Immigration impact takes center stage

Government leaders and a vast array of public sector managers face decisions involving immigration every day. Hundreds of staffers and department chiefs grapple with legal, ethical, growth and diversity issues, as they strive for the best outcomes for their communities.

The practical implications of immigration legislation and other related public safety, social welfare and infrastructure issues will all be on the table Sept. 26-28, when ASU’s Bob Ramsey Executive Education Program plays host to “Immigration and the Public Sector: Your World is Changing – How do you Respond?”

More than 200 public officials, national immigration experts and academics from across the southwestern United States are expected to attend. State, city and regional agency directors, department heads, chief deputies and managers will join school superintendents, university officials, elected officials and senior staff who report to elected officials to share research, evidence-based practices, and insights into how the public sector can respond to the impacts of immigration and immigration policies.

Harold “Bud” Hodgkinson, director of the Center for Demographic Policy at the Institute for Educational Leadership in Washington, D.C., will present the keynote address, titled “Framing the big-picture demographics of immigration in the Southwest.” His work has focused attention on the effects of population growth, poverty and diversity on the public sector.

Other conference speakers include Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard; Alfredo Gutierrez, principal, Tequida & Gutierrez; Richard De Uriarte, columnist, Arizona Republic; and Eliseo Medina, executive vice president, Service Employees International Union, to name a few.

“We are on the crest of immense societal change,” says Catherine Eden, director of the Bob Ramsey Executive Education Center. “This conference offers the deep dialogue about immigration and its implications that our civic leaders need to navigate. Regional leaders will also gain new expertise and networks to tap into as these critical national issues evolve in their own communities.”

The conference will take place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, located at 2535 W. Peoria Ave. in Phoenix. For conference details and registration, call (602) 496-1300 or visit the Web site http://ramseyexecutive.asu.edu/zi1/immigration-2007.