2024年8月9日，俄州亚裔联盟（AACO）举办了2024年公共服务暑期实习生颁奖晚会，哥伦布市人力资源部主任克里斯托弗·摩西（Christopher Moses）作为主讲人，俄州家庭服务部副主任张晓雄（Eric Xiaoxiong Zhang）作为公共服务奖获得者，以及4名即将毕业的实习生出席了晚会： 阿丽莎·阿罗拉（Alisha Arora）、米歇尔·黄（Michelle Huang）、安吉拉·郑（Angela Zheng）和埃里克·郑（Eric Zheng）分别在俄亥俄州参议员赫尔塞尔·克雷格（Hearcel F. Craig）的办公室、富兰克林县审计长办公室、哥伦布市和华盛顿镇实习。摩西主任发表了感人至深的演讲，讲述了他从事公共服务的心路历程，他坚信公共服务的崇高性。他鼓励大家勇于承担责任，实现变革，因为 “我们就是我们所寻求的变革”。在实习生们分享了他们难忘的暑期经历后，张副主任带领大家宣誓在11月5日的大选中投出我们神圣的一票。
正式活动结束后，与会人员参观了实习生的海报展台，进一步了解了他们精彩的暑期经历。
下面是主讲人发言稿（中英文）：
晚上好，感谢您的热情介绍。感谢你们今晚在晚会上款待我。我非常荣幸能来到这里，向大家讲述公共服务的重要性。
首先，我要感谢俄州亚裔联盟AACO，尤其要感谢丘红和王文奎几个月前主动联系我，安排学生到我们哥伦布市政府进行这次公益实习。今年夏天，我有幸接待了 安吉拉（Angela Zheng），毫不夸张地说，她给我们办公室的每个人都留下了深刻印象。安吉拉是我们办公室的得力助手，有她在办公室工作真的很开心。因此，感谢安吉拉选择了本市，并在今年夏天接受了我们的工作挑战。我还要向安吉拉的父母致敬，感谢他们养育了这样一位可爱又聪明的女孩。事实上，也要感谢在座的各位家长，感谢你们做出牺牲，培养出如此有前途的年轻人。
今晚，我受邀来到这里，谈谈公共服务的重要性，对我而言，我想谈谈公共服务对我的意义。
这个话题对我来说既重要又包含个人感情。
我对公共服务的兴趣来自于我的父亲，他的职业生涯一直在联邦政府和州政府中度过。从小他就给我留下了公共服务的高尚烙印，并一直激励我为同胞服务。我父亲服务的领域是政治游说和政府服务。他经常提醒我们，公共服务是社会繁荣的基石。一个自由民主的社会要想繁荣昌盛，其民众就必须了解社会，并积极参与治理社会。他和我分享了我们的领导人的经验教训，特别是那些经常不畏极端环境、在危机中发挥领导作用、在艰难抉择中奋斗不止，甚至付出终极代价的领导人的经验教训。
肯尼迪总统说过："不要问你的国家能为你做什么，而要问你能为你的国家做什么。这一标志性的行动号召在今天仍然和他的时代一样具有现实意义。肯尼迪的挑战不仅是对公民参与的呼吁，更是深刻地提醒我们，国家、州和地方社区的力量取决于公民为共同利益做出贡献的意愿。
从本质上讲，公共服务就是要有所作为--无论是通过政策、社区参与，还是仅仅帮助需要帮助的邻居。
我父亲是我的英雄，他的教诲引导我选择了政治学专业。我觉得自己有责任改变现状。在州政府短暂任职后，我进入法学院学习，并迷上了工会和为工人服务。在代表工会和员工工作了几年后，我来到了哥伦布市人力资源部。在接下来的八年里，我一路晋升为人力资源部主任。
在哥伦布市工作是从事真正重要工作的机会。对我来说，我可以满足为哥伦布市民服务的员工的需求。这些公务员致力于打击犯罪、提供清洁的水、安全的道路和公园；他们致力于提供好工作和经济适用房；他们致力于降低婴儿死亡率、收集垃圾和应对紧急情况。仅举几例。
人力资源不仅仅是招聘和解雇，还要确保我们的员工拥有薪酬、资源、福利、保护和支持，不仅能够胜任工作，而且能够在工作中茁壮成长。
对我来说，公共服务不仅是一种职责，更是一种特权。能够说我生活在这座城市，为这座城市工作，为我的邻居服务，是我的荣幸。公共服务提供了一个独特的平台，可以带来积极的变化，直面我们社会所面临的挑战。
我们的工作就是要勇敢地面对这些挑战，并与不同的利益攸关方合作，特别是在危机时期，共同制定旨在造福所有人的解决方案。但我们的工作不仅仅是对问题做出反应，而是要积极主动地创造机会、促进创新，并确保我们的社区具有包容性和复原力。
“如果我们等待其他人或其他时间，变革就不会到来。我们就是我们一直在等待的人。我们就是我们所寻求的变革"。前总统奥巴马的致辞强调了个人行动的紧迫性以及我们在塑造未来过程中共同承担的集体责任。
让我明确一点--公共服务并不局限于民选官员或政府角色。它也与政治或某个政党无关。我们有责任成为参与其中的公民。我们每个人都可以发挥作用--无论是通过志愿服务、参与地方政府、服兵役、支持解决社会需求的倡议，还是仅仅参与到本组织中，像你们一样相互支持。
我们的行动，无论多么微小，都很重要，都能为更大的公民利益做出贡献。我们每个人都有能力影响我们的社区，努力建设一个更加公平和公正的社会。
最后，请允许我引用另一句话。泰迪·罗斯福总统曾说过："人生最好的奖赏，就是有机会努力从事值得做的工作。你们都非常聪明，才华横溢，无论你们做什么，都会带来丰富的价值。在你们完成学业并考虑自己的未来时，请牢记公共服务的崇高性。
谢谢你们！
英文原文：
Good evening and thank you for the warm introduction. Thank you for hosting me at your gala tonight. I’m truly honored to be here and speak to you about the importance of public service.
First, I want to thank the Asian American Coalition of Ohio, especially to Hong and Vincent for reaching out to me months ago and arranging this public service internship with the City of Columbus. I had the pleasure of hosting Angela this summer and I’m not exaggerating when I say she impressed everyone in our office. Angela was wonderful to supervise and she was truly a joy to have in the office. So thank you Angela, for choosing the City and putting up with us this summer. I also want to send kudos to Angela’s parents, for raising such a delightful and bright young woman. In fact, to all of the parents here, thank you for your sacrifices and raising such promising young people.
I was asked to be here tonight to talk about the importance of Public Service and for me, to talk about what it means to me.
This is a subject that is both critical and personal to me.
My interest for public service came from my father who spent his career in and around federal and state government. He impressed upon me the nobility of public service and the call to serve your fellow man from an early age. My father’s vessel of service was politics, lobbying and government service. He was quick to remind us that public service is the bedrock of a thriving society. For a free and democratic society to prosper, its populace needs to be informed, engaged and active in its governance. He shared with me the lessons of our leaders and in particular those who often braved extreme circumstances, lead through crises, toiled with excruciating decisions and some who even paid the ultimate price.
John F. Kennedy said “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.” This iconic call to action remains as relevant today as it was in his era. Kennedy‘s challenge was not just a plea for civic involvement but a profound reminder that the strength of our nation, state and local communities depend on the willingness of its citizens to contribute to the common good.
Public service, in its essence, is about making a difference—whether through policy, community engagement, or simply helping a neighbor in need.
It was the lessons of my father, my hero, which led me to my major, political science. I felt called to make a difference. After a brief stint in state government, I went to law school, and became enamored with labor unions and serving workers. After a few years representing labor unions and employees, I landed at the City of Columbus, and in the Department of Human Resources. Over the next eight years later, I worked my way up to become the Director of Human Resources.
Working at the City is an opportunity to engage in work that truly matters. For me, I get to address the needs of our employees who serve the citizens of Columbus. Those public servants work to fight crime, provide clean water, safe roads and parks; they work to provide access to good jobs and affordable housing; they work to lower infant mortality, collect our trash and respond to emergencies. Just to name a few.
HR isn’t just hiring and firing, its making sure our employees have the pay, resources, benefits, protections, and support to not only do their job, but thrive in it.
To me, public service is not merely a duty but a privilege. It’s an honor to be able to say I live in the City, work for the City and serve my neighbor. Public Service provides a unique platform to effect positive change and to tackle the challenges that confront our society head-on.
Our work is about facing those challenges with courage and working collaboratively with a diverse body of stakeholders to create solutions that aim to benefit everyone, particularly during times of crisis. But our work is not just about reacting to problems; it is about proactively creating opportunities, fostering innovation, and ensuring that our communities are inclusive and resilient.
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” Former President Obama’s message underscores the urgency of individual action and the collective responsibility we share in shaping our future.
Let me be clear - public service is not confined to elected officials or governmental roles. It’s not about politics or one political party either. We have a responsibility to be engaged citizens. We all have a role to play - whether through volunteering, participating in local government, military service, supporting initiatives that address societal needs or simply being engaged in this organization and advocating for each other as you do.
Our actions, however small, matter and can contribute to the greater civic good. Each of us has the power to impact our communities and to work towards a more equitable and just society.
Let me finish with another quote. Teddy Roosevelt once said “The best prize life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” You’re all incredibly bright, talented and will bring a wealth of value to whatever you do. As you progress through school and you consider your future, keep the nobility of public service in mind.
Thank you.
