Build a Strong Foundation with #MACoCon Academy Core Courses

MACo’s Winter Conference will feature 3 Academy Core Courses: Basics of Risk Management,academylogo Consensus & Teambuilding, and Public Information Act.

The Academy for Excellence in Local Governance is a volunteer certificate program for elected and appointed county and municipal officials. The program provides a strong background of necessary skills and knowledge for local government leaders. It was founded by MACo and MML, is facilitated by the University of Maryland’s School of Public Policy, and is sponsored by the Local Government Insurance Trust (LGIT).

At MACo’s Winter Conference, December 6-8, 2017, the following 3 courses will be offered:

  • Basics of Risk Management

    • One of the main responsibilities of local governments is to protect its residents from risk to themselves and their property. Risk may result from a number of sources, including fire, crime, automobile accidents, harm to the infrastructure, or as a result of waste disposal. This class is designed to sharpen the awareness of officials that local government activities are subject to risks that may result in significant loss. Through learning about steps to reduce and control loss exposure and tools for identifying hazards, government officials can learn how to avoid the consequences of taking unnecessary risk.
    • Speaker: Larry Bohlen, Director of Field Services, Local Government Insurance Trust (LGIT)
    • Date/Time: Wednesday, December 6, 2017; 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
       
  • Consensus & Teambuilding

    • This class introduces local government leaders to the basic skills needed to successfully resolve conflict and build consensus within a local government setting. Particular emphasis is placed on developing ways to improve the design of public processes to enhance community involvement and satisfaction. This highly interactive training involves analysis of real world examples as well as small group work built around hypothetical situations that will seem familiar to anyone who has served as a local government official.
    • Speaker:
      • Heather Fogg, Director of Quality Assistance – Maryland Judiciary Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office
      • Nick White, Research & Evaluation Director, Maryland Mediation and Conflict Resolution Office (MACRO)
    • Date/Time: Wednesday, December 6, 2017; 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
  • Public Information Act

    • What kind of information should be released to the public upon request? Many difficulties can be avoided by knowing the answer. This class helps officials and staff at all levels understand the requirements of state law governing requests for public records and suggests best practices for handling those requests. The class includes small roundtable discussions using real-life scenarios to further illustrate appropriate responses to requests from the public or the press.
    • Speaker:
      • Adam Snyder, Chief Counsel, Opinions and Advice, MD Office of the Attorney General
      • The Honorable David Carey, Associate Judge, Harford County District Court
    • Date/Time: Friday, December 8, 2017; 8:00 am – 9:30 am

Elective courses will also be offered at the conference, but will be announced later.

If you have questions about your Academy transcript, please contact the registrar, Aisha Washington, at awashin1@umd.edu or 301.314.2641.

Learn more about MACo’s 2017 Winter Conference: