Opening General Session with music by Groove Labs

Keynote Speaker

Tony Brigmon is the former Ambassador of FUN for the highly successful Southwest Airlines. He has been intimately involved in helping business leaders connect with their employees, change corporate culture, and promote a healthy, productive workplace environment. Tony earned Southwest Airlines President's Award for exemplifying the spirit of enthusiasm, fun, sincerity and *love*, which is Southwest Airlines, and for sharing that spirit creatively through employee development programs. He has made over 1,700 presentations to more than 2 million attendees, nationally and internationally.

GENERAL SESSION CONTINUES

The Future of the Economy

Don Reynolds founded 21st Century Forecasting in 1986, a research company focusing on long term global, economic, demographic, and technology trends. He frequently works with the leadership of major corporations and trade associations in strategic planning sessions to identify specific trends that will impact their organizations' long term profitability and help them develop pro-active strategies for success. Having served 11 years as Chairman of the Investment Advisory Board of a $22 Billion trust fund, his success resulted in his being appointed by George W. Bush as Pension Board Chairman with oversight of $120 Billion in Pension & Trust Funds. He understands how important personal accountability and bottom line performance is, and the need for decision makers to have a clear vision of future trends and events in order to make successful long term strategic decisions. Don developed the nation's first graduate business course on the 21st Century. He has a Masters Degree in Public Administration/Planning, a Doctoral background in Economics, and is a graduate of the Securities Industry Institute of the Wharton School. He has an honorary degree from the University of Moscow and was the first American member of the Moscow Center for Consulting Scientists. He has lectured on Free Market Systems at the University of Moscow, spoken about the Global Economy for the Saudi Arabian Central Bank, keynoted the Australian IT Summit, advised the Heavy Equipment Industry in Rome, Keynoted for international correspondents in Indonesia and spoken on the impact of global warming in Santiago. Don specializes in strategic asset allocation based on long-term trend analysis and understanding of "Big Picture Scenarios" and their impact on specific industries. He has a profound real-world insight into Financial Markets in such key areas as interest rates, energy prices, real estate, and economic policy. Don presents a bold assessment of the current political and economic events and forecasts major trends in the global economy.

Trade Show Open

Celebrate Service in the Vendor Hall with the Groove Labs Jazz Combo

Casino Night and Dance

This year’s casino night and dance features Austin’s own, Dale Watson. Frequent proclamations declaring him one of country music's last authentic voices. Like that in Crazy Again--a recent documentary on Watson's life--when a fan declares, "son, you play country like country was when country was country."

Perspectives on the 81st Legislative Session

Speakers: Senator Royce West, District 23 & Chair of Intergovernmental Relations; Representative Garnet Coleman, District 147 & Chair of County Affairs Committee

Local Option Transportation Funding

Urban and suburban Texas is facing transportation funding challenges; state and federal funding is not keeping pace with demand for local projects necessary to relieve costly traffic congestion. During this session, local officials asked the Legislature for the authority to call for local elections to raise revenue for local transportation projects. Advocates will discuss why the Legislature should provide this permissive authority and allow for local solutions to local problems.  

Speakers: Representative Vicki Truitt & Judge Glen Whitley

TAC 40th Anniversary Celebration in Vendor Hall

Join us in celebrating TAC's 40th anniversary!

Texas public officials face a host of challenges from anti-tax, anti-government groups.  Texas isn’t alone.  From Maine to Michigan and from Florida to California, anti-government activists try to thwart legitimate activities of public officials.  This session outlines the true national scope of these efforts, and the individuals at the core who fund and coordinate these activities.

Juvenile Justice Update

The Texas Juvenile Justice system is moving forward, striving to improve efficiency, accountability and effectiveness by building on the reform efforts begun in 2007.  The leaders of the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission and the Texas Youth Commission provide attendees with a review of legislative appropriations impacting youth services and goals for enhancing the quality of juvenile justice in Texas following the 81st Legislative Session. 

Speakers: Vicki Spriggs, Executive Director, Texas Juvenile Probation Commission & Ms. Cherie Townsend, Executive Director, Texas Youth Commission

TCDRS Mapping the Road to Retirement

Presenters explain the TCDRS investment strategy, including portfolio objectives, asset classes for investments and recent performance.  How has the recent downturn in the economy affected your TCDRS plan and what does new legislation mean to county employees?  Preview the new TCDRS website and get a chance to explore new services available to TCDRS employers and members.

Speakers: Gene Glass, Executive Director; Amy Bishop, Chief Customer Officer; Paul Williams, Investment Officer

The Passion of the Work, in Six Words

The artist Vincent Van Gogh said, “your profession is not what brings home your paycheck. Your profession is what you were put on this earth to do with such passion and intensity that it becomes your calling”.  This presentation discusses the definitions of passion and intensity, and offers perspective on how to apply their meanings to our existence.  Passion is conviction, desire and devotion.  Intensity is strength, force and feeling. Without these six words, our lives and work are just occupying space. Life and work without passion is similar to what Henry David Thoreau wrote about losing one’s dreams and aspirations, “you may still exist but you have ceased to live.

Speaker: Mark Warren, Training Consultant, Texas Association of Counties

Best Practices for Worksite Wellness

Learn about the latest research on worksite wellness and what the most successful employers are doing to help employees reduce risks, increase good health, and control health care costs. Develop an effective wellness strategy tailored to your workplace.

Speaker: Carrye Hieronymus, Wellness Coordinator, Texas Association of Counties

Property Tax Reform

Prior to the 81st Session, a special legislative study of the appraisal system called for a range of    reforms to be adopted. Hear a discussion of what these reforms are, how they benefit property taxpayers and how they improve the property tax system.

Speaker: Representative John Otto & Ms. Deborah Cartwright, Property Tax Assistance Division, Comptroller of Public Accounts

Eminent Domain

Eminent domain reform has been in the national limelight since 2005, when the U.S. Supreme Court concluded that the taking of property for economic development purposes a “public use.” Opposition to the opinion was strong, and the Texas Legislature prohibited that type of taking by statute the same year. Since then, eminent domain reformers have pushed more and more changes, including a constitutional amendment defining “public use” and more compensation for landowners. Are these changes appropriate? You decide.

Speakers: Robert Soard, Division Chief, Real Property, Harris County Attorney's Office

Strategies for Energy Efficiency—Learn How Your County Can Access Funding and Save on Energy Costs

As part of the federal economic stimulus package, Congress funded the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program.  Certain counties and cities are eligible for formula grants direct from the federal government, while the remainder will be able to access a total of approximately $45 million which will be passed through the State Energy Conservation Office in the Office of the Comptroller.  Learn how your county can access and utilize these funds for various energy efficiency projects and how these projects can save your community on energy costs over the long term.    

Speakers: Lisa Elledge, Stimulus Program Manager, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts; Robert Wood, Director of Local Government Assistance and Economic Development, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts; Dub Taylor, Director of the State Energy Conservation Office

The How Behind Wow, Establishing a Culture of Service

Implementing a customer service program is more than putting your employees through a "smile" course. There are many pieces to the puzzle of customer service that must be implemented before it becomes your competitive edge. This session helps you succeed by showing how to deliver what your customers want in the most memorable way as well as give you the three “must-have” building blocks of customer service.

Speaker: Peggy Morrow, Peggy Morrow & Associates

Conflict Resolution in the County Courthouse

Conflict in the workplace can pose a destructive outcome to teamwork and morale. If conflict remains unchecked and unmanaged, differences between your customers and workers can lead to your mission failing and cooperation will be at a minimum. Understanding proper approaches to conflict helps ease these situations and provide a more positive outcome. Identifying these matters in a courteous, non-confrontational approach leads to focusing on the matter at hand rather than on the individual. This leads to solutions so the conflict can be resolved.

Indigent Defense: State Funding, Cost-Effective Strategies, and a Review of National Developments

This program covers state funding and consulting services available to counties to improve their indigent defense systems. Learn about regional public defender programs, direct filing initiatives, and other services that have proven successful in Texas counties. Hear what the Report of the National Right to Counsel Committee, Justice Denied—America’s Continuing Neglect of Our Constitutional Right to Counsel, as well as what recent congressional hearings on indigent defense mean for Texas.

Speakers: Jim Bethke, Director of Task Force on Indigent Defense & Carl Reynolds, Administrative Director - Office of Court Administration and Executive Director - Texas Judicial Council

County Development Authority

Most of the population growth is occurring in suburban Texas or just beyond the suburb, in unincorporated areas. Has county authority kept pace with this growth? What other factors are in play? What will Texas look like in the next decade?

Speaker: Hon. Jeff Barton, Hays County Commissioner; Erich Morales, Assistant County Attorney, El Paso County

Ready, Aim Retire – Nationwide Insurance

This three-step workshop helps plan your retirement income and determine how to structure the income from your deferred compensation plan. Determine the amount of monthly income needed in retirement by looking at other income sources, ways to stretch your income, and the various income options of your deferred compensation account.  The workshop is interactive and provides participants with a financial roadmap. 

Speaker: William Sawyers, Program Director for South Texas, Nationwide Retirement Solutions & Jacarri Williams

Customer Relations on the Telephone

You lose the power of body language while on the phone, leaving you with just your voice and words. Yet many people do not know the basics of good telephone manners. This session explains the four things you should do before you answer the phone, how to keep people happily on hold, ways to handle unhappy callers and five ways to sound professional.

Speaker: Peggy Morrow, Peggy Morrow & Associates

Reaching Out to Your Customers – Electronically

Many citizens prefer to find out about county services from the comfort of their personal computers. This session explores opportunities to reach the public through expanding the availability of helpful information on county Web sites and other digital avenues such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, blogs, etc. Also, learn about the new TAC Web site that presents videos on what citizens may need to know before they go to the courthouse.

Speakers: Gayle Latham, CIRA Director, Texas Association of Counties; Jim Lewis, Director of Communications, Texas Association of Counties

Federal Update on Counties

Speaker: Judge Glen Whitley, Tarrant County & Paul Beddoe, NACo

Closing Keynote: Customer Service Excellence in the Public Sector

Understand the unique challenges of providing exceptional and highly responsive customer service to citizens and co-workers and acquire new skills for providing a more professional level of service.

Speaker: Brian Muir, President of the James Madison Group