical strategy in solving these challenges.
When agencies and individual programs invest in national service, they create opportunities to do much more with existing resources, as well as integrate resources across government agencies. Furthermore, service has been shown to draw high quality talent to public service fields; these individuals add immediate value to the programs of which they are a part, and they represent next-generation leaders and innovators. Service is a tool to improve program outcomes and meet national goals in such areas as helping students succeed, reducing poverty, emergency preparedness, and conservation.
Please join the Center for American Progress and Voices for National Service for a discussion of established and emerging models of agency partnerships such as the recently created FEMA Corps’ successful efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and the City of Baltimore’s innovative approach to substance-abuse recovery.
Introduction:
Joy Moses, Center for American Progress
Panel:
AnnMaura Connolly, President, Voices for National Service
Vu Dang, Chief Service Officer, Baltimore City
Alex Amparo, Deputy Assistant Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency
Moderator:
Shirley Sagawa, Visiting Fellow, Center for American Progress
Closing Remarks:
Wendy Spencer, CEO, Corporation for National and Community Service