Message From Professor Meyer:

There are a large number of people who contributed greatly to PADM 282, Comparative Management and Policy Analysis in a Global Context (Sustainability and Change) course. First, I want to thank all the class participants who worked so diligently in arranging programs for the domestic and international programs. This was a difficult chore and required in many instances a great deal of correspondence and patience. The course, however, is made successful based on the quality and type of programs we have scheduled and on behalf of the entire class. I especially thank those who worked on making these arrangements. I want everyone to know that those who labored so earnestly and patiently in the pursuit of identifying quality programs at home and abroad, how important you have been to the overall success of this course, and for that you deserve special appreciation.

Jeff Geerts and Ann Anhalt once again contributed to the overall program development by suggesting topics for both the domestic and international portions of the course and going beyond what could be expected of anyone in attending the dozen or so pre-planning sessions before the class officially began and for spending countless hours on assisting learners identify “Award Winning Programs” programs nationally and overseas. In addition, they helped us immensely with the scheduling of activities; they were always there for everyone in the class when they needed help for consultation and advice, and, whenever I was not available, they were there and provided help in an uncommonly cheerful manner. This year we are sorry that Jeff will not be able to join us, not only because he is a wonderful colleague and travel companion, but additionally because he put in so much time, energy and talent in making this course successful. Although Jeff is not going to be with us in Europe, he sends us off with this admonition: “It takes longer than you think!” and “Get immersed in the culture and find a quaint place to relax and reflect about things important!” We plan to follow his advice, and do the many exciting things he has proposed.

Lance Noe and Ann Anhalt also kept us all on track with their many memorandums outlining what needed to be done and the deadlines that had to be met. For many of us, these deadlines came all too quickly! I cannot show an appropriate amount of gratitude that is required to thank them for preparing the many agendas, distributing them, running interference between many committees, working on the itinerary, making phone calls, sending e-mails, helping with the assembly of the Portfolio, and arranging for speakers. On behalf of the class, I give them our special thanks. I always valued their suggestions, especially when they both admonished me to “...keep on target and make your introductory and instructional remarks precise and short!” Unfortunately, Jeff will not be physically with us during our study abroad experience, but we can all be assured that in spirit she will be way out-in-front of us—leading us all on to new experiences and insights.

In addition, I want to personally thank Professors Lance Noe and Alan Zagoren for the assistance and support which they have given to this course and to the entire MPA program. Working with colleagues of this quality only enhances the enjoyment of teaching at Drake University; most of all, however, they do everything in their power to make the “Drake learning experience” an exceptional and caring one in every way. Everyone is delighted that Lance and Debbie Noe and Alan Zagoren will be joining us on this learning adventure. Additionally, I want to thank Danielle Fassbender, Office of Professional Studies, who helped us arrange the many wonderful programs throughout Germany and we applaud her for what she has contributed to the course. The initial contacts and confirmation of programs took many long distance telephone calls, letters, and e-mails. I also want to thank Ann Anhalt who took care that all of the class photos were taken, compiled and presented for the abbreviated biographies which appear in the Portfolio. Ann’s graciousness continues as she supports this program from year to year, and once again, she will take photos of our presentations and the places we visit in Europe. This year, her efforts are being ably augmented by those in the class who will also take pictures throughout the course ranging from our initial orientation meeting to the our domestic programs and study abroad experiences. They will be compiled and presented on a CD that you will come to cherish. Together, the class salutes the work which these colleagues have given so freely to the class. .

Further, I want to thank Alan and Lance for the wonderful presentation they presented on the administration of evil and on Auschwitz-Birkenau (in Berlin). They did so with just the right combination of facts, historical insight and humanistic perspective to make a lasting impression. They are thanked now for the discussion they will lead on the same topic on our road trip from Krakow to the camp. Professor Noe did a stellar job in presenting the history of London and Amsterdam and Professor Zagoren did a superb job on making us all excited about our visit to Venice.

Also, on behalf of the class I wish to once more thank Ann Anhalt who once again developed and facilitated the website. All members of the class valued her numerous courteous and professional contributions during the class and especially the way she managed and “perfected” the SMaRT Website. Additionally, she displayed a protracted interest in the learners participating in this course and attended all of the class sessions. To have colleagues that are enthusiastic about learning and who desire to be actively involved in discussing issues that transcend their own specializations is a rare treat, and the fact that Ann and the other community resource specialists (Professor Richard Strong, Richard Dixon, Jean Brown, Ken Greethurst James Neylon, and others) joined us this year further enriched our learning experiences, and for that we are thankful. I must also single out and thank Dr. Zagoren for his presentation on Travel medicine that was so warmly received by the class and beneficial for this trip and others to come. In addition, Debbie and Lance Noe are thanked for the many tips they provided on how to ready ourselves and “pack light” for our overseas adventure. Debbie’s many travel experiences were welcomed by the class and her insights into what is needed on a twenty day trip was valued.

It is great to be surrounded by people who care, and that is certainly the case with Lew and Judy Boehnke, professional travel consultants with the The Travel Center. Once more, they assisted the class in making all the needed arrangements for lodging and travel (land and air). They once more administered to the group with ease and cheerfulness as they met the diverse needs of a large number of travelers who had many questions and concerns that needed to be addressed. On behalf of the class, I thank Lew and Judy for their contributions which helped make the travel itinerary more exciting.

Collectively, the background experiences of those acknowledged here, combined with their insightful analyses will make the trip more academically and professionally enriching.

Further, I want to thank the many domestic and international presenters who took time from their schedules to spend time with us discussing their programs. Of course, the class could not be conducted successfully without their contributions. Also, Pi Alpha Alpha—The National Honorary Society of Public Affairs and Administration (PAA) and the American Society of Public Administration (ASPA), Iowa Capitol Chapter, will host a dinner and award banquet in which this course will once again be featured and the topic “Sustainability and Change” will be presented to about fifty (70) academics, administrative professionals and policy makers.

This year, the list of “must see” attractions for all cities visited was most ably prepared by the Itinerary, Portfolio, and City Committees. If your “favorite place” is not on the list, it certainly wasn’t because of any lack of effort by these great committees!

The administrative support staff of CBPA helped the class prepare many of the documents and they were always competently pleasant when we needed their expertise and special services. Especially noteworthy was the contribution made by Daniela Fassbinder, Program Coordinator, Center for Professional Studies, College of Business and Public Administration. She was helpful when we ran into the inevitable “emergencies,” and made many improvements to the Portfolio. In addition, she helped with the layout and printing of the Portfolio and she did so with a sense of ease and carefulness. It is also noteworthy that two of our colleagues, Sara and Todd Kurovski did the front and back cover pages of our portfolio and they reflect not only our destinations, but some of the pictures of the most treasured sites we will be visiting. You will find these cover pages to be both attractive and professional looking. Finally, the resource specialists, travel consultants, and other guests contributed to our class in numerous ways and we are pleased that they will be joining us for our exciting mission of European discovery.

          This Portfolio of our SMaRT: Boundary Testing experiences was assembled with the able assistance of Ann Anhalt, Mary Butterwick, and host of “angels.” You will also find in the Portfolio a set of maps—one for each of the cities we visited, along with hotel information (so you can find your way home), and an abbreviated set of historic sites to visit, along with appropriate telephone numbers and addresses. These maps and brochures were assembled by our travel partner in europe. Collectively, we are most grateful to them for all the work they did in preparing us for our experience abroad. Also, Ann Anhalt spent a great deal of time organizing the process by which release statements, medical forms, and passports and other sundry forms, were gathered and prepared for the trip. In addition, Professor Noe was also most helpful in the collection of funds for the guided tours, and for that I am most appreciative. Together, those identified above, have assembled material that we focused upon while in the class and provided relevant examples of some of the material that students and presenters provided during the course.

         This year, like our last three Eurotrips, our limousine driver was Luggi! He is a wonderful man who is from Austria and he speaks about four or five different languages. He is a polite and knowledgeable driver and he navigates with great care and agility. As the tour of Europe unfolds, we all recognized him as a wonderful person and as we travel the highways and narrow, winding streets, he will become one of the most memorable persons on the tour. So, we welcomed Luggi once more to our group.

        We now end this acknowledgement with a cautionary tale that I hope our class members will remember: “There is a lot of turmoil and strife in the world today and Europe, like America, is in the thick of it all. Please remember that we are guests that are being hosted by the countries that we are visiting –countries that make up only a tiny portion of an entire European continent! As we depart for Europe, we are fully aware now of the magnitude of terror that has fallen upon the innocents of many cities around the world and we mourn their suffering and loss. Terrorism is designed to instill fear and uncertainty in society! When a nation is immobilized by fear, then the terrorists have partially succeeded in attaining their despicable goals. When the people associated with the tragedies in Beirut, Madrid, Baghdad, Scotland, Morocco, Istanbul, Oklahoma City, New York, and Washington, D.C., and a litany of other cities, came under violent attack, the world developed a greater awareness of the ravages associated with terrorism. We are all saddened when acts of inhumanity take place, not just because they produce injustice and suffering, but because they diminish us all as humans.

As we travel across the borders of many nation-states, please remember that we all have “baggage” that goes well beyond the luggage we have checked—that is, we will bring our beliefs, feelings, ideologies, customs, politics, religion, and selective appreciation of historical events with us. These elements will not be checked on our chartered bus or in our hotel rooms; instead, they will be our daily companion as we discuss events that are transpiring in Europe’s backyard. As discussions ensue with nationals of the countries we are visiting, and they will, please listen, be polite and courteous, use language that is professional, and be sensitive to the needs and expectations of others that most probably will at times be similar to or even quite different from your own. As you travel, be alert to any stereotypes that you may have concerning other governments, peoples, cultures, and belief systems. In the final analysis, I believe that travel can help us overcome attitudes of ethnocentrism, discrimination, and racism.

          Now relax, be patient, absorb the world around you and get ready for an experience that will truly be transformational in character. Oh, I nearly forgot, when we ascend the staircases, and they will at times seem endless, and when we climb the mountain trails that appear to reach to the heavens, will someone please pull me along with the tow-rope that will be attached to my waist?”

           Collaboration, cooperation, cohesion, and common goals are important attributes of any team or group efforts. This year, the members of the class universally contributed and responded with caring concern for one another. I cannot possible convey to you how impressed I am with your sustained interest in our selected policy areas and how courteous and grateful I know you will be when you meet representatives of programs from our host nations. One thing I know for sure: This class will do much to break down the image that is all too commonly perceived abroad—that is, the prototypical image of the “Ugly American.”

Also, as mentioned earlier, Ann Anhalt created a web site that is state of the art (see Home Page in Portfolio) and she contributed to the course in ways that are too numerous to recount now-- areas connected to instruction and technological support. Ann Anhalt received the MPA degree four years ago, and as a community resource specialist, she worked tirelessly on the Web Site and helped prepare all of the pictures for the domestic and international presentations, as well as the pictures and biographies for all class participants. She also prepared name tags, re-worked some of the executive summaries and performed other sundry, but essential, tasks and for that we give her our thanks.

Last, what can I possibly say that will reflect the deep gratitude that I have for your friendship and caring concern! Your participation in every phase of the SMART: Boundary Testing adventure was simply the best that is possible and it was an extraordinary delight to be with each of you on our domestic and overseas explorations. As this portfolio of executive summaries, debriefings, and other materials demonstrate, we are accomplishing the goals that you have collectively set out for the course. I have talked with the Web Site committee and everything will be brought together and placed on the website. At the end of the course, a hard copy of the portfolio will be available along with the indexed photo on CD-Rom.

          In The past, Gail and Alan Zagoren or Ann Anhalt hosted the class for the “Eurotrip Wrap-up” at their respective homes. They always open their homes to all of us and our guests and they do with such good humor and good will. The food and refreshments always rose to the occasion and the swimming pool was an alluring attraction—even to those who don’t take a mid-summer swim. Last year, Ann Anhalt welcomed all of us to her home and gave us much to celebrate. The CD-ROMs and other pictorial presentations will once again be set to music and we thank Ann Anhalt for her work in this area.

Bon Voyage and Bon Appetite,

C. Kenneth Meyer, Ph.D.,

Thomas F. Sheehan Distinguished Professor of Public Administration

FAREWELL LETTER FROM JEFF GEERTS

We have both enjoyed working with you on planning this trip and organizing the domestic and overseas programs. We are saddened by the fact that we can not join you on the study abroad portion of the course. We know that you will have a wonderful experience and will learn a lot. However, we have a few simple requests for you to consider while in Europe: 1. Immerse yourself in the culture. Visit with the locals and visit the local spots. 2. Ask a lot of questions at the programs. Engage the presenters in good discussion to get the most out of each program. I am always curious to know-- how they involve citizens, organizations and businesses as partners in their programs--how they gather the support necessary to implement their innovations; how they fund their programs; what the impacts have been on their community, economically, environmentally and socially; how they maintain community participation and partnerships once a program is up and running; what they would do differently if they could; what they see as the next innovation in their area of expertise; and, what programs or people do they look to for best practices. 3. Take a lot of pictures at the programs—we understand that Ryan has this task as a primary responsibility--and try to get copies of any presentations, pictures or slides they present. We are going to do a program on what is learned on this trip at an American Society for Public Administration meeting later on in the year.  

The excitement is mounting. You are about to depart on a wonderful life changing adventure. Enjoy the trip, make good friends, absorb as much of the various cultures as possible, learn a lot and share a lot with the people you meet. While on the trip, take time out to relax, enjoy your surroundings and think about how grand life is. Think about the people that have gone before you in these marvelous historic cities. Think of the kings, queens, musicians, artists, world leaders, lay persons and public administrators like yourselves that have walked down those cobbled streets, visited those castles and palaces, prayed in those churches and synagogues, played in those concert halls and participated in citizen movements ranging from protestations to revolutions as citizens changed a country forever. These are truly inspiring and awesome thoughts.

Have fun—Europe is a magnificent place to visit.

Jeff Geerts

Words of Wisdom from Ann Anhalt

Dr. Meyer would say, "This trip can not be done without a lot of hard and dedicated work by our group leaders: Lance, Lew, and Jeff. (not to mention Dr. Meyer and your trusty webmaster).

He would also say something like this, "Without you good people...that work so tirelessly to change the world (long story here), I can't thank you enough for your work to get such world class programs: Ann for Transport for London and the US Mission to the EU, Sara for London Wetlands, Jeff for Interpolis and the Western Gas Factory, Andrea for Dachau, Lance/Debbie/Daniela for the Berlin and BMW programs and Lew for getting the walking tours (and the side trip to a US Military Cemetery) arranged." He goes on and on....nothing new here.

As he is winding down, and the clock is ticking at 9 pm,he then "thanks the group in advance for their professionalism on this journey, their pledge to get to know your travel mates (aka no cliques)" and he pauses with a concern on his face,"when the journey becomes problematic, don't give up, seek him, Lance, Lew, Ann for support. That is why we are here." He then signs off with "This trip will forever change your life, how you see yourself, the world and I hope you come back with a commitment to make a difference, whether it be at home, your work or your community." At this point, Carole has her Kleenex out, sharing it with Ann.

So what brings me to work at 5:30? I wanted to test myself w/ my luggage. My goal is 40 pounds checked. With a few more items to pack, I can proudly say my suitcase weighs37.5 pounds. That feels good, but my empty case weighs 15.5. So that's only 22 pounds for clothes, ditty bag (for you military folks), 2 pairs of shoes. I may have to rethink my suitcase.

Enough said, off to IA City for the day and will be at Drake at 4:30 to finalize the portfolio or "compendium" as Dr. Meyer calls it. Looking forward to the cool cover by Sara and Todd.

Hope you had a good read (apologize for misspelling if there are any) and a good laugh (Sara, get back to work) and have a good day...."I'm just saying."

See everyone in London!

Ann Anhalt