Dear Colleagues and Friends,
On behalf of the citizens of Austin, we welcome members of the National Forum
for Black Public Administrators (NFBPA)
and your distinguished guests to Austin,
Texas. It is truly an honor to be the host
city of this important Symposium, which is
focused on training and development of
public servants. We commend NFBPA for their dedication and
commitment to serving our ever changing communities.
This year’s Symposium theme, “Time For Change: Equipping
You With The Tools To Succeed” is apropos as states, cities and
counties across the country are faced with limited resources
and an increased number of anticipated retirements
.To this end, it is imperative that we collectively develop
and implement strategies that enhance the skills and abilities
of our future workforce. As public administrators, I encourage
you to bring your best thinking to the general sessions and
workshops at this symposium and devise a tactical plan for
managing our challenges.
While in Austin, I invite you also to experience our city. In the state capital of Texas, we pride ourselves on being far from ordinary. In fact, we celebrate being “weird.” Austin is a hot spot of creativity and embraces its community of musicians, artists, entrepreneurs and progressive thinkers.
We’re home to a singer named Willie, a cyclist named Lance, an Oscar winner named Sandra and a Longhorn steer named Bevo. We’re known for being the Live Music Capital of the World®, a title that we take pretty seriously with nearly
200 live music venues. But that’s not all that forms our landscape. As the gateway to the Texas Hill Country, rolling hills and sparkling waterways abound in Austin. And each night during the summer, we gather to watch 1.5 million
bats take flight from underneath the Ann Richards Congress
Avenue Bridge.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to gather with leading
voices in leadership development, attend educational and
inspiring workshops and hear engaging discussions. Lastly, our
Tex Mex and Barbeque are great!
See you soon in Austin!

Lee Leffingwell, Mayor, City of Austin, Texas
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