ISSUED: (Friday, February 22, 2019 13:55 PM)
SEVERE WEATHER ANNOUNCEMENT
For Saturday, Feb. 23: all on-campus classes are canceled, and campus buildings will be closed. Scheduled activities, unless otherwise noted, are also canceled.
More Information CLOSEXPublic Service Stories
Ask Me Why I Care
To that end, we have collected the stories of 23 people in public service. These are committed, successful, even heroic public servants who care deeply about the impact they have on the lives, hopes and dreams of citizens. We are making the videos of these stories available to middle school, high school, college/university faculty, students, and guidance counselors. We want to show students and others looking for a meaningful career that public service is not only worth their consideration, but may be the best way for them to make a real difference in our world.
Ask Me WHY I Care: Public Service Stories was premiered at the 75th Anniversary Celebration of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) in March 2014 in Washington, DC. With the sponsorship of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service of the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), the following were presented at the ASPA celebration:
- An original story, Ode to Public Service, written and performed by Rita Paskowitz, Professional Storyteller and Co-Director of this project.
- Four videos of quotes from interviews by the UNO Project Team, the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), and the Texas City Management Association. Each video focuses on a specific theme: Public Service; Healthcare; Leadership; and ASPA 75th Anniversary Tribute.
Dr. Mary Hamilton and Ms. Rita Paskowitz are co-directors of the Ask Me Why I Care project.
Start using the videos right away! Links below will take you to four sets of videos focusing on four major areas of public service.
1) Budget and Financial Management
2) Health and Human Services
3) Transportation and Emergency Services
4) Public Safety
Thank You!
This project would not have been possible without the support of Dean John Bartle, UNO College of Public Affairs and Community. We also appreciate the support and contributions of the following organizations:
American Society for Public Administration (ASPA)
National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA)
Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA)
International City/County Management Association (ICMA)
Virtual Museum of Public Service (VMPS)
National Certified Public Manager® Consortium
We thank them for their commitment to public service and to those who serve.

Give us your feedback!
We would love to hear what you think about these videos, our suggested assignments, or the state of the union! We’d also love to hear about the creative ways you are using them!!
Click the arrow below to let us know.
More InformationContact Us
- Deans Office
- 6001 Dodge Street, 109 CPACS
- Omaha, Nebraska 68182
- Phone: 402.554.2276
- Fax: 402.554.4871
Our Campus. Otherwise Known as Omaha.
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