MCCMA Spring Conference Venues and Programs
conference locations & programs
MCCMA Conference - Spring 2011
The City of Aberdeen was delighted to host the 2011 MCCMA spring conference. Mayor Mike Bennett welcomed the association to Aberdeen and the program immediately shifted to the latest issues involving municipal finance, particularly the status of local government borrowing. Sam Ketterman and Joe Mason of the Davenport Group were the presenters.
ICMA was the focus of the next two morning sessions. First, ICMA state liaison Rita Ossolinski introduced the new, interactive ICMA Knowledge Network. ICMA's Knowledge Network manager, Peter Dunn, guided particiants through the many features and content,. ICMA's Chief Operating Officer, Ron Carlee, former county manager of Arlington County, Virginia, launched a lively discussion on the Competencies of the 21st Century Manager.
Baseball took the spotlight before lunch; after all we were meeting in a baseball stadium. The mid-Atlantic expert on minor league baseball and Aberdeen Planner, Gil Jones, spoke on minor league baseball both in Aberdeen and nationwide. After lunch, conference participants toured the Ripken Youth Baseball Complex, including the Cal Ripken, Sr. Field, where the finals of the Cal Ripken World Series are played.
Emergency Management was the focus of the afternoon, after the interlude into America’s Pastime. Ocean City’s Bob Rhode led a session on the basics of emergency management. Bob has extensive experience in this field and was on loan from Ocean City to La Plata following the 2002 tornado there. Aberdeen manager Doug Miller, who was the manager in La Plata when the tornado struck in 2002, credited Bob with completing the initial phase of the clean-up in three weeks when such a clean-up would normally take months. Most notably, that clean-up was accomplished without a single injury to the workers.
The Local Government Insurance Trust of Maryland (LGIT), offered the final session on Thursday. Tim Ailsworth offered brief comments about LGIT and then introduced two members of the LGIT legal team who spoke on the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). Thursday evening was spent aboard the Lantern Queen. After a threatening thunderstorm blew out of the area, the members boarded the paddle wheeler for a dinner cruise out of Havre de Grace and ventured into the Chesapeake.
Friday morning featured three important sessions:
- Attorney Fred Sussman gave a talk on court decisions and legal issues that impacted local governments.
- Scott Hancock, Executive Director of the Maryland Municipal League, spoke on the recently completed legislative session in Annapolis.
- The morning wrapped up with the MCCMA Annual Business Meeting.
Daniel Mears announced that MCCMA would convene in La Plata for the MCCMA 2012 Conference.
MCCMA Conference - Spring 2010
The City of Rockville served as host for MCCMA's successful 2010 spring conference. The two-day program featured sessions on social networking, multiple generations in the workplace, a comprehensive state legislative update, and field visits to a high tech biomedical research facility and a community center designed and constructed using sustainable technology and practices.
Attendees were welcomed to the Glenview Mansion by Rockville Mayor Phyllis Marcuccio and Rockville city manager Scott Ullery. The first session, Social Media - The Latest and Greatest in Communication Tools, featured the city of Rockville communication manager, Marylou Berg, and public information specialist Shannon Loomis. They offered a lively online tour of Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, showing how Rockville has used these tools to enhance communication with residents. MCCMA Social Media Presentation 2010
A second morning session featured Kristen Mahoney, Executive Director of the Maryland Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention. This session highlighted what cities and counties can do to support at-risk youth.
After lunch, conference attendees were treated to field visits to two Rockville sites. The first, Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation, is a non-profit research organization developing Tuberculosis vaccine. The tour took participants through the high tech vaccine discovery laboratories where scientists are working to develop new vaccines. A second stop allowed conference participants to experiene the Thomas Farm Community Center, Rockville's newest multipurpose facility for residents. The center includes a full-size gymnasium, multi-purpose room, outdoor patio, game room, fitness center, art gallery and lounge. Sustainable measures and features of the facility include: pervious paving in the parking lot, geothermal heating and cooling system, high efficiency and sensor activated plumbing fixtures, efficient windows and skylights to reduce electricity usage.
Day two of the 2010 conference opened with a highly interactive session on generations in the workplace led by Rockville's Organizational Development Manager, Michelle Poche Flaherty. Understanding the frame of reference of traditionalists, boomers, Gen X/Gen Y, and millennials is essential for effective management of today's multigenerational workforce. During the second morning session, Candace Donoho, Director of Government Relations for the Maryland Municipal League, and Barbara Wilkins, senior counsel with the law firm of Holland and Knight, provided advice on proven strategies to develop an effective state legislative program at low cost. Ms. Donoho also offered a comprehensive legislative update.
Scott Hancock, Northeast Regional vice president for the ICMA board, provided an update on ICMA priorities and activities. The conference closed with the MCCMA annual business meeting. New officers for the 2010-2011 year were elected.
MCCMA Conference - Spring 2009
The City of Salisbury, the largest city on Maryland's Eastern Shore, served as host for the 2009 MCCMA Spring Conference. The two-day program in April offered a wide variety of learning opportunities for those who attended. City Administrator John Pick, and Assistant City Administrator Lore´ Chambers put together a robust two day program for the more than 35 participants.
Attendees were welcomed by Salisbury's Mayor, the Honorable James Ireton, Jr., on Thursday morning, April 22. Two morning sessions included:
- Economic Outlook and the Economic Recovery Initiative, presented by Izzy Patoka, Executive Director, Governor's Office of Community Initiatives, and Eric Brenner, State of Maryland Grants Office.
- The Benefits of Outsourcing/Privatization of Municipal Services: Trends and Case Histories, presented by Stephen Kleva, president and CEO of Insparisk. (See handout attached below).
In the afternoon, conference participants were treated to three work session tours. The first was to Salisbury's new, state of the art, fire headquarters. This was followed by a tour of the wastewater treatment plant which is implementing a new technique for water purification. The last stop was Salisbury's own recreational gem for residents, students, and tourists -- the Regional Salisbury Zoo.
Friday's program began with a legislative update from Candace Donoho, Director of Government Relations with the Maryland Municipal League (MML) and an ICMA Update from Scott Hancock, Director of MML and northeast regional vice president on the ICMA Executive Board.
The Honorable Shari T. Wilson, Secretary of the Maryland Department of the Environment, and Mark Charles, Chief of Environmental Management with the City of Rockville, joined forces to present a session entitled Environmental Initiatives: Forwarding the Governor's Vision. (See handout attached below). After a short break, Martin A. Flemion, Jr., deputy administrator in Laurel and Doug Miller, city manager of Aberdeen, provided their insights in a session on "The Role of the Manager/Administrator in Emergency Preparedness."
The spring conference ended with the annual business meeting, during which the 2009-2010 MCCMA officers were elected. Outgoing president Elaine Murphy, city administrator of Hyattsville, provided highlights of her two years as MCCMA president, and David Moran, assistant city manager of Greenbelt, assumed the role of president for 2009-2010.
Downloads
Insparisk Privatization Presentation (pdf, 587 KB)
Sustainable Rockville Presentation (ppt, 2,872 KB)