CAMA E-Brief Newsletter - March 20 2024 - Deadline Approaching for Early Bird Conference Rate

SECURE YOUR SPOT AT THE 2024 CAMA NATIONAL CONFERENCE WITH EARLY BIRD SAVINGS

AVAILABLE UNTIL APRIL 1, 2024

Act fast! You've got under two weeks to take advantage of the early bird rate for the CAMA National Conference at the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel from June 3-5, 2024.

Save $200 now and enjoy the best in professional development and networking tailored for Chief Administrative Officers and senior managers in local government across Canada.

Registration stays open until May 15, 2024. Don't miss your chance - get all the details on the Conference website today.

CAMA WELCOMES THE LOCAL GOV CAFÉ TO BANFF FOR THE 2024 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

CAMA is excited to announce that the Local Gov Café will be joining us once again at the 2024 Annual Conference to capture the essence of our event by highlighting key municipal innovations and discussing insightful topics.

Hosted by Susan Gardner and Ann Mitchell, this podcast is dedicated to engaging conversations about municipal issues, offering invaluable insights and inspiration that shape and propel communities forward. Throughout the Conference, Susan and Ann will engage in discussions with delegates, keynote speakers, and recipients of our Awards of Excellence Program, providing a rich tapestry of perspectives and experiences.

Ann Mitchell, a CAMA member and the CAO for the City of Medicine Hat, AB is a consensus builder with excellent leadership abilities, and her mission is to improve local government. Having completed a recent study of the critical nature of the Council and CAO (City Manager) dynamic, she is now undertaking research into the area of special purpose boards and their governance structure. Innovation and creativity in local government are the key drivers that get her excited.

Susan Gardner is a management and communications strategist, with a range of experience including work with public, private, and not-for-profit organizations across Canada. She is an inquisitive municipal storyteller, producing thousands of videos, podcasts, articles, and editorials over her career. She loves sharing the success stories of local government and talking with the leaders who help their communities grow and flourish.

You can visit their café at www.localgovcafe.com

ELEVATE YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM: GIVE THE GIFT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS DAY!

REGISTRATION OPENS APRIL 23, 2024 AT 12:00 NOON EST

As Administrative Professionals Day approaches, here's an exciting opportunity to invest in the professional development of your administrative team. The CAMA National Conference for Executive Assistants in Local Government is set to take place from November 3-5, 2024, in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Tailored specifically for Executive Assistants, this inaugural event is designed to also empower Administrative Assistants, Legislative Coordinators, Office Coordinators, Clerks/Treasurers, and any frontline or clerical staff supporting our members.

We are pleased to advise that the Program and online registration will be available earlier than expected, launching on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 at 12:00 Noon EST, just in time for Administrative Professionals Week. Be sure to keep an eye on your inbox for further details that you can pass along to your staff!

Here are some key highlights to note:

Room Blocks: Rooms are still available at the Crowne Plaza Hotel and the Delta Hotel Fredericton, but they won't last long!

Conference Airfare Discounts: As an added bonus, delegates flying with Air Canada can enjoy an exclusive discount. Unfortunately, WestJet no longer serves Fredericton, so we do not have a discount code available for this airline. Find all the details and the Air Canada discount code on our website.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to support the development of your Administrative team.

SheLeadsGov ACROSS THE GLOBE

Women in local government management around the world talk to ICMA about what it takes to succeed, how they manage both work and life, and their advice for the next generation.

Around the world, there are extraordinary and successful women local government leaders who are dedicated to improving service delivery and creating diverse and sustainable communities. As a result, the local government management profession has witnessed significant progress toward gender balance over the last few decades.

In 1974, ICMA established the Task Force on Women in the Profession to confront the fact that only one percent of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) positions in local government in the United States and Canada were filled by women. Ever since, ICMA has continued to champion the inclusion of women in local government administration. Over the past 50 years, we have made significant strides to help increase opportunities for women to serve as CAOs, who now serve in 23% of CAO positions nationwide.

In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024, and Women’s History Month in the United States, ICMA interviewed leaders around the world about their experiences in local government and what they see for the future of the profession.

Access the Full Article Here.

HIGHLIGHTING THE WILGA WEBINAR CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY FEATURING CAMA MEMBERS

On International Women’s Day (March 8^th) the Women in Local Government Administration group brought together a small group of leaders to discuss their experience in gender inclusion “Breaking Down Barriers and Biases: Inspiring Gender Inclusion”. Whether you missed out or want to spread the inspiration with colleagues and friends, the recording is available below. Catch up on all the insightful discussions and valuable insights at your convenience.

Thank you to the following CAMA members for being panellists on this insightful webinar:

-Elle Brovold, City Manager, City of Campbell River, BC

-Kealy Dedman, Commissioner of Public Works, Peel Region, ON

-Sandra Lund, CAO, Town of Ponoka, AB

-Nina McCarthy, Deputy Fire Chief, Fredericton Fire Department, NB

Click Here for the Recording

KNOW WHEN TO LEAVE

10 Indications that it may be Time to Resign from your Local Government Position

by James Malloy, ICMA-CM | Mar 01, 2024 | PM MAGAZINE - ARTICLE

As city, town, and county managers, we work hard to earn positions in communities where we can successively obtain better, more challenging positions as our careers progress. It can be disappointing and frustrating when we start a new position in what we believe is an ideal community only to discover underlying issues that weren’t apparent when we accepted the position.

The length of service guideline under Tenet 3 of the ICMA Code of Ethics establishes that a minimum of two years of service is necessary in order to render professional service to the local government. But after that, when is the right time to consider leaving a position? When is resignation the best course of action? What should we do when elected officials create a hostile work environment? How do we address personal attacks disguised as political arguments?

I considered these questions after reading a Boston Globe article in January of this year with the headline, “Littleton NH Town Manager Resigns over Select Board’s Anti-LGBTQ+ Comments,” and reflected on my own decisions over the course of my career.

Read the Full Article Here.

SUPPORTING A COLLEAGUE IN DISTRESS

By Dr. Frank Benest | Feb 27, 2024 | ARTICLE - ARTICLE

As mental issues become more evident in our organizations, how do we reach out to a colleague experiencing distress and provide support, even if we have no training to help them?

I’m a division head in a county parks and recreation department. I have a colleague who is another division manager in our department. We see each other in-person at the office three days a week or during Zoom meetings. We often work together on various project teams, and we are friendly. In the past several months, my colleague is struggling and seems quite lonely, distressed, and certainly not himself. I have also observed that his performance has begun to suffer.

The county executive and the HR director have both expressed the need to support employees with mental health difficulties. While I feel badly for my coworker and want to be supportive, I don’t know how.

As a manager and colleague, I see more and more instances of people struggling with mental health issues; however, I have no training to respond. To support my colleague, can you suggest some things that I can do?

Read the Full Article Here