7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Attendee Registration
8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Exhibitor Registration
10:30 a.m.-Noon
Opening General Session and Presentation of Awards
Maximize Human Potential: Win Together in a Shifting World
Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President and CEO, SHRM
In a world characterized by constant change and economic uncertainty, the true powerhouse of every organization is its human capital. However, many organizations are not leveraging the full potential of their most valuable asset – their people. In this opening keynote, Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., President and CEO of SHRM, will help community leaders maximize their role in shaping the workforce, nurturing talent, and steering their city through the complexities of the business landscape. When we face uncertainty with innovative thought and evolved strategies, we’re unstoppable. Learn how, by working together, we can win together.
Noon-5:00 p.m.
Exhibit Hall Grand Opening
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| 1:45-3:00 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions |
| Legislative Outlook | The 89th session of the Texas Legislature will begin on January 14, 2025. Learn what issues are likely to be priorities, and how the League and Texas cities will work together to protect your ability to serve your residents. Speakers: Bennett Sandlin, Executive Director, Bill Longley, General Counsel, JJ Rocha, Grassroots and Legislative Services Manager, Mike Martin, Legislative Counsel, Monty Wynn, Grassroots and Legislative Services Director, Texas Municipal League |
| Building Teams That Stick | Highly cohesive teams use smart strategies for resolving conflict and building consensus, even when they disagree. Disagreement isn’t fatal to team cohesion, and divergent opinions often help teams see flaws in their thinking. This session combines research and practice from organizational scientist Cindi Baldi to deliver powerful and immediately implementable strategies to turbocharge the teams we are on and the groups we supervise. Speaker: Cindi Baldi, PhD, Founder and CEO, Culsure |
| Banking in Art: Making a smART Investment | The cultural arts are an important economic driver for many Texas cities. The downtown area is oftentimes the cultural center for communities of all sizes. This session will focus on the economic importance of arts and culture to communities of all sizes, strategies to fund downtown arts initiatives and development, and best practices from across Texas for investing in the arts. Speakers: Chris Kiley, Executive Director, Texans for the Arts; Travis James, Vice President, TXP Inc; Ann Arnold-Ogden, Executive Director, Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture; Chance Sparks Freese And Nichols |
| Sex, Drugs, and Political Patronage: Why Employment Law Is So Much Fun | Learn from an experienced employment attorney the basics of the laws affecting public sector employment, such as what to do when there’s a complaint of sexual harassment, when you can choose employees based on their politics, what to do about employees who shouldn’t be on leave, and those who should not be at work, how to have (and document) difficult conversations about performance, when you have to pay overtime, and what employees have the right to say on social media. This is an opportunity to ask questions and talk about the best way to run an efficient workplace while staying on the right side of the many laws protecting public employees. Speaker: Sarah Glaser, Principal, Lloyd Gosselink Rochelle & Townsend, P.C. |
2:00-2:30 p.m.
Greenhouse Session
Presented by Milberg Coleman Bryson Phillips Grossman
2:45-3:15 p.m.
Greenhouse Session
Presented by HdL Companies
| 3:30-4:45 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions |
| Legal Q&A | Meet the TML legal staff and hear the answers to questions you’ve always wanted to have answered in this fun, insightful, and informal session. Speakers: Amber McKeon-Mueller, Assistant Director of Legal Services; Evelyn Njuguna, Director of Legal Services; Tad Cleaves, Legal Counsel; Sarah Tompkins, Legal Counsel; Stephanie Huser, Legal Counsel, Texas Municipal League |
| Unveiling the Dynamics of Election Services and Contracts Session courtesy of the Texas Municipal Clerks Association, Inc. | In this session, a panel comprised of a mayor, the clerk, a county elections administrator, and the Texas Secretary of State elections division all come together to give the audience a thorough understanding of the start to finish of the election, and how to maintain the relationships between agencies involved in the election process. You’ll discuss the pros and cons of an election contract, the challenges of implementing new legislation, the consequences on election costs and administration, and why it takes so long to count those ballots. Speakers: Rose Kanusky, Attorney, McCall Parkhurst & Horton; Jannette Goodall, City Secretary, City of Fort Worth; Christina Adkins, Director, Elections Division, Texas Secretary of State; Bobby Warren, Mayor, City of Jersey Village |
| Challenges Faced in Modern Public Works Session courtesy of the Texas Chapter of American Public Works Association | Most residents don’t consider what it takes to ensure their local infrastructure is safe and functional, but a lot goes on behind the scenes in public works. Come to this session to hear a panel of city and county public works professionals discuss the challenges they are facing and possible solutions to issues like rising costs for materials and equipment, supply chain disruptions, and workforce shortages. Speaker(s): Elvira Alonzo, Director of Public Works, City of McAllen; Brian Butscher, Executive Director of Public Works, City of Sugar Land |
| Effective Council and Staff Relations Session courtesy of the Small Cities Advisory Council | Building a successful relationship between the city council and staff is critical to collaboration and effective governance. This session will explore the roles of the council and staff, share effective ways to communicate, provide framework for policymaking, and more. Speaker(s): Holly Gray-Moore, Mayor Pro Tem, and Cody Petree, City Manager, City of Roanoke; Tobe Shields, Mayor, and Justin Parker, City Manager, City of Spearman |
| The Future is Here: AI Applications in Municipal Government Session courtesy of the Texas Municipal Library Directors Association | Dive into the exciting world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its transformative applications in libraries, economic development, and tourism. You will gain valuable insights into how AI can empower public libraries to serve their communities more effectively, and understand how AI can optimize event planning, marketing, and recruitment to foster vibrant communities and thriving economies. Speakers: Drew Bailey, Managing Director of Tourism and Business Development, Town of Little Elm; Dianne Connery, Development Director, Pottsboro Library |