National Association of State Personnel Directors

National Association of State Personnel Directors
Name	National Association of State Personnel Directors
Abbreviation	NASPD
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Region served	United States
Membership	State human resources leaders
Leader title	President
Formation	1960s

Contents

National Association of State Personnel Directors is a professional association representing senior public sector human resources executives from the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories. The organization convenes policy forums, technical assistance, and peer networks linking leaders from agencies such as the Office of Personnel Management (United States), California Department of Human Resources, New York State Department of Civil Service, Texas Human Resources offices, and the Florida Department of Management Services. NASPD engages with federal entities, state legislatures, and national organizations including the National Governors Association, Council of State Governments, National Association of Counties, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and the Government Accountability Office.

History

NASPD traces roots to mid‑20th century efforts by personnel chiefs in states like California, New York, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois to standardize civil service practices. Early conferences featured collaborations with the Civil Service Commission (United States), the International Personnel Management Association, and academics from institutions such as Harvard Kennedy School, Columbia University, and the University of Michigan. During the 1970s and 1980s NASPD engaged on reform agendas alongside the National Academy of Public Administration, responded to federal statutes like the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, and exchanged models with provincial counterparts in Canada and national bodies such as the Australian Public Service Commission. In the 1990s the association worked with the Clinton administration on reinventing public sector management and later partnered with the Obama administration on workforce modernization and healthcare implementation.

NASPD’s mission emphasizes workforce recruitment, classification, compensation, and performance systems for state executive branches. It provides comparative data to legislative staffs in bodies like the United States Congress, state legislatures in California State Legislature, New York State Legislature, and Texas Legislature and supplies technical guidance for compliance with statutes such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Functions include facilitating benchmarking with agencies such as the Office of Management and Budget (United States), publishing model policies used by the Michigan Civil Service Commission and the Georgia Department of Administrative Services, and coordinating crisis staffing in partnership with entities like Federal Emergency Management Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Membership comprises directors and senior staff from state personnel offices, including representatives from the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The association organizes committees reflecting professional areas found in agencies such as the Arizona Department of Administration, Massachusetts Human Resources Division, and Washington State Office of Personnel Management. Regional caucuses mirror divisions used by the National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Conference of State Legislatures, enabling coordination across jurisdictions like the Southeastern Conference and the Pacific Coast Conference. Affiliate relationships include partnerships with the American Society for Public Administration, National Association of State Chief Information Officers, National Association of State Budget Officers, and the International Public Management Association for Human Resources.

NASPD runs professional development and policy research programs modeled after offerings at the Brookings Institution, Aspen Institute, and RAND Corporation. Initiatives have included talent attraction campaigns coordinated with the Department of Veterans Affairs and apprenticeship efforts aligned with the Department of Labor and the ApprenticeshipUSA program. The association administers executive leadership academies drawing faculty from Syracuse University, Indiana University Bloomington, Georgetown University, and the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. NASPD produces model hiring practices used by the Minnesota Department of Administration and data toolkits referencing measures used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pew Charitable Trusts, and the Urban Institute.

Governance follows a board model with officers elected from member states, mirroring structures used by the National Governors Association and the Council of State Governments; past chairs have included state directors from California, Ohio, Georgia, and Colorado. The board appoints standing committees and task forces similar to those in the National Academy of Public Administration and consults with policy advisors from universities such as University of Southern California and Princeton University. NASPD convenes an annual conference attracting commissioners, legislators, and federal officials from agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Social Security Administration.

Funding derives from member dues, grants from foundations such as the Pew Charitable Trusts and Ford Foundation, and cooperative agreements with federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Education. NASPD engages in contract work with private vendors that serve state systems, commonly used by the IBM Corporation, Oracle Corporation, Accenture, and Deloitte. Research collaborations have been conducted with think tanks like the Heritage Foundation, Center for American Progress, Brookings Institution, and the Urban Institute, while workforce policy dialogues include stakeholder representation from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, National Federation of Independent Business, and the Chamber of Commerce of the United States.

Category:Public administration Category:Professional associations based in the United States