My Gosh, It's Orlando!!!

By Joyce Doakes Smith, CPM, AACPM President-Elect
Joyce.Smith@opm.ok.gov

You have been waiting and we have been working! Now it is time to register for the 2009 Annual Professional Development Conference of the American Academy of Certified Public Managers® (AACPM).

Leadership in the Millennium: 21st Century "Reality Check" will unfold at the Rosen Centre Hotel and Conference Center in Orlando, Florida, September 20-22, with the House of Delegates convening and adjourning on September 23, 2009. Conference and hotel registrations are now on-line at www.aacpmconference.com. With four registration packages available, there is one to fit your needs.

Although this conference is educationally-based, it is also designed to enhance leadership skills. It is planned for AACPM members, but it will also satisfy training for persons outside of our organization. Freely share conference and registration information with your associates.

You will make use of information garnered from notable speakers and timely topics long after this conference ends. Four tracks guide workshop sessions: Accountable Management in Changing Times, Quality Performance in Present Times, Organizational Preparation for Future Times, and Responsible Government in Difficult Times. Three topical workshops are offered in each track.

Dynamic sessions will be presented by outstanding speakers, including Libby Anderson, Allison Blankenship, John Childers, Julie Henry, and Lorna Kibbey. Paulette Laubsch, Mike Levinson, Christian Oleck, John Pieno, and Terrence Samuel complete the list.

Author and associate editor of Sports Illustrated Don Yaeger will keynote the closing session. Yaeger, one of America’s most provocative journalists, has been an invited guest for major talk shows – from Oprah to Nightline, from CNN to Good Morning America. Yaeger will share "What Makes the Great Ones Great."

The House of Delegates, AACPMs annual business meeting, will address a robust agenda and set the stage for a new year of activities. Each state society has three delegate seats. President Steve Mastro will preside and three new officers will be elected.

Maybe you have never attended an AACPM conference before. Have no fear! First-Time Attendee Orientation will provide Academy history and give you suggestions on what to expect and how to get the most out of the conference.

All society presidents are invited to attend the Presidents Meeting. It is a great opportunity to share expectations and experiences and seek advice.

One noticeable change -- there is no evening event scheduled for Monday. My gosh, it's Orlando!!! You are free to shop, go to a Disney Park, visit relatives, rest and read, swim or anything else Orlando and the surrounding area has to offer. The conference planning committee hopes to have discounted tickets and coupons available for use before, during, and after the conference for your convenience. You and/or your family can come early and stay late. Watch the website for promotions.

It is not too late for sponsorships. If you or a company would like to be a sponsor, visit www.aacpmconference.com/sponsors.htm for more information. Then contact Joanne Robertson at joanner@leetc.com. Contributions are tax deductible.

Joanne Robertson, the coordinator of the Florida conference planning committee, and her team of conference planners have figuratively scaled walls and moved mountains to prepare an awesome conference for us. Make your plans now to attend and enjoy the 21st Annual AACPM Professional Development Conference!

© Copyright 2009, American Association of Certified Public Managers®