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Spring Conference
PRICING
Full registration - $200 per member
Registration Includes:
- Wednesday welcome reception
- Dinner with managers at JB Hooks (transportation provided)
- Thursday continental breakfast
- Thursday lunch
- Thursday hospitality hour and banquet
- Friday breakfast buffet
Company Representatives - $400 (excludes Friends of MCMA)
Guest tickets - $5 per guest (can only purchase with someone who is fully registered)
- Wednesday dinner - $45
- Thursday luncheon - $25
- Thursday banquet - $40
- Friday breakfast - $15
Cancellations: All cancellations must be emailed to Emily Koenigsfeld no later than 5 PM, on April 27 or it will be necessary to bill you for the entire registration fee.
Camden on the Lake Resort - Discounted room rate is $148. Reservations must be made by March 28. Must register to receive discount code. Cancellations or changes in arrival and/or departure dates must be received at least 72 hours (before Saturday, April 30 at 4 p.m.) in advance to avoid forfeiture of first night stay. Early departures will be charged the contracted nightly rate for the entire reserved stay.
Lodge of Four Seasons - overflow hotel if availability.
Guests will still want to call Camden on the Lake to make a wait list reservation. Their staff will then direct guest to call the Lodge of Four Seasons. Call 573-365-5620.
Wednesday, May 4, 2022
The Ridge
170 Seasons Ridge Road
Lake Ozark, MO
(573) 365-8600
Requires a separate registration.
Shotgun start at 11 a.m. SHARP to insure completion of the event well in advance of the opening reception.
The event will be a four person scramble. The cost is $80/player, includes 18 holes of golf, cart, lunch and drink, extra drink ticket, prizes and skins game.
Dues to the requirement that meal guarantees be made in advance, cancellations should be made to Emily Koenigsfeld at emilyk@mocities.com by April 27, 2022. No refund of the registration fee will be made after 5 p.m. on April 27, 2022.
Printable Program
| Wednesday, May 4 | |
|---|---|
| 10 AM | Registration opens |
| 11 AM | Golf Tournament - The Ridge (requires a separate registration) |
| 12 - 1:30 PM | MOWLG Luncheon with featured topic Impostor Syndrome and the Insidious Nature of Doubt, presented by Nicole Lance, CEO, Lance Strategies, LLC Description: Impostor syndrome is rooted in doubt. Doubt says “I don’t know if I can do this.” Fear says “I don’t know if I should do this.” It’s important to know the difference because you’ll deploy different tactics to battle doubt than you will to battle fear. Impostor Syndrome is the thing that makes you worry that some day, the jig will be up. EVERYONE will realize just how unworthy you really are of that position you hold or thing for which you are responsible. Impostor Syndrome makes us question our own capabilities, and it can over-inflate the importance of criticism we receive — or imagine we are receiving — from others. This fast-moving session will explore tactics for hopping off the bullet train of doubt, effectively confronting (and even collaborating with!) your own impostor syndrome, and cultivating an environment of success for yourself and those around you. You’ll walk away feeling affirmed, empowered, and ready to stand fully in your own right space. |
| 3:30 - 4:30 PM | Wellness and Resiliency, presented by Brian Bauer, Director of EAP Services, H&H Health Associates, Inc. Description: Would you describe yourself and your organization’s culture as pessimistic or optimistic? How are you and your organization managing the change we all have been dealing with as a result of the pandemic? Resiliency is having the ability to manage challenges, recovering from them, and even growing and improving as a result of these challenges. Resilient thinking and behavior can be learned and implemented, changing one’s view of themselves, their relationships, families, work environment, and production. |
| 6 PM | Opening Welcome Reception |
| 7:15 PM | Dinner with Managers at JB Hooks (transportation provided) |
| 9:30 PM | Hospitality suite opens |
| Thursday, May 5 | |
|---|---|
| 8 - 8:30 AM | **NEW** Coffee Connections with "Friends of MCMA" (Continental breakfast provided) |
| 8:30 - 10 AM | Welcome - Ben DeClue, MCMA President and City Administrator, Glendale |
| KEYNOTE: Business Alert! Gale Force Demographic Wind Gust Ahead, presented by Dr. James H. Johnson, Jr., Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship and Director, Urban Investment Strategies Center, University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Description: America is facing a series of demographic headwinds that have enormous implications for our future workforce, workplaces, and consumer markets, as well as our ability to create and sustain a more inclusive, equitable, and just society. Come join us for a fascinating discussion of the demographic wind gusts that will change America and the state of Missouri forever. | |
| 10 AM | Break with Friends |
| 10:30 - 11:30 AM | KEYNOTE (continued) |
| 11:30 AM | Break with Friends |
| Noon | Luncheon and Annual Business Meeting |
| KEYNOTE: The Life of a Refugee in Helena, Montana, presented by Wilmont Collins, Mayor, Helena, Montana Description: Wilmont will be speaking about his personal journey as a refugee from Liberia to Helena, Montana and eventually becoming the mayor of the capital city. | |
| 1:30 - 2:30 PM | Leadership from the Ledge: 7 Lessons for Public Service from a Veteran Hostage Negotiator, presented by Dan Oblinger, Leadercraft Description: What would a hostage negotiator coach you to do differently as you manage complex political and administrative issues? How might we build the right sort of consensus in our communities? Come learn, laugh, and embrace challenging lessons in leadership and communication told through the voice and vision of a veteran, FBI-trained hostage and crisis negotiator. See what negotiation practices can do for your habits in building strong agreements at home and work! |
| 2:30 PM | Break with Friends |
| 3 - 4:30 PM | CONCURRENT |
| When Tragedy Strikes: Preparing for and Dealing with Critical Injury and Death Among First Responders, presented by Zach Walker, City Manager, Independence Description: It is a commonly acknowledged fact that there are inherent risks associated with being a First Responder. We invest in training and equipment to help mitigate that risk, but what do you do when tragedy hits your community and organization? Since 2017, Independence has experienced a line of duty death in the Police and Fire Departments, two near-fatal officer involved shootings in the Police Department, a suicide in the Fire Department, a COVID death in the Police Department, and an off-duty death in the Police Department. In this session, Independence City Manager Zach Walker and Interim Independence Chief of Police Adam Dustman will discuss these incidents and the response to them. How can your organization best prepare in the unfortunate event tragedy strikes? What questions should you be asking your Police and Fire Chiefs to ensure readiness? As City Manager/Administrator, what role should you play in these events? How do you focus on the emotional needs of your entire organization during these difficult times. Come hear how Independence has navigated these turbulent times and the lessons learned from them. | |
| How to Build a Workplace Culture for the Future, presented by Jessica Hoffman, Assistant City Administrator, Wentzville & Kara Roberson, Community Relations Manager, Wentzville Description: As City leaders, we are all working to retain and attract employees to the world of local government. Oftentimes, local government is viewed as slow-paced with a “we’ve-always-done-it-this-way mentality.” In this session, you will gain ideas to transform your organization and be inspired to establish an employee-driven culture that provides a rewarding work environment. The session will provide easy-to-implement ideas to help you provide exceptional, positive experiences for your employees. You’ll learn how to be intentional about creating an environment that celebrates wins, cultivates and implements feedback from employees, and embraces efficiencies — all while continuing to provide high-level customer service to your stakeholders. This session will also help you set your organization apart from the competition, introduce low-to-no-cost benefits aimed at both retaining current employees and recruiting new ones, and provide an overview of the culture shifts you can make in your organization to rupture the stereotypes of local government. | |
| 6 PM | Annual hospitality hour and awards banquet |
| 8 - 11 PM | Live Entertainment in H. Toad's |
| 9:30 PM | Hospitality suite opens |
| Friday, May 6 | |
|---|---|
| 8:30 AM | Breakfast buffet |
| 9 AM | Legislative Update, presented by Richard Sheets, Executive Director, Missouri Municipal League |
| 9:30 - 11 AM | Recruitment Trends, Art Davis, Baker Tilly Description: TBD |
| 11 AM | Closing |
Nicole Lance
Nicole Lance is the CEO of Lance Strategies and Managing Partner of Extraordinary Balance, a consulting firm specializing in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion work and Strategic Planning. Having spent almost 13 years in the trenches of local government including work in budget and long-range financial planning and serving as Parks & Recreation Director and Public Works Director before wrapping up her career as an Assistant City Manager, Nicole now spends her time facilitating, speaking, training, and doing executive coaching. She is a co-founder of Arizona Women Leading Government and a mentor with the International City/County Management Association. Nicole is an Arizona native happily married to her husband, Sean, a high school teacher. She is a proud stepmom to a U.S. Navy Sailor and also a mom to a 3-year-old. Nicole spends her free time trying not to step on the Legos her daughter leaves dangerously hidden in the carpet.
Brian Bauer
Brian Bauer is the Director of EAP Services for H&H Health Associates, Inc. Brian has earned two graduate degrees, one being a Master of Arts in Counseling. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with the State of Missouri, a Certified Employee Assistance Professional (CEAP), and also a qualified Substance Abuse Professional (SAP).
He spent nearly a decade working in North St. Louis with the homeless community and those struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. For the next four years he worked with clients struggling with co-occurring disorders of mental illness and chemical dependency as a group therapist for a local psychiatrics outpatient program/clinic. He also has taught college and graduate courses at a local university in the area of counseling, and it a past board member for The Haven of Grace, a homeless shelter for pregnant women.
Brian's passion is to help individuals, couples, families and organizations who are in need of guidance through times of transition, change and crisis.
Dr. James Johnson
James H. Johnson Jr. is the William R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor of strategy and entrepreneurship in the Kenan-Flagler Business School and director of the Urban Investment Strategies Center in the Frank Hawkins Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research interests include community and economic development, the effects of demographic changes on the U.S. workplace, interethnic minority conflict in advanced industrial societies, poverty and public policy in urban America, and workforce diversity issues. He has published more than 100 scholarly research articles and three research monographs and has co-edited four theme issues of scholarly journals on these and related topics. Currently he is researching strategies to combat hyper-segregation, persistent and concentrated poverty, and gentrification-induced residential and economic dislocations in U.S. cities. And he currently works with gentrifying cities to develop roadmaps for inclusive and equitable economic development that creates shared prosperity. Fast Company profiled him in “Hopes and Dreams.” He received his PhD from Michigan State University, his MS from the University of Wisconsin at Madison and his BS from North Carolina Central University.
Wilmont J. Collins
Wilmot J. Collins was born, raised, and partly educated in the small West African Country of Liberia. He graduated from Carroll High School (a catholic boarding school) and later graduated with an Associate of Arts from Ricks Institute Junior College (A Baptist Institution) and matriculated to the University of Liberia, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology. Wilmot also received a professional certificate from the Liberian Foreign Service Institute.
Wilmot has a master’s degree in human resources management and just completed his course work and is working on his dissertation for his PhD in Forensic Psychology.
Wilmot considers himself an Army Vet but a Navy retiree, after 22 years in the US Military. He’s also worked at VA Montana where he was the Administrative Officer for the facility, Immigration Service Officer for the U.S. Dept of Homeland Security.
In 2017 Wilmot took a leap of faith at the urging of his son to get into politics and he became Montana’s first African American Mayor, winning the 16-year incumbent by 51% to 49% of the votes. In 2021 Wilmot won his second term defeating his opponent by winning with 68% of the votes.
Wilmot considers himself a public servant and not a politician.
Wilmot is married to Magdalene M. Collins, a Nurse Practitioner, together they have two children. Jaymie their daughter is with the Navy outside of the U.S. and their son Bliss lives and works in Seattle with King County.
Dan Oblinger
By night, Dan Oblinger is a 20-year veteran of law enforcement and a hostage negotiation commander. By day, he is a consulting negotiator and communications consultant for private industry. Dan is a father, husband, philosopher, and lawman. He has been successful in his professional life as a public speaker, author, hostage negotiator, undercover human trafficking investigator, human resources consultant, chicken rancher, drug recognition expert, ditch digger, grocery bagger, onion ring maker, landlord, and beat cop. Oblinger has used his exotic blend of experiences and high energy humor to serve audiences since 2008.
Dan is the author of “The 28 Laws of Listening” and “Life or Death Listening: A Hostage Negotiator’s How-to Guide to Mastering the Essential Communication Skill”. In 2021, he co-authored “Negotiation Mythbusters: Rethinking Everything You Know About Building Strong Agreements”. He is a 2018 graduate of the FBI National Crisis Negotiator Course in Quantico, VA. Obinger lives in the heart of the Kansas prairie with his wife; together, they have six children. Dan’s passion is sharing his listening, negotiating, and leadership skills so everyone can become more authentic leaders and lovers.
Zach Walker
Zach Walker has served as Independence City Manager since October 1, 2016.
Walker began his career working as a legislative assistant in the Missouri House of Representatives and a regional planner at the Mid-Missouri Regional Planning Commission before transitioning to local government administration. Walker began his career in local government with the City of Kansas City, Missouri as part of the Cookingham-Noll Management Fellowship Program, one of the longest-running fellowship programs in the nation.
Since that time, he served four years in the City of Kansas City, Missouri, including roles in the Office of Management and Budget as well as the Capital Projects Department. After leaving Kansas City, he served four years as the Management Analyst for the City of Independence, a role he held until his appointment as Assistant City Manager in October 2015.
Walker received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science and a Masters Degree in Public Administration, both from the University of Missouri. He and his wife, Lauren Palmer, have two children, Brett and Caroline. He was named the 2018 Citizen of the Year by the Independence Chamber of Commerce, awarded the 2018 National Outstanding Eagle Scout Award, and recognized by the Kansas City Business Journal as a 2019 Next Gen Leader. Walker is an ICMA-Credentialed Manager Candidate and serves on the MCMA Board of Directors
Jessica Hoffman
Jessica Hoffman is currently serving as the Assistant City Administrator for the City of Wentzville where she oversees Economic Development and Communications and has been in municipal service for over a decade. Jessica co-founded Missouri Women Leading Government and brought networking and educational events for Engaging Local Government Leaders to the St. Louis area. She is a graduate of the UMSL Masters of Public Policy Administration program and has always had a passion for giving back and serving her community.
Kara Roberson
With more than 22 years of professional experience, including 15 years in the municipal government arena, Kara’s exceptional leadership and communication skills help ensure she is able to educate and inform, and strategically engage with the residents she serves. Kara currently works as the Community Relations Manager in Wentzville, Missouri, where she oversees a growing communications and customer relations division, in the fastest-growing city in the state.
Richard Sheets
Richard Sheets is the executive director of the Missouri Municipal League. He also directs the League’s legislative and advocacy efforts. Richard has a long history with the Missouri Municipal League, advocating for local leaders so they can make the best decisions for their local communities. He is dedicated to the League's mission to strengthen cities through unity and cooperation. Prior to joining the League in 1980, Richard served on the staff of Missouri Governor Joseph Teasdale. He also has held the position of planning director for Greene County, Missouri. Richard graduated from Southwest Missouri State University (currently known as Missouri State University) with a degree in urban and regional planning.
Art Davis
Coming soon!