Leadership Development is posting a monthly series of short videos in 2025 to share information, promote programming, and encourage discussion on board development topics. The July installment of the series includes information on the district director nominating process.

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 2025 Management Summit & PreCon, scheduled for September 16–18 at the Wyndham Garden Conference Center in State College.

This year’s program includes:

A PreCon day dedicated to helping emerging leaders navigate transition, uncertainty, and change
A Day 1 Keynote and Manager Roundtable on Artificial Intelligence
A Day 2 workshop on Communicating to Influence

Management Summit is open to all district managers, management staff, and partner staff. Attendance is free, but registration is required. Visit Building for Tomorrow for the Summit agenda, registration link, and room block information.

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.

Leadership Development is posting a monthly series of short videos in 2025 to share information, promote programming, and encourage discussion on board development topics. The June installment of the series includes a discussion on voting abstentions, reasons for abstaining, and best practices for handling abstentions in your board meetings, as well as links to reference articles on parliamentary procedure.

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.

New for 2025, Leadership Development will post a monthly series of short videos to share information, promote programming, and encourage discussion on board development topics.

The May installment of the series includes a brief discussion of the differences in liability for Delegated and Non-delegated programs, as well as links to a presentation video and reference checklist from the December 2023 Identifying Insurance Coverage Gaps webinar.

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.

New for 2025, Leadership Development will post a monthly series of short videos to share information, promote programming, and encourage discussion on board development topics.

The April installment of the series includes a brief overview of Quarterly Reimbursement Submission reporting courtesy of our partners at DEP and the SCC. A reference document is also included in the post.

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.

District managers and management staff, mark your calendars for the 2025 Management Summit and PreCon, scheduled for September 16-18 at the Wyndham State College.

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 presented a webinar on March 18, 2025, to address questions that were submitted during and after the February Employment Law for Conservation Districts Seminar series. Links to the recording of this session and the seminar reference booklet are posted at Building for Tomorrow.

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 12, 2025, twenty-eight conservation district staff gathered in State College, PA, for the “Inspiring Action with Public Speaking” workshop. Participants learned the essential principles and techniques for planning and delivering confident and compelling speeches, presentations, and pitches. The exercises used examples from situations the conservation districts face, including speaking in front of commissions, legislators, and local news.

 

March Board Development Video: Strategic Planning

New for 2025, Leadership Development will post a monthly series of short videos to share information, promote programming, and encourage discussion on board development topics. It’s never too early to start thinking about strategic planning, and the March installment of the series includes a brief overview of the importance of strategic planning for districts, preparation, and the planning process, and support available through the Strategic Planning Grants Program.

Employment Law Seminar Reference

Written reference materials from the February Employment Law Seminars are now posted for your convenience at Building for Tomorrow.

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.

Over 75 conservation district personnel and partner staff attended the three Employment Law for Conservation Districts seminars on February 18, 19, and 20. Adam Long of McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC presented the seminars on best practices for hiring and managing employees, wage and hour laws, leave rights, policy review and updates, discriminatory harassment, and employment law trends for 2025 and beyond.

A seminar reference book is posted at Building for Tomorrow, and a follow-up webinar to address detailed employment law and policy questions is scheduled for March 18.

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.