8:00 a.m.
Conference Registration Opens
8:00 – 8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast with the Exhibitors
8:30 – 10:00 a.m.
Opening Keynote: #Hashtag Worthy Leadership
Jon Petz, Hall of Fame Inspirational Speaker
Sponsored by Special District Risk Management Authority
If a member of your team were to describe you and your leadership in a hashtag — what would that look like? What qualities and characteristics rise to the top of hashtag-worthiness? That’s a difference-making question for many.
There has never been a more important time for leaders to step up and lead with passion and purpose. With compassion and creativity. With equity and empathy. In a world of constant change, disruption, and distraction — people want to feel seen, heard, and appreciated whether they are in-person or remote. While that can feel like a tall order for leaders — it all starts by identifying and delivering unique and memorable moments for your team members.
In this empowering message, leadership keynote speaker Jon Petz shares the kind of magic and meaning you can create for individuals and entire teams by adding simple moments of significance. By doing things a little differently. By cultivating an extraordinary human connection.
With impactful stories and engaging examples, Jon entertains and delights leadership audiences while delivering the ideas, insights, and how-to’s to ensure their leadership is far from average and instead deemed #HashtagWorthy.
10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Breakout Session Options
From Goals to Greatness: Building Alignment Between Boards and Staff
Jacob Green, Jacob Green & Associates
Discover how strategic planning, goal setting, and performance evaluations foster alignment and partnership between boards and general managers, driving governance excellence and achieving impactful results for special districts.
Building a Rockstar Squad: Tips for Leveraging Your Agency’s Culture
Ryder Todd Smith, Christine Martin, Tripepi Smith
Scott Carroll, Costa Mesa Sanitary District
Attracting and retaining talent requires a strong culture and values. Panelists will share their insights into identifying, supporting and evolving the culture of your special district.
Fire Service Delivery Through Reorganization
Dane Wadle, CSDA
Michelle McIntyre, Placer County Local Agency Formation Commission
Chief Steve Leighton, North Tahoe Fire Protection District
Cindy Gustafson, Placer County
In 2024, Meeks Bay Fire Protection District merged into the North Tahoe Fire Protection District, forming the expanded North Tahoe Fire Protection District on January 1, 2025. This reorganization enhances fire protection and emergency services in the region to meet increasing demands in the Tahoe Basin. The process involved negotiations with both the Placer and El Dorado Boards of Supervisors and approval from the Placer County LAFCO.
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Networking Lunch
1:00 – 2:15 p.m.
Breakout Session Options
Best Practices for Working with a Boss of Five
Brent Ives, BHI Management Consulting
Working for a multi-headed boss is often rife with challenges. Gaining and keeping clarity of mission and direction can be tough. The definition of 'success' for you can often be difficult to define. Come to this session to get from-the-field help from someone who has worked on both sides of the dais for more than 30 years.
Mastering Federal Grant Funding: Strategy & Essentials for Success
Kristi More and Heidi Schott, The Ferguson Group
Want to maximize your chances of winning federal grant funding for your district? Learn how to develop and implement a strategic approach to identifying funding opportunities, aligning them with your priorities, and securing the money. This session will also cover the federal grant cycle, key insights into federal funding trends and priorities under the new administration, and tips to best position your projects to compete successfully.
CalPERS State of the System
Randy Dziubek, CalPERS
Hear the latest developments, decisions, and outlook regarding the current pension climate from a leading representative of CalPERS, including the latest information and decisions regarding our asset liability management process.
2:45 – 3:45 p.m.
Breakout Session Options
Facilitated Performance Evaluations: A Better Approach for Enhanced Communication
Nelson Fialho, Renne Public Law Group, LLP (RPLG)
Jenica Maldonado, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo
This session covers key points every General Manager and other Board Appointees should know about the facilitated performance evaluation process. Panelists will discuss their experiences with the annual process, including various formats and processes used to enhance communication and goal setting with their Boards.
Optimizing Special District IT Budgets: A Comprehensive Planning Guide
Corey Kaufman, VC3
Information technology is a critical part of a municipality’s annual spending. It’s important for towns and cities to flesh out a fairly detailed IT budget to help uncover inefficiencies, save money, and better execute operational goals. In this presentation, we will talk about the essential components of an IT budget, tips on presenting IT budgets to council, and IT budgeting examples.
Bridging the Gap: Leadership Strategies for Managing Generational Differences in the Workplace
Jennifer Martinez, Hanson Bridgett, LLP
As Generation Z enters the workforce, Baby Boomers are exiting the workforce, and Generation X and Millennials are moving up into leadership positions—all of which creates the potential for inter-generational miscommunications, misaligned expectations, and friction. This presentation will highlight the varying values, communication styles, work ethics, and technological comfort levels between different generations, emphasizing how understanding these differences is crucial for effective management, team collaboration, and employee engagement in a diverse workforce.
4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Breakout Session Options
Blue Ribbon Leadership
Joshua Bonner and Marcos Coronel, Coachella Valley Public Cemetery District; Scott Sear, Desert Recreation District
This session will explore the many awards and recognitions available to special districts, and how the journey to achieving them can help transform your district’s work culture.
Lease/Purchase Financing: Keeping the Costs Down
Bill Morton, Municipal Finance Corporation
There are several different approaches to procuring lease/purchase financing. This session will outline the various financial and law firms that may be involved and how the public agency can minimize the costs of issuing financing.
From Exhaustion to Engagement: Helping Leaders Combat Change Fatigue
Holly Burkett, CPS HR Consulting
Is your workforce running on empty? Between everything from return-to-work pressures, added workloads, the threat of layoffs, to advancing technologies and economic turmoil, change has become the new normal and most leaders and teams are struggling to keep up. Join this interactive session to explore practical, proven approaches for equipping your teams with the essential skillsets and mindsets needed to move from exhaustion to engagement amid constant disruption.
5:15 - 6:45 p.m.
Red, White and BREWS Reception
Enjoy a star-spangled evening of great networking, brews, and a selection of appetizers that will make you feel like it's the Fourth of July!
6:45 - 8:00 p.m.
Fireside Connections
Sponsored by California CLASS
Join us for a unique networking experience tailored for district attendees at our Fireside S’mores event on the Six Peaks Deck. This is an excellent opportunity to connect with peers in a relaxed atmosphere while enjoying refreshments and making your own s'mores under the stars.
This event is for district attendees only and is not open to exhibitors or other Business Affiliates.