8:00 a.m.
Conference Registration Opens
Sponsored by Liebert Cassidy Whitmore
8:00 - 8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast with the Exhibitors
Sponsored by Streamline
8:30 - 10:00 a.m.
Opening Keynote: The Future of Leadership
John Spence, Global Business Expert, Coach, Trainer, Speaker
Sponsored by Special District Leadership Foundation
Some fundamentals of leadership will never change. Honesty, integrity, courage, fairness, vision, and a handful of other elements are essential to being a successful leader. However, as the speed of change accelerates, it demands that leadership evolve to keep pace. To successfully navigate tomorrow's business challenges, you must increase the leadership and management capabilities of your existing leaders and ensure the readiness of your top talent to move to their next role.
10:00 - 10:30 a.m.
Break and Networking with the Exhibitors
Sponsored by Brandis Tallman, a Division of Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
10:30 - 12:00 p.m.
Breakout Session Options
Leadership Lessons from Your Peers - Collaboration and Transformation
Leah Harris, San Miguel Consolidated Fire Protection District
Ian Prichard, Calleguas Municipal Water District
This breakout session will help show you how to lead an organization through a collaborative approach with a department-wide organizational skillset that will change how governing bodies, management, and staff work together as a team with the same vision. From there, you can plan for the transformation of your organization through strategic plan implementation as a process of change. This will create a work culture that is measurably more productive and brings joy back into public service.
Navigating Funding Strategies for Capital Projects
Dmitry Semenov, Ridgeline Municipal Strategies, LLC
Tom Neisler, Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District
Rick Brandis, Brandis Tallman, A Division of Oppenheimer & Co., Inc.
Project financing can be a daunting task. Recent market turbulence and California's budget deficit make it even more complicated and may require adjustments to the financing plan. In this session, we discuss funding strategies available to special districts for infrastructure and facility projects. We will also discuss the management of financing in a higher interest rate environment. A market update will be provided because even though we may not always know what the future holds, we should always know where we stand right now.
Better District Leadership Through a Productive Partnership Between the Manager and Board
Martin Rauch, Rauch Communication Consultants, Inc.
This session recognizes the crucial importance of maintaining the best relationship between the manager and the board. It will provide tips on defining roles and relationships, building an effective team between the board and manager, helping your board fulfill its role, maintaining communication over time, executing a useful performance evaluation, and much more. This interactive session will also provide real-life examples, and opportunities for questions, answers, and discussion.
12:15 - 1:30 p.m.
Networking Lunch with the Exhibitors
Sponsored by California Special Districts Alliance
1:30 - 3:00 p.m.
Breakout Session Options
Leading a Values-Based Organizational Culture
Sean Barclay, Tahoe City Public Utility District
Creating alignment around a shared set of values at an organizational level requires so much more than just adopting a “set of words on a wall.” This session will examine one district’s journey towards implementing a set of shared values and behaviors that guide decision-making, from strategic planning to everyday customer interactions. The session will share actual experiences along the way toward implementation, the challenges, and the real benefits realized over time. Come learn firsthand from our mistakes and successes and take-home practical tips to help you understand if a values-based organizational culture is the right fit for your district.
Cybersecurity and IT Strategy for Special District Leaders
Corey Kaufman, VC3
In this session, we will outline the necessary items to build out an effective IT strategic plan. This will include addressing the following items:
- What is required to build an IT Strategic Plan
- Identifying the goals of the local government agency
- How to identify the current risks and build a realistic plan to remediate those risks
- How does this impact the budget
- How to make sure that we have executed the plan we put together
Navigating Legal Landmines: Essential Updates for Special District General Managers
David Boyer and Suparna Jain, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo
In the dynamic landscape of special districts, staying abreast of legal updates is essential. As stewards of public resources tasked with ensuring the smooth operation of their districts, General Managers must keep up with the latest legal developments to mitigate risks and ensure compliance. This presentation will offer a comprehensive overview of essential legal updates tailored specifically to the needs of General Managers and special districts.
3:00 - 3:45 p.m.
Break and Networking with the Exhibitors
Sponsored by Stifel Investment Services
3:45 - 5:00 p.m.
Breakout Session Options
Money Market Securities and Joint Powers Authority Pools
Tom Tight, California CLASS
The investment portfolio is one of the only areas where state and local governments can generate income without charging taxes or fees to the citizenry. With rates rising last year, interest income has become a more relevant and valuable revenue source. Drawing from real-life success stories, this session will provide insights into the key components of an effective investment plan including cash flow analysis, portfolio diversification, and effective investment and risk management strategies.
Thriving Together: Navigating Community Engagement in the Fast Lane
Nicholaus Norvell, Best Best & Krieger LLP
Melanie Mow Schumacher, Soquel Creek Water District
Ashley Metzger, Regional Government Services Authority
In our fast-paced world, community engagement fosters meaningful connections and drives collective progress. The session will give attendees the “who, what, when, where, and why” of community engagement. It will share a variety of proactive engagement strategies that will position your district for success when the time comes to react to emerging issues. The group will discuss a range of options (both informal to formal), lessons learned, and discuss the strategic and legal considerations at various levels.
How to be a More Strategic Thinker
John Spence
Your strategic plan is essentially a decision-making tool. How will you allocate your scarce resources? What markets will you serve? What products and projects are priorities? Every critical decision you make is tested for alignment with the plan. This is why organizations take the strategic planning process so seriously, and they should. There is a computer programming term: GI=GO. Garbage In; GO= Garbage Out. It is much the same with strategic planning. If the thinking that goes into the planning process is flawed, your plan will be too. Therefore, the leaders in your organization must be superior strategic thinkers.
5:15 - 6:45 p.m.
Food & Wine Experience Reception
Sponsored by SDRMA
Join your fellow attendees and exhibitors for more networking while enjoying food, wine, and beer sampling.
8:30 - 10:00 p.m.
Show starts at 9:30 p.m.
Enjoy the View: Private Rooftop theme park Fireworks Viewing
Sponsored by California CLASS, Centrica Business Solutions and Umpqua Bank
You are invited to our special fireworks viewing party. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Drinks will be provided.
Special District Attendees and Sponsors Only