After a quick trip to Lyons and Boulder, participants will meet leaders who have been immersed in the recovery and rebuilding process from the 2013 floods.  They will visit affected areas, hear about successes and challenges, and pick up valuable lessons and best practices that they can apply to disaster preparedness and recovery efforts in their regions.  Additionally, participants will be encouraged to share their own experiences with disaster recovery and resilience with the host communities.  Lunch will be provided.  Pre-registration and a special fee required. 

Meet in lobby at 8:45 a.m.; bus will leave hotel at 9:00 a.m. and return by 4:15 p.m.

Limit: 15 | $35 per person

Featuring ArcGIS Desktop and ArcGIS Online, attendees will enhance their skills to analyze landscape, demographics, income, financial expenditures, education, and hundreds of other community-specific data points in order to better understand their region’s overall resiliency. Training is at an intermediate level; some knowledge of ArcGIS is required.  Expert trainers and lunch will be provided by ESRI.  Pre-registration and a special fee required.

Meet in lobby at 9:00 a.m.; bus will leave hotel at 9:15 a.m. and return by 4:00 p.m.

Limit: 25 | $60 per person

The EDA Denver Regional Office (DRO) will conduct a training and networking session aimed at EDA grantees in the Denver region; representatives of the EDA DRO will lead the session. EDA grantees from the 10-state Denver EDA region are invited to meet the Denver staff and hear the latest updates on EDA activities in the Denver Region. DRO staff will provide information on current EDA programs and funding priorities, and will offer training sessions on topics regarding its program delivery in the Denver region. EDA staff will be on-hand to meet with its Denver region partners and will be available to answer questions from stakeholders. NADO is not involved with planning this session; please contact Cindy Edwards, Project Engineer, Denver Regional Office, at 303.844.5360 or cedwards@eda.gov for more details.

Learn about identifying assets, extending your partnerships, and building wealth through local and regional development efforts.  The demand-centered economic development framework discussed in this session helps regions boost their prosperity, increase self-reliance, enhance existing and emerging sectors, and bring better opportunities for jobs and income to communities.  This session is sponsored by The Ford Foundation; there is no fee to attend, but pre-registration is requested to plan for on-site logistics and specific training content based on attendees’ interests.  Please contact NADO Associate Director Carrie Kissel at ckissel@nado.org if you are interested in attending.  This session will benefit executive directors and economic development staff.

Trainer:             

• Barbara Wyckoff, Director, Dynamica Coaching and Capacity Building, Silver Spring, MD

Travelling north along the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains to Fort Collins, the group will tour two, sustainable, locally-owned craft breweries: New Belgium Brewery and Fort Collins Brewery.  Over lunch at Fort Collins Brewery’s Gravity 1020, Bart Watson of the Boulder-based Brewers Association and Jim Clark of Visit Fort Collins will talk about the economic impact of the craft beer industry nationally and locally.  Learn how these businesses are impacting the community through partnerships, workforce development, sustainability, and innovative business models.  Pre-registration and a special fee required.

Meet in lobby at 8:45 a.m.; bus will depart at 9 a.m. and return by 3:30 p.m. | Limit: 50 | $75 per person

Regional development organizations are increasing their visibility through collaborative work with their peers across the state.  Not only are they working together to inform a broader audience of their critical roles in regional development, they are also collaborating on state-wide initiatives with various state agencies and federal agencies.  This session will offer models of different statewide coordination efforts currently underway, presenters will offer tips on how they formed their strategic alliances and how they work together across their states while continuing to make a difference locally in their regions.  Pre-registration and a special fee are required. | $25 additional fee

Trainer:       

• Brian Kelsey, Director of Economic Development, NADO, Washington, DC
• Betty Huskins, Executive Director, North Carolina Association of Regional Councils, NC
• Sarah Jane Maxted, Research Manager, ISC, Harvard Business School, Boston, MA

Consider this: once the average web user lands on your website, it takes about 4 seconds before they decide whether to stay on your page or leave.  That means you have a very brief opportunity to capture attention and make it worth their while to stay and explore further.  The key to marvelous impressions is understanding your message, your audience, and what matters most to them.  This session is all about what matters most and believe it or not, it’s not the mechanics of your site. Come to this session with questions and walk away with an action-oriented to-do list that will make your website stand out and your audience take notice.  Pre-registration and a special fee are required. | $25 additional fee

Trainer:       

• Erica Allison, CEO, Allison Development Group, Hendersonville, NC

RDOs are well-positioned to play a key role in building strong regional economies.  Many are already working to develop entrepreneurial environments, build a workforce with the skills not only needed today but tomorrow, provide opportunities for job creation and business development, help businesses gain access to the global marketplace, and look at sustainable and responsible development practices.  This session will provide an overview of the latest trends in economic development through the perspective of the RDO’s potential involvement.  Pre-registration and a special fee are required. | $25 additional fee

Trainers:     

• Brian Kelsey, Director of Economic Development, NADO, Washington, DC
• Sarah Jane Maxted, Research Manager, ISC, Harvard Business School, Boston, MA

Facebook. LinkedIn. You Tube. Blogs.  Email.  For some, the mere mention of these information channels causes trepidation and fear, and often results in ignoring social and digital space completely.  While keeping up with social media can be mind-boggling, but it can also be an effective means to communicate with stakeholders directly.  This session will look at the various platforms, how they work, why they are uniquely effective to your situation. To make the most of this session, bring a list of the accounts you currently use, a list of those you’re contemplating, and why for both!   Pre-registration and a special fee are required. | $25 additional fee

Trainer:       

• Erica Allison, CEO, Allison Development Group, Hendersonville, NC

Moderator: 

• Ashley Aukes, Communications
  Specialist, Region Nine Development Comm., Mankato, MN

As a local elected official, business or non-profit leader from your community sitting on the board of your regional development organization, you are in a pivotal position as you are charged with helping steer the course of the organization over the coming years.  This interactive session will look at the most critical roles of RDO board members, and will address best practices to lead from the board room into the organization.  Attendees will also learn key insights into facing the top challenges and how to address them as part of your legacy.  Pre-registration and a special fee are required. | $25 additional fee

Trainer:       

• Monica Scamardo, President, Variate Consulting, Round Rock, TX

Like almost all organizations and businesses, RDOs are not immune to fraud.  Across the board, fraud costs U.S companies billions of dollars each year.  In addition to the astronomical costs, cleaning up after fraud occurs can cause undue headaches, frustration, and disruption to your organization.  This session will walk attendees through key steps that can be implemented to help you prevent fraud all together, or detect it before it becomes a huge nightmare.  Board members, executive directors, and senior managers all need various types of financial information to better manage individual programs and the overall organization.  This session will lead attendees through a financial statements primer that will cover what they are, what information they should contain, how to read them and how to use them to manage your organization and plan for the future.  All vital information that you should be receiving and reviewing on a regular basis.  Pre-registration and a special fee are required. | $25 additional fee

Trainer:       

• Cam Matheny, RCM Consulting, Buckhannon, WV

Moderator:

• Greg Jones, Executive Director, Southern Indiana Development Commission, Loogootee, IN

This session will help economic development districts (EDDs) navigate the multi-faceted topic of economic resilience and highlight ways to cohesively integrate resilience into CEDS planning efforts.  Speakers will highlight how they identified vulnerabilities, analyzed their impacts, and developed strategies to build resilience. In addition, the NADO Research Foundation will launch an online library of CEDS that have incorporated resilience goals and strategies, intended to be a compilation of examples that EDDs can access when working to include resilience within their economic development strategies.  Pre-registration and a special fee are required. | $25 additional fee

Trainers:       

• Brian Kelsey, Director of Economic Development, NADO, Washington, DC
• Kevin Belanger, Executive Director, South Central PDC, Houma, LA
• Michael Manis, Director of Community and Economic Development, Centralina Council of Governments, NC

Open to all NADO members.

Open to all NADO Members.

Without a doubt RDOs and their strategic partners are changing the game for regional development.  Looking beyond the tried and true tools for building strong regional economies, many RDOs have created exciting and innovative paths for economic and community vitality across their regions.  Using highly visual presentations, speakers will succinctly share their approaches with the audience, from initial idea to implementation to impact.  The facilitated session will allow for opportunities for dialog among speakers and the audience.

Panelists:           

• Thomas Higginbotham, Executive Director, Northeast Nebraska EDD, Norfolk, NE
• Cheryal Lee Hills, Executive Director, Region Five Development Commission, Staples, MN
• Amanda Hoey, Executive Director, Mid-Columbia Economic Development District, The Dalles, OR
• Susan McMahon, Associate Director, Windham Regional Commission, Brattleboro, VT
• Emery Polelonema, Regional Planner, Six County AOG, Richfield, UT
• Melissa Rivers, Executive Director, East Arkansas Planning and Development District, Jonesboro, AR

Facilitator:         

• Erik Pages, President, EntreWorks Consulting, Arlington, VA

RDOs continue to face challenges presented by dwindling financial resources coupled with increasing requests for their products and services.  At the same time, staff turnover at all levels is offering up new hurdles to overcome, but also lots of new chances for exciting changes.  Attendees will learn about ways to identify top leadership and team strengths; implementing strengths during transition rather than focusing on weaknesses; and the notion that introversion is a leadership strength.

Trainer:       

• Monica Scamardo, President, Variate Consulting, Round Rock, TX

Moderator:

• Sasha Grist, Interim Executive Director, Western Arkansas PDD, Fort Smith, AR

The federal Highway Trust Fund is nearly out of funds, and proposals to shore up the balance over the long-term remain politically controversial.  Hear an update and outlook on the federal program, impacts on state and local governments, as well as one state’s solution to raising funds, a regional sales tax supporting regionally and locally determined projects.  This session is good for executive directors, planning staff, and board members with an interest in transportation.

Speakers:   

• Kathy Ruffalo, President, Ruffalo and Associates, Washington, DC
• Andy Crosson, Executive Director, Central Savannah River Area Regional Commission, Augusta, GA

Moderator:

• Joe Myhre, Executive Director, North Iowa Council of Governments, Mason City, IA

Identifying what issues are most important to a region is often the first step in using the right data to engage the public in the planning process.  Experts from capacity building teams that have worked directly with HUD Sustainable Communities grantee regions will share what tools and strategies are available for both urban and rural regions to strengthen and broaden outreach and planning efforts.  The session will also feature how data from GIS and other analysis tools were used to engage the public in regional planning efforts in Utah, Idaho, and Colorado and provide strategies for how your region can best use data to support an effective and inclusive planning process.

Speakers:    

• Jay Baker, Lead Planner, Envision Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
• Ashley Kaade, Planner II: Stakeholder Engagement, Denver Regional COG, Denver, CO
• Jennifer Newcomer, Director of Research, The Piton Foundation, Denver, CO

Moderator: 

• Ken Snyder, Executive Director, PlaceMatters, Denver, CO

In late 2013 OMB rolled out the most comprehensive overhaul of federal grants management policies in decades.  With a plan for full and uniform implementation by federal agencies by the end of 2014, the new “Super Circular” consolidates and hopefully streamlines several longstanding grant circulars covering administrative requirements (A-102 and A-110), cost principles (A-21, A-87, and A-122) and audit policies (A-133). This session will highlight the key changes that will impact regional development organizations in their roles as recipients, pass-through agencies, and subrecipients of federal grants and cooperative agreements.

Trainer:       

• Bob Lloyd, Principal, Robert M. Lloyd Consulting Services, and Partner, Federal Fund Management Advisor, SC

Moderator:

• Patricia Hartung, Executive Director, Upper Savannah Council of Governments, Greenwood, SC

Speaker: The Honorable Jay Williams, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, Washington, DC

Moderator: Peter Gregory, NADO President, and Executive Director, Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Council, Woodstock, VT

Learn how historic preservation is driving economic growth and redevelopment in neighborhoods throughout Denver.  After a brief bus tour to see some of Denver’s historic gems, you will visit the Emerson School, a former elementary school built in 1885 that is now home to historic preservation and conservation organizations working in the city and throughout the state to protect historic sites.  A recent rehab incorporated many green building techniques, such as a geothermal heating and cooling system, restoring windows to address leakages, and maximizing daylighting in the building.  Pre-registration and a special fee are required.

Meet in hotel lobby at 1:30 to board the bus; return to the hotel by 3:45 p.m. | Limit: 30 | $25 per person cost

Under the BRAC process, the Fitzsimons Redevelopment Authority has overseen the massive redevelopment of this former army base into a “life sciences city” with over 20,000 workers engaged in patient care, medical research, education, and biotechnology R&D.  Participants in this workshop will see and hear how this dramatic transformation was planned and executed to create a new economic engine within the Denver-Aurora metro area. Pre-registration and a special fee required.

Meet in hotel lobby at 1:30 to board the bus; return to the hotel by 4:30 p.m. | Limit: 50 | $25 per person

About 25 percent of all RDO executive directors have been on the job three years or less.  And, many more are on board to replace retiring executive directors in the next few years.  This session will address 24 questions that will help new executive directors determine if their priorities are operational or strategic; outline principles to secure early wins (and avoid losses) to get results and build trust; and discuss three pillars of self-management that can help determine success.

Trainer:       

• Monica Scamardo, President, Variate Consulting, Round Rock, TX

Moderator:

• Chris Brown, Executive Director, Ark-Tex Council of Governments, Texarkana, TX

This session will draw from research and case studies to provide executive directors and other managers that are not GIS-savvy with an update into the latest trends in GIS, discuss how to take advantage of the ArcGIS for Local Government solutions, and how to gain significant improvements in your GIS programs.

Trainer:       

• Shannon McElvaney, Esri, Redlands, CA

Moderator:

• John Hemmings, Executive Director, Ohio Valley Regional Development Commission, Waverly, OH

RDOs are playing an important role in supporting initiatives to train and educate workers to become successful entrepreneurs and small business owners.  By planning and collaborating with non-profits, universities, and other partners, these efforts are promoting locally-driven economic development that is resulting in new jobs and a strengthened regional workforce.  Many of these initiatives are being launched in incubators, converted office space, and training centers supported by RDOs and their partners.  Learn more about projects underway throughout the country that are creating educational, training, and mentoring programs for start-up and early stage companies, individual displaced workers, and other residents seeking to pursue their entrepreneurial goals.

Speakers:   

• Ed Morlan, Executive Director, Region 9 Economic Development District of SW Colorado, Inc.
• Tee McCovey, Division Director, Workforce Development, Southern MS PDD, Gulfport, MS
• Amber Schaan, Fund Manager, Lake Agassiz Development
  Group, Fargo, ND
  

Moderator:

• Erik Pages, President, EntreWorks Consulting, Arlington, VA

As the U.S. population ages, rural and small communities are faced with an interesting dilemma: meeting the diverse needs of an older population that is a mix of those in dire need of health and other human services (transportation, housing, health care, and nutrition programs) and those that are looking for new opportunities for employment or other social services (loans or investments for small businesses, increased community amenities—parks, bike paths, and cultural activities).  Many RDOs are faced with increasing demand for services typically provided under the AAA programs at the same time as they are seeing their communities explode with baby boomers seeking a quieter yet still active and engaged lifestyle.  This session will provide attendees with a 30,000 foot overview of the state of aging programs in rural America, and with best practice examples of diverse programs aimed at aging populations.

Speakers:   

• Mary Milford, Transitional Care Coach, Bluegrass ADD, Lexington, KY
• Jayla Sanchez-Warren, AAA Director, Denver Regional Council of Governments, Denver, CO

Moderator:

• Autumn Campbell, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, n4a, Washington, DC

As publicly funded institutions, RDOs are accountable to many audiences.  This session will provide executive directors and board members with critical information that will improve accountability in transparency in their daily operations.  Attendees will learn about the principles of good governance, sound financial management, and fraud prevention.

Speaker:     

• Adam Edelen, Auditor of Public Accounts, Commonwealth of Kentucky, Frankfort, KY

Moderator:

• Mark Farley, Executive Director, Upper Cumberland Development District, Cookeville, TN

RDOs have traditionally been immersed in various aspects of human service program delivery across their regions.  Across the nation, many RDOs  manage or house AAAs; coordinate transit services for residents to seek medical care, shop for groceries and clothing, get to work or school, or other social services; find available and affordable housing for those in need; provide meals for those in need; and help people find jobs.  This session will look at ways RDOs are working in their communities to incorporate human service delivery into their CEDS processes because they recognize the powerful impact these programs can have on a region’s overall economic health.

One of the most misunderstood concepts in federal fund management is indirect cost recovery. That’s been due, in no small way, to how confusing and full of holes the federal policies on the subject are.  The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) received an earful of complaints about that from grant recipients and subrecipients during its recently completed grant reform initiative. And some changes are on the way. Those are being integrated with some “tried and true” concepts to create what will hopefully be a new and more effective regime of indirect cost recovery policies going forward. This session will identify and analyze what’s new and, more importantly, how RDO’s can employ those policies in developing indirect cost rate proposals, negotiating indirect cost rates, and getting funding agencies at all levels to recognize those rates.

Trainer:       

• Bob Lloyd, Principal, Robert M. Lloyd Consulting Services, and Partner, Federal Fund Management Advisor, SC

Moderator:

• Kathleen Lewis, Executive Director, Southeast Idaho Council of Governments, Pocatello, ID

Almost 90 Innovation Award winners from the 2014 Innovations Award Class will be on hand to share information about their projects.  Wander through the room and visit with the winners to learn from them directly.  Learn about four winning programs and participate in the iPad raffle!

This year, craft breweries contribute about 110,000 jobs across the U.S.; the industry grew 18 % by volume and 20 % in revenues in 2013; and by the end of 2013 there were just over 2,700 breweries across the country.  And, many craft breweries source local ingredients and use renewable energy.   The industry has a strong presence in Colorado and this session will provide an overview of one local brewery’s growth and impact on the state.  Based in Ft. Collins, New Belgium Brewing is a leader in the craft beer industry.  Co-founder and CEO Kim Jordan will share the brewery’s interesting history and share insights into the decision-making which resulted in the selection of Asheville, North Carolina as the location for New Belgium Brewing’s east coast operations.

Speaker:             

• Kim Jordan, Co-founder and CEO, New Belgium Brewing, Ft. Collins, CO

Moderator:       

• Justin Hembree, Executive Director, Land of Sky Regional Council, Asheville, NC

Visit Celestial Seasonings factory tour and see how the #1 specialty tea in the U.S. is made.  You will be able to sample some of Celestial’s 75 kinds of tea, view the original artwork from the beautiful packages, meet with key staff, and walk right on the factory floor and have a Sense-ational experience (including the amazing peppermint room!).  You will have a chance to visit the gift shop and herb garden, as well as have lunch in the Celestial Café. Pre-registration and special fee required.

Meet in the lobby at 9 a.m. and return to the hotel by 3:30 p.m. | Limit: 50 | $50 per person cost

NADO members across the nation are enhancing their workforce and skills development programs to provide more targeted services to residents.  Some are crafting programs for specific populations—youth, elders, immigrants.  Some are collaborating with community colleges and other educational institutions to deliver programs that build local skills sets that are attractive to potential businesses or industries.  Others are developing new opportunities to help retirees stay in the workforce.  This session will offer a glimpse at several RDO workforce programs that are making differences in their regions.

Speakers:   

• Lisa Cooper, Executive Director, Northern Kentucky Area Development District, Florence, KY
• Jim Prosser, Executive Director, Centralina Council of Government, Charlotte, NC
• Betty Riley, Executive Director, South Central Oregon EDD, Klamath Falls, OR
• Matthew Dolge, Executive Director, Piedmont Triad Regional Council, Kernersville, NC

Moderator:

• Jason Vincent, Executive Director, Pennyrile Area Development District, Hopkinsville, KY

Our country’s shifting energy landscape has spelled the boom of some regions and the bust of others. This session will explore varying approaches RDOs have taken to capitalize on the continually evolving energy economy and the lessons they have learned along the way. Speakers will cover a range of energy generation methods from oil and gas exploration to renewable energy generation and detail their varied economic impacts. Intended to be a wide-ranging discussion, attendees should come prepared to discuss the energy industry’s current impacts on their regional economies and how they can capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Speakers:

• Bret Allphin, Development Manager/GIS Manager, Buckeye Hills-Hocking Valley DD, Reno, OH
• Joe Alcala, Executive Administrative Assistant, Middle Rio Grande Development Council, Carrizo Springs, TX
• Part 2 of Joe Alcala's Presentation
• Part 3 of Joe Alcala's Presentation
• Kevin Byrd, Executive Director, New River Valley Planning District Commission, Radford, VA

Moderator:

• Linda Salmonson, Economic Development Manager, East River Electric Power Co-op, Madison, SD

Did you know that municipalities can get discounted flood insurance premiums for their residents when they implement public education, mapping, regulatory, and other strategies to reduce flood risks?  They do this by participating in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) Community Rating System, a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities that exceed the minimum NFIP requirements.  At this session, a trainer from FEMA will provide an overview of the program and facilitate a discussion on the RDO role in helping local governments take advantage of the financial, safety, disaster resilience, and other benefits it can offer.

Speakers: 

• Bill Lesser, NFIP Community Rating System Coordinator, FEMA, Arlington, VA
• Barbara Fitzpatrick, Senior Floodplain Specialist, FEMA Region VIII, Denver, CO

Moderator:

• Christine Frost, Executive Director, North County Council, Bethlehem, NH

One of Denver’s oldest neighborhoods is also one of its most vibrant.  After hearing a brief presentation about LoDo (Lower Downtown Denver), hit the streets with a guided tour of this exciting neighborhood which has seen a mix of historic preservation and new development in recent years with the establishment of the Lower Downtown Historic District by the city council in 1988.  Hear about economic and community development efforts underway and how this area – formerly known as Denver’s Skid Row – has transformed into one of the most thriving neighborhoods in the city.  Wear comfortable shoes!  Pre-registration and a small fee required. 

Meet in the lobby at 10:15 a.m. to walk to the 16^th Street Mall Ride |Limit: 20 | $10 per person cost

Learn how the community of Lakewood, Colorado is connecting commercial development to transportation along the W light rail line, which opened for service in 2013.  The new transit service, with 11 stops and six park-and-ride facilities, serves an emerging arts district, as well as affordable and market-rate housing.  Development is being planned in one innovative district for businesses, shops, and residences alongside a station located near a major employment center in Lakewood and a medical campus.  Government, nonprofit and arts organizations, local businesses, and the public have joined together to build momentum for development and reinvention and to address challenges.  The workshop will include a trip on the W as well as walking, and will include lunch.  Pre-registration and a special fee required.

Meet in the lobby at 10:15 a.m. to walk to the 16^th Street Mall Ride; return to hotel by 2:00 p.m. | Limit: 15 | $30 per person cost

Hosts:   

• Peter Gregory, NADO President 
• Terry Bobrowski, NADO First Vice-President
• Joe McKinney, NADO Executive Director

Vestas, a leader in the global wind power marketplace with 16,000 employees worldwide and wind turbine installations in over 65 countries, has four facilities in Colorado that employ almost 1,500 people – with plans to increase that number to over 2,000 in 2014.  Attendees will tour the Vestas nacelles plant in Brighton to learn about the wind industry in general and hear from key staff about the impact the company has locally with regard to jobs and income, as well as the overall contribution the facility makes to the global wind power industry.  Box lunch will be provided on the bus.  Pre-registration and a special fee required.

Meet in lobby to board bus at 12:00 p.m.; depart at 12:15 p.m. and return to hotel by 3:15 p.m. | Limit 25: $25 per person cost | Box lunch will be provided on the bus

The past couple years have been marked by a series of catastrophic natural disasters across the U.S., including the Colorado floods; the many tornadoes that have struck the Midwest and south; and the wildfires in California and Arizona.  While these events take devastating physical, economic, and emotional tolls on the regions they impact, local leaders usually learn valuable lessons that can help make their communities--as well as other communities--more resilient to future disasters.  In this session, regional and local leaders with recent disaster experience will share their hard-won expertise and reflect on what they wish they had known before severe weather struck.

Speakers:   

• Doug Dowler, Executive Director, Southern Colorado EDD, Pueblo, CO
• John O’Brien, Mayor, Town of Lyons, CO

Moderator:

• Brian Teeple, Chief Executive Officer, Northeast Florida Regional Council, Jacksonville, FL

Learn about strategies to bring in much-needed revenue and sustain new programs that do not have grant support.  The entrepreneurial RDOs on the panel identified local governments’ and residents’ needs, and then decided how to monetize a model for serving those needs.  Executive directors, senior staff, and board members will enjoy learning how fee-for-service products and outside-the-box services are improving their organizations’ bottom lines and adding value to their regions.

Speakers:    

• John Leonard, Executive Director, Southern Georgia Regional Commission, Valdosta, GA
• Rachel Lunney, Director, EDD, Northwest Colorado Council of Governments, Silverthorne, CO

Moderator:

• Debora Glasgow, SWODA, Burns Flat, OK

As RDOs look at ways to streamline operations, manage projects and reduce costs associated with their IT environment, cloud computing is taking hold as a management tool worth looking into.  Simply put, cloud computing allows organizations to access all of their applications anywhere, anytime over the Internet.  Cloud technology now makes it possible for RDOs, regardless of their size or budget, to have access to technology they may not otherwise have been able to afford.  This session will walk attendees through the realm of cloud computing and help them decide if it is a potential tool for their organizations.

Speakers:   

• Jeff Kerr, Account Executive, VC3, Raleigh, NC

Moderator:

• Timmy Baynes, Executive Director, Mid-East Commission, Washington, NC

Learn more about the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), recently passed by Congress and expected soon to be signed into law by the president, and how it will impact RDOs and their efforts to support workforce development and training in their regions.  WIOA reauthorizes federal workforce and training programs and sets recommended appropriations through fiscal year 2020.  The session will also showcase best practices and strategies from RDOs for workforce development programs.   Sponsored by the South Delta Planning and Development District.

Moderator: 

• Billy Haney, Executive Director, South Delta PDD, Greenville, MS

Speaker:       

• John Chamberlin, Chamberlin and Associates, Portland, OR

Session will look at the differences in approaches to work of the various generations, as well as the changing dynamics of communities as baby boomers retire but are inclined to continue working in a more entrepreneurial setting.  Will look at opportunities and challenges, both internally and externally, for RDOs.  Sponsored by Three Rivers Planning and Development District.

Speaker:

• John Martin, President and CEO, Southeastern Institute of Research, Richmond, VA

Moderator:

• Martha Shickle, Executive Director, Northern Shenandoah Valley Regional Commission, Front Royal, VA