By Julius Suchy
Join us for the 2021 Virtual Winter Institute
If you have not yet registered for the MME Winter Institute to be held January 26-28, you will be missing out on a number of great speakers and topics. The Professional Development Committee (PDC) focused on a shorter schedule that featured higher quality content, with the virtual format allowing us to attract speakers that may have otherwise been cost prohibitive. The conference will feature Doug Griffiths, author of 13 Ways to Kill Your Community; Sheryl Sculley, former San Antonio city manager and author of Greed Bastards: One City’s Texas Size Struggle to Avoid a Financial Crisis; Nicole Lance, CEO of Lance Strategies, and a number of other great speakers.
2021 Summer Workshop in Rochester/Auburn Hills Update
While we have not yet held the 2021 Winter Institute, once complete, the PDC will quickly begin work on planning the 2021 Summer Workshop with an in-person conference in mind. With the event taking place in the summer and the Royal Park Hotel in Rochester having a lot of open green space, conversations have been ongoing about the potential for sessions outside in tents that would allow for social distancing.
The PDC understands the health concerns related to gathering during COVID-19 and will continue to monitor how things are progressing as we move towards summer 2021. If the MME board is not comfortable with an in-person conference when the time comes, changes will be made to move the event to a virtual format. We look forward to seeing you all in person (hopefully).
Midwest Leadership Institute
Drs. David and Daven Morrison, former ICMA President David Limardi, and former ICMA Midwest Vice President Bob Kiely have developed the Midwest Leadership Institute, a leadership education and professional development program for city managers, aspiring managers, department heads with aspirations of advancement, and other rising stars in local government. The goal of the Institute is to provide local government professionals with a deeper understanding and mastery of core leadership concepts and experiences to increase their skills at managing people to achieve intended outcomes. If you are interested in learning more about the Midwest Leadership Institute check it out at https://www.midwestleadershipinstitute.org/.
MME Professional Coaching Program
Did you know that MME started a professional coaching program in 2018? The program was created because the PDC determined that there is a professional development gap that currently exists for its membership. Although there are numerous opportunities for mentoring, networking, and learning about various topics at conferences, the MME believes that members would benefit from professional coaching services that extend beyond what is currently offered. This coaching could be utilized for a professional or personal issue that a member has struggled with in a confidential manner outside of a conference or group gathering.
If you are interested in learning more please check out the Professional Development tab on the MME website.
Upcoming Scholarship Deadline
Although in-person professional development is currently on hold, please consider reviewing the scholarship guidelines and looking at opportunities in 2021 that you may be interested in attending. For more information, visit www.mme.org/scholarship-application-guidelines/.
Upcoming Conference Locations
- 2021 Summer Workshop – Rochester/Auburn Hills
- 2022 Winter Institute – Troy, MI
- 2022 Summer Workshop – Holland, MI
- 2023 Winter Conference – Grand Rapids, MI
- 2023 Summer Workshop – Frankenmuth, MI
Julius Suchy, Chair, Professional Development Committee
Township Manager, Ada Township
Phone: 616-676-9191, Ext. 48
Email: jsuchy@adatownshipmi.com