Dear SDA Members,
The 2011 SDA Annual Conference was held in Breckenridge, Colorado on September 14-16. Judging by the comments from those who attended, the Conference was an overwhelming success. Attendees reported that they thought the sessions were educational, and inspirational; they enjoyed the entertainment and the chance to hear from other special districts on how they’re dealing with the economy. Overall/Platinum sponsors for the 2011 Conference were COLOTRUST, The Colorado Special Districts Property and Liability Pool, and T. Charles Wilson Insurance Service. I would be remiss if I did not take this time to highlight them and their dedication to special districts. It would not be possible for SDA to put on a Conference with all of the speakers, programs and general sessions without the help of these companies.
Program Sessions
The Conference theme was “Information for Inspiration,” and the keynote speakers masterfully incorporated the theme into their presentations.
Corey Ciocchetti kicked off the Conference with a wise, well thought out demonstration on how the everyday practice of “doing the right thing” can transform the lives of people we deal with in our personal lives and in our professional lives working with special districts. His message to the over 700 people attending Thursday’s breakfast was ethics and business are compatible.
Debra Fine, using her personal experience as a former board member of a special district, made communications the point of her presentation and illustrated the issues that special districts face with their constituents and the impact of poor communications. Whether it is delivering a rate increase or holding an election, good communications is the key to great customer service.
Mary Kelly delivered a rousing Friday morning presentation and gave the audience effective tools to manage teams of volunteers and district staff, or to use in project development. Mary noted that quality leadership will make the difference in a district’s bottom line.
John Sileo’s “Think like a Spy” covered a myriad of issues a district can face using technology in day-to-day operations. His real-life story accentuated the financial and personal crises that can occur with identity theft. John gave an insider’s view and professional help in how a district can build a fundamentally sound organization.
The breakout sessions gave practical and helpful information on varied topics including conflict resolution, tax-related misconceptions, insurance, finance and budgeting, resource management, and doing more with less.
SDA U
Overall sponsors for the SDA University were The Colorado Special Districts Property and Liability Pool and T. Charles Wilson Insurance Service, who not only generously provided SDA University shirts to the class of 2011, but also took time to participate by presenting information.
A first for the SDA Annual Conference was a special appearance by Carnac the Magnificent (for those of you old enough to remember The Johnny Carson Show) a.k.a. Harry Damm, Premier-Resorts, Regional Director of Sales. Thanks to Harry for all of his help with the Conference. Speaking of magnificent—thank you to the many volunteers who gave their time and talents at the SDA Registration Booth.
Awards
Several district board members and managers were honored for their contributions (see pages 9-11 for a recap of the awards), and a Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to James Walker. Mr. Walker has served on the board of the Alameda Water and Sanitation District for over 47 years, and he is a founding member of the Special District Association of Colorado and has also served as a member of the SDA Board of Directors since 1977.
Jim joined the Alameda Water and Sanitation District in its first 12 years and was instrumental in its expansion, as well as keeping it fiscally responsible and financially stable. He also helped establish the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District, served on its board for 2 years, and was a founding father and the first investor in COLOTRUST, as well as one of the original board members. Mr. Walker was one of the driving forces behind the Colorado Special Districts Property and Liability Pool, and actively recruited members for both the Pool and SDA.
Jim has attended every SDA Conference, except 2011. Unfortunately, Jim was unable to attend this year due to a recent accident. SDA sends Jim our best wishes for a full and swift recovery.
The entire awards program is a tribute to the people who volunteer, and work for special districts. It is a pleasure to be able to recognize Fort Collins-Loveland Water District, the winner of the J. Evan Goulding District of the Year Award; Apex Park and Recreation District, the recipient of the 2011 Collaboration Award; Charles Dwyer from Bear Creek Water and Sanitation District, named Board Member of the Year; and Stan Gengler, from Estes Valley Recreation and Park District, presented with the Manager of the Year Award. Congratulations to all of the 2011 winners. The 2011 Annual Conference Awards Program can be seen on the SDA website at www.sdaco.org.
Photos
Of course—it wasn’t all work and no play. The “SDA Photo Booth” and Karaoke made Wednesday’s opening reception enjoyable, and the lively performances by the entertainment for Thursday night’s banquets were a big hit. If you’d like to see more, go to the SDA website and follow the link to the Conference photos.
Annual Business Meeting
The Annual Business Meeting gave SDA members the chance to meet Reeves Brown, Executive Director, for the Department of Local Affairs. Mr. Brown covered The Essential Partnership Between State and Local Government and Executive Order D2011-005 regarding unfunded mandates.
A significant part of the Annual Business Meeting is the election of the SDA Board of Directors. The following individuals were re-elected as directors of SDA:
- James Borland, Fort Collins-Loveland Water District
- ohn McCaulley, Western Eagle County Metropolitan Recreation District
- James Kullhem, West Metro Fire Protection District
- Pat Mulhern, South Metro Fire Rescue Authority
- Harold Thompson, Fountain Sanitation District
- John Warnick, Tallgrass Metropolitan District
Visit SDA’s Website
For those of you unable to attend the Conference, SDA has made several presentation handouts, as provided by the Conference speakers, available on our website. These handouts can be found under the “Events” section. Feel free to download the handouts from the sessions you loved, or the sessions you missed.
Looking Ahead to 2012
With hardly a break to catch our breath, SDA is already beginning to make plans for the 2012 Conference. If you missed this year’s Conference or have never attended an SDA Conference, you owe it to yourself and your district to save September 19-21 for the 2012 Annual Conference in Keystone.
With appreciation…
As we celebrate the success of the 2011 Annual Conference, it is important to thank the Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze Sponsors and the 48 Exhibitors for coming together to guarantee that Conference attendees were treated to informative speakers and helpful information to take back to their districts.
Thank you to the SDA Board and the SDA staff for their tireless planning and the work that went into making the 2011 SDA Annual Conference a huge success.
And finally, a special thanks to our Conference attendees, without whom there would be no need to put on an event of this magnitude. Your presence and support are reflective of your dedication to the education and welfare of special districts in Colorado. The SDA Board and the SDA staff worked together to implement new programming ideas this year, and we hope it enhanced your Conference experience.
See you in Keystone in 2012.
Ann A. Terry
