The 2012 MACo Winter Conference will honor the late Governor William Donald Schaefer with the theme of “Do It Now! Honoroing and reflecting the public service commitment and vision of William Donald Schaefer.” The conference is taking place at the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort in Cambridge, Maryland, from January 4 – 6, 2012.

Over 350 of Maryland’s leaders, including Senators, Delegates, State officials, county elected and appointed officials, and others in the commercial and non-profit worlds have gathered to celebrate the legacy of William Donald Schaefer and take part in educational sessions reflecting his “Do It Now!” approach to customer service in government.

Governor Schaefer believed in effective, efficient public service and the sessions in this conference reflect that goal. Sessions such as “Federal Fallout: Prioritizing Citizen Services,” “Customer Service: Creating Effective Boundaries When Everyone Wants it Now,” and “The Mobile Web: Citizen Expectations for Emergency Government Communication,” and many others all focus on customer service for Maryland’s citizens.

To further the theme of honoring Governor Schaefer, MACo held a Tribute Dinner in Schaefer’s honor on Wednesday, January 4, 2012. Speakers included: the Honorable Rochelle “Rikki” Spector, Baltimore City Council Member; Lainy Lebow-Sachs, former aide for Schaefer; Tim Maloney, former member of the House of Representatives; Cas Taylor, former Speaker of the House of Delegates; and Jim Lighthizer, former Secretary of the Maryland Department of Transportation. The Master of Ceremonies was Mark Wasserman, former Chief of Staff for the Schaefer Administration. All of the speakers involved in the evening’s events shared anecdotes and memories of their time working with William Donald Schaefer with the strong message that county leaders should learn from his approach to customer service in government.

All proceeds from the William Donald Schaefer Tribute Dinner will be donated by MACo to the William Donald Schaefer Foundation.