Saturday - October 14, 2017
12:00 pm – 6:00 pm

 
Municipal leadership is the theme of the Massachusetts Selectmen’s Association Fall Conference.
 
The conference will feature multiple workshops for new and veteran selectmen.
 

Agenda

 
8 a.m.
Registration, Networking and Continental Breakfast
 
8:30 a.m.
Welcome and Introductions
Jim Lovejoy, Mount Washington Selectman and President, Massschusetts Selectmen’s Association 
 
8:45 a.m.
Legislative Update
Geoff Beckwith, MMA Executive Director
 
9:15 a.m.
Keynote Speaker
Jon Wortmann, Executive and mental coach, minister and speaker
 
Raise Your CQ: Playbooks for Communication Challenges in Municipal Government
How high is your CQ at work? IQ is a measure of intelligence. EQ measures our ability to recognize and adapt to emotions in ourselves and others. Our Communication Quotient (CQ) is our ability to effectively communicate essential messages. It would be amazing if what we thought instantly became clear, memorable communication with the people around us. Unfortunately, the complications of motivations, personality, and context make communication in local government a constant challenge.
 
Based on his bestseller “Mastering Communication at Work,” Jon Wortmann’s session will ask us to assess our communication capacities today, and will teach essential skills like validation, building trust, offering feedback, mindful listening, and delegating. Every communication technique has a recipe and then ways to pivot how we listen, speak and write. We can feel confident in even the most difficult conversations, meetings and unexpected situations. You will leave with clarity about where your CQ is today, skills to communicate more effectively, and game plans for the rigorous communication moments we face in board meetings and with fellow leaders.
 
10:30 a.m.
Breakout Session A: Budgeting Basics
This session will outline budgeting best practices including stabilization funds, debt rating agencies, and budget management in times of crisis.
Colleen Corona, Former Selectman, Easton
Moderator: Ellen Allen, Selectman, Norwell
 
Breakout Session B: Strategic Goal-Setting for Towns of All Sizes
The secret to reaching your goals as a community is both easier and more difficult than most of us realize. The easy part is identifying the big goals we want to achieve and the little steps that make them possible. The hard part is connecting our goals to our values and commitments. If a town doesn’t know what it values most, it is difficult to create a committed government and citizenship ready to provide the resources to reach our hopes. In this experiential workshop, participants will be asked to identify their big goals, the steps that make the goals possible, and the personal and community values at the core of achieving safe and prosperous communities.
Thomas Hutcheson, Town Administrator, Conway
• Jon Wortmann, Executive and mental coach, minister and speaker
 
11:40 a.m.
Break
 
11:45 a.m.
Breakout Session C: Open Meeting and Public Records Law
This session will explain how to comply with the critically important and evolving open meeting and public records laws using real examples and highlighting common mistakes.
Lauren Goldberg, Managing Attorney, KP Law
Moderator: Paul Derensis, Selectman, Sherborn
 
Breakout Session D: Civic Engagement
Many Massachusetts towns are finding the future of civic engagement lies in technology. Using technology to enhance transparency with residents through social media, municipal websites, and benchmarking software opens the possibility for better communication and engagement. This session will highlight different avenues for civic engagement using technology.
Bryan Burdick, President, ClearGov
• Nichol M. Figueiredo, Public Information & Records Access Officer/Webmaster, Framingham
Moderator: Jim Lovejoy, MSA President, Mount Washington Selectman
 
1 p.m.
Networking and Lunch Buffet
 
2 p.m.
Adjournment
 
The registration fee will be $35.
 

Location
Cyprian Keyes, Boylston

Contact
MMA Member Services Coordinator Devon Elizabeth Williams
Massachusetts Selectmen’s Association

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