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May 3-5 2006
Doubletree Hotel, Austin, Texas

Course Description

EDUCATIONAL CO-SPONSOR - Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin

The Opening General Session places special emphasis on disaster, response, recovery and rebuilding.

Mr. James Lee Witt, former director of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), where he served from 1993-2001, will speak to us about disaster response and recovery. Mr. Witt has over 25 years of disaster management experience, culminating in his appointments as the director of the FEMA and credited with turning that agency from an unsuccessful bureaucracy to an internationally lauded all-hazards disaster management agency. From 1993 to 2001. Mr. Witt oversaw the recovery efforts on more than 350 disasters. We are pleased to have him share his expertise and experience with us.

Penny Redington, executive director of Texas Association of Regional Council will moderate a panel of county officials that experienced hurricanes and fires in their counties. How can your county be prepared for disasters? The panel members will share the lessons learned from their experiences

Dr. Rick Rigsby, award winning professor at Texas A&M will inspire you to make a shift by moving excellence from rhetoric to reality! Learn how excellence and character can transform your life. Join Dr. Rigsby as his motivation presentation challenges you to be a peak performer by making an impact and not just a mere impression.

Other Highlights!

• SPECIAL PRE-CONFERENCE Geographic Information System (GIS) WORKSHOP! Sponsored by the National Association of Counties
• A HEALTH FAIR with a well-rounded sampler of many health options available for yourselves and your citizens. Learn how you can conduct a health fair in your community.
• The First Annual Meeting of the TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS will be conducted in conjunction with the County Management Institute.

   GENERAL MANAGEMENT

• Explore proven methods to give you the skillful edge needed to favorably negotiate thorny, cross-jurisdictional issues so that your constituents and taxpayers get maximum benefit.
• Discover the keys to managing projects successfully when working within the complex mix of tasks and people.
• Explore strategies to improve personal and organizational performance through improved communication.

• Learn how to lead the way through specialized leadership training

• Identify approaches to resolving disagreements constructively rather than reacting with habitual patterns of behavior

    HEALTH BENEFITS

• Do your part to help lower health care costs. Attend the health fair and learn how easy it is to produce a health fair in your county. Make people aware of how they can stay healthy and prevent serious illnesses.
• Understand the GASB requirements for calculating and reporting the future liability for retiree health care benefits.
• Employers are seeing new benefit plans and purchasing options this year. Find out what’s helpful and what’s hype.

   HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

• Be cognizant of the updates to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
• Don’t make the common mistakes employers make in hiring, firing and termination. Learn the ins and outs of employee compensation and incentive system design from Sheila Gladstone, a knowledgeable expert.
• What is your county doing to attract and retain the talent needed to increase your productivity? Do you have a high turnover rate? Find out ways to attract and retain good employees.

   RISK MANAGEMENT

• Jack Colley, State Coordinator from the Governor’s Division of Emergency Management will explain how emergency planning for Texas counties actually worked during hurricane Katrina and Rita which will be especially helpful to Law Enforcement and Emergency Management staff.
• A panel of experts will take their audience into the inner workings of putting together a first ever workers' compensation network of exclusive medical providers.
• Recognize the disastrous effects of deferring maintenance on operations and safety created by triggering the "Inverse-Square Rule.” By deferring maintenance to save money, managers can trigger an inverse expense to an exponential value. Learn how to avoid this.

Who Should Attend?

The 2006 County Management Institute provides expert and timely information for county officials, supervisors and staff. Those who would benefit from the Institute include:

• Commissioners Court members
• All elected and appointed officials
• Sheriffs, constables, chief deputies, jail administrators and supervisors
• Department heads, supervisors and managers
• Risk managers, loss control coordinators and committee member and
• Personnel directors, human resource officers and employee benefits administrators