SPA Public Service Speaker Series: The Current and Future State of Public Service

About

The UCF School of Public Administration proudly presents our next Public Service Speaker Series. Advisory board members and alumni Donna Walsh (MPA), Steven Lerner (EM), and Emily Bush (URP) will participate in a panel discussion on what drew them into public service, how working in these sectors has changed, what the future might hold, and the likely impact of the November election results on those serving the public in Florida. Networking/light refreshments will start at 5:30pm Panel discussion will start at 6:00pm About the Speakers: Donna Walsh recently returned to public health in March 2025 as a Senior Health Services Analyst and Community Chief Health Strategist for the Florida Department of Health in Orange County after serving as the President & CEO of Shepherd's Hope from 2023-2025 since retiring as the Health Officer for the Florida Department of Health in Seminole County. She was appointed as Assistant County Health Department Director in Strategic Leadership Team under the direction of Dr. Robert Karch. She serves as a member of the UCF Public Administration Advisory Board. Steven Lerner serves as Division Manager at Seminole County Emergency Management, where he leads efforts to advance community preparedness, operational readiness, and resilience. He holds a bachelor's degree in public administration with a minor in Emergency Management from the University of Central Florida and a master's degree in Public Safety and Service Leadership from Drury University. He serves as the Chair of the UCF Emergency and Crisis Management Advisory Board. Emily Bush, AICP, CPM, earned her M.S. in Urban and Regional Planning from UCF, where she now teaches as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Public Administration and has received both the UCF Alumni Achievement Award and the Exemplary Public Service Leadership Award. Her career spans roles as Development Services Manager and Chief Planner for the City of Casselberry, and Executive Director of Bike Walk Central Florida, and today she is the Founding Principal of Lightwing Strategies and serves on the Volusia County Planning and Land Development Review Commission. She serves as a member of the UCF Urban and Regional Planning Advisory Board.

• 🤝 Networking

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