Sharpen Your Skills at Winter #MACoCon: Academy Courses on Finance, Transparency, and Employment Practices

MACo’s Winter Conference offers something for everyone – including a foundational course in good governance, along with deeper dives into complex issues.

Fellows of the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance (County Track) are required to complete 8 Core Courses and 6 Elective Courses to earn their certificate through the University of MD’s School of Public Policy – MACo will offer 3 Cores at Winter Conference.

These courses are open to all conference registrants, but Fellows will receive credit toward their certificate by completing evaluation forms for the Academy courses they complete.

County Financial Management

  • Description: A challenge faced by new and veteran county officials is understanding and using the government budget process, the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, and other financial documents effectively as tools for setting priorities and managing the government while maintaining the fiscal integrity of the jurisdiction. Fiscal management can be infused with economic assumptions, technical jargon, and processes that seem foreign to the uninitiated. In this class, veteran public administrators discuss the budget process and financial reporting, and offer practical tips for county officials.
  • Speaker: Ted Zaleski, Director, Management and Budget, Carroll County
  • Date/Time: Wednesday, December 10, 2025; 8:45 AM – 10:15 AM

Open Meetings Act

  • Description: This class provides an overview of Maryland’s Open Meetings Act law, which guides public officials in the requirements for providing public notice of the meetings that public bodies hold to conduct public business and for closing meetings when appropriate. The presenters focus on steps that local governments can take to comply with the law’s application to Maryland local governments, discuss some of the cases and complaints that have come before the Open Meetings Compliance Board, and, if time permits, address audience questions.
  • Speakers:
    • April Ishak, Principal, AC Ishak Law 
    • Frank Johnson, City Attorney, City of Gaithersburg
  • Date/Time: Wednesday, December 10, 2025; 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Employment Issues

  • Description: This class provides an overview of preferred employment practices and of the legal restrictions involved in hiring, firing, promoting, and disciplining employees. The instructor addresses how positions should be advertised and how interviews should be conducted. Also included are risk management techniques for proper employee supervision.
  • Speaker: Kevin Karpinski, Karpinski, Colaresi and Karp, P.A.
  • Date/Time: Friday, December 12, 2025; 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM

More Information

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 foundation in the skills and knowledge necessary 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).

Academy courses are open to ALL conference registrants – Academy Fellows must complete evaluation forms for each class to earn credit.

Academy Fellows with questions about their transcripts should contact the registrar, Elizabeth Hinson, at ehinson@umd.edu.

Learn more about MACo’s Winter Conference: