CAMA E-Brief Newsletter: 2025 CAMA Hotel Room Block Launch Happening Next Week

2025 CAMA CONFERENCE ROOM BLOCKS TO BE LAUNCHED NEXT WEEK

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2024 AT 12:00 NOON EST

Please visit the CAMA website to learn everything you need to know about securing accommodations for the 2025 CAMA Conference happening at the Fairmont Mont Tremblant from May 26-28, 2025. Room blocks will officially open on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 12:00 PM EST. On this date, the reservation links will be posted on the CAMA Conference website.

CAMA has reserved room blocks well in advance to secure the best rates for our members while being mindful of your municipal budgets. We’ve negotiated special Conference rates at the Fairmont Mont Tremblant and two overflow hotels: Hilton Homewood Suites Mont Tremblant (adjacent to the Fairmont) and the Marriott Residence Inn Mont Tremblant (1 km/9-minute walk to the Fairmont). We’ve secured the largest possible room blocks at all three hotels.

Veuillez visiter le site Web de l'ACAM pour apprendre tout ce que vous devez savoir au sujet de l'hébergement pour la conférence de l'ACAM de 2025 qui aura lieu au Fairmont Mont Tremblant du 26 au 28 mai 2025. L'ouverture officielle des blocs de chambres aura lieu le mardi 17 septembre 2024, à 12 h (HNE). À cette date, les liens de réservation seront affichés sur le site Web de la conférence de l'ACAM.

En retenant des blocs de chambres longtemps d’avance, l’ACAM obtient les meilleurs tarifs pour ses membres et permet les prévisions pour les budgets municipaux. Nous avons négocié des tarifs spéciaux au Fairmont Tremblant et à deux autres hôtels : Homewood Suites by Hilton Mont-Tremblant (adjacent au Fairmont) et Residence Inn by Marriott Mont-Tremblant (1 km – 9 min de marche du Fairmont). Nous avons retenu le plus grand nombre de chambres possible dans ces trois hôtels.

RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE: THOMAS L. EVERETT AWARD PRESENTATION TO

MARC MELANSON, CAMA SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT

Congratulations to Marc Melanson, CAMA Second Vice-President, Board Representative for New Brunswick and City Manager for the City of Dieppe, for receiving the prestigious Thomas L. Everett Excellence Award presented by the Association of Municipal Administrators of New Brunswick (AMANB). This esteemed award honors exceptional leadership in local government administration in New Brunswick, recognizing individuals who have made a profound and lasting impact on the profession. It acknowledges staff who, throughout their careers, have consistently exemplified excellence, dedication, and achievement at the highest level.

Marc (left) received the award from Dave Brown (right), President of AMANB (also a CAMA member), during the Awards Dinner in St. Andrews on September 12, 2024.

Congratulations Marc, on this well-deserved award! Your leadership has made a lasting impact and we are proud to celebrate this milestone with you!

As Series 1 comes to a close, we're thrilled to announce the launch of Series 2 of the EA Master Classes—tailored to help Executive Assistants and administrative professionals in local government elevate their skills even further. These virtual sessions are filled with practical insights and strategies designed to enhance daily effectiveness. Plus, if you have multiple team members interested, we’re offering a special discount for two or more registrations.

The full program and registration details are now available on the CAMA website. We encourage you to share this opportunity with your EA or any administrative staff who would benefit from this professional development. There’s no need to have participated in Series 1 to sign up for Series 2—participants can register for a single session or save by registering for all five!

Taking place in 2025, Series 2 focuses on expanding the skills and expertise of Executive Assistants in local government, with a deeper dive into advanced topics critical for professional growth. The series includes four 90-minute sessions led by Tracey Lorenson, along with a bonus session facilitated by the team at Elm City Events. Topics include:

Maximizing Time Management for EAs
Advanced Collaboration & Leadership Techniques for EAs
Mastering Policies, Procedures & Meeting Dynamics
Navigating Challenges with Confidence
BONUS SESSION: Event Planning, AI & Innovative Strategies for Modern EAs

SUCCESSION PLANNING -

NINE CLASSIC MISTAKES TO AVOID

by ICMA - Dr. Frank Benest

In the latest edition of ICMA Career Compass, Dr. Frank Benest offers critical insights on avoiding common pitfalls in succession planning for local governments. With talent retention and development becoming increasingly challenging post-pandemic, this article provides practical guidance on how to create a robust succession development strategy that not only mitigates these challenges but also fosters a culture of growth and leadership within your organization. Whether you're just beginning to develop your plan or refining an existing one, this article is a must-read for ensuring long-term organizational success.

Check out the full article here, and stay tuned for CAMA's upcoming Succession Planning Toolkit, launching in October 2024!

MEET EVAN PARLIAMENT, CAO

CITY OF REVELSTOKE, BC

CAMA BOARD REPRESENTATIVE FOR BRITISH COLUMBIA

How long have you been a CAMA member? Since 2001.

What do you like most about being a member? Networking with other CAO’s

What career advice do you live by? “Not every municipality wants Evan Parliament to be their CAO”. Who gave it to you? George Cuff

What is the favourite place you’ve travelled? Scotland (Green Bay close second)

What would be the theme song of your life right now? “Be what you is” by Doug Macleod.

What advice would you give to someone considering a career as a CAO or senior manager in local government? Sharpen your political acumen skills. Be patient with people.

What experiences and past roles have led you to where you are today? Perseverance. Just when you think you are done, you pick yourself up and beat the odds. Never surrender. Never. Elected officials come and go. Your career is your legacy. Be an eagle. Don’t be a duck.

If you could collaborate with anyone, who would it be? Why? John F. Kennedy. His handling of the Cuban missile crisis and his vision for a peaceful world.

Describe what a perfect day outside of work would look like for you? Touring the British Isles by boat, train, bicycle, and foot. Checking out the pubs and commiserating with the locals. Hopefully a song breaks out and the music intoxicates the room.

ENHANCING POLITICAL ACUMEN THROUGH MENTORSHIP: A RESOURCE FOR CAMA MEMBERS

Often, the advice given by a mentor to a mentee is less procedural and more directional. That is to say, it relates more to navigating the politics of an organization or an industry and advancing one’s career, than how to do one’s day-to-day job. For this reason, mentorship is a critical component of learning political acumen.

In CAMA's Political Acumen Toolkit (a public resource), we have included a PowerPoint presentation as a downloadable resource for CAMA members to use as part of their mentor-mentee relationships. The presentation covers every topic included in the Political Acumen Toolkit and can be used by CAOs or Senior Administrators to support the professional development of their management teams or aspiring leaders. Many parts of this presentation can also be used to support Council Orientation sessions on various topics such as Council Ethics, Social Media, and more. We hope you will find it to be a valuable resource to inspire the future leaders of local government in Canada.

This presentation is available in English and in French and can be found in the Mentorship and Political Acumen section of the toolkit.