Session 3 of the Employment Law for Conservation Districts webinar series was held on August 5.  Videos of all three presentations, along with a reference guide, are posted at Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development.  

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

Registration is open for the Management Summit 2020 Webinar Series, scheduled on Wednesday afternoons at 1:00 p.m. from September 2 through September 30. This year’s program features a variety of topics including Managing Remote Teams, Negotiation Skills, and Volunteer Engagement, as well as a follow-up session from the Summer Employment Law webinar series. The Summit Series program will be bookended by the Manager Forum meetings on Wednesday, August 26, and October 7, allowing Managers to discuss resilient leadership and team cohesion in times of uncertainty.

Agenda and registration for the Summit Series can be found at the Building for Tomorrow website. 

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

Managers and Directors – there’s still time to register for the Summer Employment Law for Conservation Districts session. Adam Long of McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC will present a webinar series on Employment Law for Conservation Districts, scheduled for Wednesdays June 3, July 8, and August 5 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., with a follow-up session on September 23.

The first session on June 3 will feature topics that are crucial to effectively and lawfully managing the conservation district workforce during times of disruption: furloughs, layoffs, and work-from-home policies. This presentation will also cover key hiring considerations for employers as well as leave and other important workplace and employment policies. Topics for the July and August webinars will include harassment training and policy, managing employee absences, wage and employee classification, and best management practices for employee communication, confidentiality, conduct, and performance concerns.

All conservation district managers and directors are encouraged to participate in these sessions. Click here for more information and to register. 

Adam Long practices in the Labor and Employment Law Practice Group at McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC. He represents employers in single-plaintiff and class-based employment litigation matters and provides advice and counseling to employers on a wide range of labor and employment law issues. Adam has worked with Building for Tomorrow to present on employment law and management topics for conservation districts for over ten years.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

The Building for Tomorrow 2020 Management Summit scheduled for September has moved to an online format for this year in light of COVID-19 restrictions. The Management Summit webinar series will be scheduled for Wednesdays in September, with sessions starting at 1:00 p.m. The agenda includes topics that address challenges during times of disruption, including managing effective remote teams, negotiation skills for dealing with difficult people, volunteer engagement in the age of social distancing, and more. Stay tuned for more information and a registration announcement in June.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

Adam Long of McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC will present a webinar series on Employment Management & Law for Conservation Districts, scheduled for Wednesdays June 3, July 8, and August 5 from 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. An in-person follow-up session is scheduled for Thursday, September 3, at the 2020 Management Summit.

The program agenda for the first session on June 3 will feature topics that are crucial to effectively and lawfully managing the conservation district workforce during times of disruption: furloughs, layoffs, and work-from-home policies. This presentation will also cover key hiring considerations for employers, leave, and other important workplace and employment policies.

Topics for the July and August webinars will include harassment training and policy, managing employee absences, wage and employee classification, and best management practices for employee communication, confidentiality, conduct, and performance concerns.

All conservation district managers and directors are encouraged to participate in these sessions. Click here for more information and to register.

Adam Long practices in the Labor and Employment Law Practice Group at McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC, where he represents employers in single-plaintiff and class-based employment litigation matters and provides advice and counseling to employers on a wide range of labor and employment law issues. Adam has worked with Building for Tomorrow to present on employment law and management topics for conservation districts for over ten years.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

March 31 Records Retention Webinar postponed, Staff Conference session video available for viewing

The Records Retention for Conservation Districts webinar scheduled for March 31, 2020, has been postponed. Stay tuned for an announcement on rescheduling for April. In the meantime, videos for the Records Retention and Prevailing Wage sessions at the 2020 Staff Conference are now available for viewing at the Building for Tomorrow website. 

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

On March 31, Tyler Stump from PA State Archives will present a follow-up webinar to his recent Records Retention for Conservation Districts session at the 2020 Staff Conference. Tyler will share best practices and compliance for basic records management and rules for electronic document retention.

The webinar is scheduled for Tuesday March 31, from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Click here to register. 

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission.

Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

The 2020 Building for Tomorrow Staff Conference was held on February 12-13 at the Wyndham Garden State College. There were 130 attendees from 45 counties. Keynote sessions were held on productive conflict and emotional intelligence and getting things done through time management.

Presentations from the conference will be posted at https://www.paleadership.org/events-programming/staff-conference/.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

The Building for Tomorrow 2020 Back to Basics Regional Director Training workshop scheduled for March 10 at Berks County Conservation District has been canceled. But there’s still time to register for the March 11 workshop at Cumberland County – please click here for more information. 

For those unable to attend a regional workshop, remember to visit the Director Training page at the Building for Tomorrow website for learning resources and updates on upcoming programming.

In the meantime, mark your calendars for the July 23 Director’s Breakfast at the PACD/SCC Joint Annual Conference, where Janet McNally of Team Development Services will present on The Five Practices of Effective Boards.  Janet recently gave this presentation at a meeting of the PACD Executive Board, and everyone who participated agreed that it would be a valuable session for all Directors.  Stay tuned for more information coming in spring.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.

The 2020 Regional Director Training Workshop theme is “Back to Basics.” The half-day workshops are perfect for new and recently appointed directors, but all board members can benefit from this refresher course on effective leadership and primary roles and responsibilities. The program will review all conservation district board functions and activities, including legal, governance, and fiduciary responsibilities, as well as information on partner programs and guidance on board efficiency, understanding mission and outcomes, and important director support roles. 

Debra Thompson, President of Erie-based Strategy Solutions, Inc., will lead the workshop sessions, assisted by staff from the State Conservation Commission and DEP. Along with an extensive background of training and consulting in the areas of organizational development, strategic planning, and community leadership, Debra’s experience with conservation districts as a trainer through the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program will provide workshop attendees with valuable insights on effective board leadership. 

Workshops are scheduled for 9:30 a.m.–3:00 p.m. and will include lunch for all attendees. All conservation district directors and associate directors are encouraged to attend, and district managers are welcome to participate with their board members at these sessions.

Click on the links below to register:

Wednesday, February 26, at Clinton County Conservation District
Thursday, February 27, at Monroe County Conservation District
Wednesday, March 4, at Erie County Conservation District
Thursday, March 5, at Westmoreland Conservation District
Tuesday, March 10, at Berks County Conservation District – Cancelled
Wednesday, March 11, at Cumberland County Conservation District

Registration info and the workshop agenda can also be found at the Building for Tomorrow website. The registration deadline is one week prior to the workshop date.

Financial and other support for the Building for Tomorrow Leadership Development Program is provided through a grant from the Pennsylvania State Conservation Commission. Guidance for the Program is provided through the Pennsylvania Conservation Partnership’s Leadership Development Committee.