Session 1 Agenda

thursday, January 26

Session 1 will take place at the Texas Municipal Center, 1821 Rutherford Lane in Austin

8:00 –10:30 a.m.
Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:30 - 8:40 a.m.
Welcome
TCMA President Jay Stokes, City Manager, City of Deer Park

8:40 –9:00 a.m.
Making the Connection
Hear about networking opportunities, which are key elements to the city management profession.
Moderator: Matt Mueller, Town Manager, Town of Little Elm

9:00 –10:00 a.m.
How Did We Get Here? A History of the City Management Profession
This session will address how the council-manager form of government evolved in the State of Texas.
Speaker: Dan Johnson, City Manager, City of Richardson

10:00–10:15 a.m.
Break

10:15 –11:00 a.m.
Basic Duties of a City Manager 
Addresses ICMA Practices Groups 6 (Strategic Leadership); 7 (Strategic Planning); 8 (Policy Facilitation and Implementation); and 12 (Financial Management and Budgeting)
What does a day in the life of a city manager look like? In a nutshell, what are the essential responsibilities of a city manager?
Speakers: Jay Stokes, City Manager, City of Deer Park and Opal Mauldin-Jones, City Manager, City of Lancaster

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
How To Overcome Unconscious Bias in Decision Making
Addresses ICMA Practices Group 3 (Equity and Inclusion)
This session discusses how to identify unconscious biases in the workplace and strategies to overcoming them.
Speakers:  Micah Grau, City Manager and Lauren Middleton-Pratt, Assistant City Manager, City of Buda
 

12:00 - 12:30 p.m.
Lunch

12:30 - 2:30 p.m.
The Ethical Realities of Public Service
Addresses ICMA Practices Group 1 (Personal and Professional Integrity)
What are the basic concepts of public sector ethics? What practical, specific procedures can you establish to help make ethics an integral part of your personal and professional life? This session fulfills the ethics training requirement for new members.
Speakers: Matt Mueller, TCMA Ethics Committee Chair, and Town Manager, Town of Little Elm and Caitlan Biggs, Director of Administrative Services/Town Secretary, Little Elm 

2:30 - 2:45 p.m.
Break

2:45 - 4:00 p.m.
The Fundamentals of Budgeting and Finance
Addresses ICMA Practices Group 12 (Financial Management and Budgeting)
How do you develop a fiscally-sound budget for your city? What policies and procedures can you adopt to help you maintain 
the stability of your organization's finances?
Speaker: Josh Selleck, City Manager, City of Kilgore and Sara Robinson, Assistant City Manager, City of Deer Park

4:00 - 5:00 p.m.
Roundtable Discussions with Area City Managers
Speakers:  Kent Cagle, City Manager, City of Killeen; James Earp, City Manager, City of Hutto; Ashley Wayman, City Administrator, City of Rollingwood

Friday, January 27

8:00 - 8:30 a.m.
Continental Breakfast

8:30 - 10:00 a.m.
Council/Manager/Staff Relations
Addresses ICMA Practices Groups 4 (Staff Effectiveness); 6 (Strategic Leadership); and 14 (Communicating and Information Sharing)
How do city management professionals establish and maintain successful relationships and work effectively with the city council and city staff?
Speakers: Brandt Rydell, Mayor; and Brian LaBorde, City Manager, City of Taylor

10:00 - 10:15 a.m.
Break

10:15 - 11:45 a.m.
Municipal Law 101
Addresses ICMA Practices Groups 8 (Policy Facilitation and Implementation); and 13 (Human Resources Management and Workforce Engagement)
Which basic municipal laws must you be familiar with? Statutes covering such issues as open government, ethics, employment, and purchasing will be discussed.
Speakers: Texas Municipal League legal staff

11:45 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.  
Tying it All Together
Moderator: Matt Mueller, Town Manager, Town of Little Elm

12:00 p.m.
Adjourn