ASLCS Fall Professional Development Seminar
Omni Austin Downtown · Austin, Texas · September 20-25, 2006

Preliminary Agenda

(as of September 14, 2006)

Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday

Wednesday, September 20, 2006
12:00 pm-6:00 pm	Registration/Information Desk Balcony Alcove, Second Floor, Omni
1:00 pm-3:00 pm	Nominating Committee Governor's Boardroom, Second Floor, Omni
3:00 pm-5:00 pm	Executive Committee Executive Boardroom, Second Floor, Omni Presiding: JoAnn Hedrick, Chief Clerk of the Delaware House and ASLCS President
5:00 pm-6:00 pm	New Attendee Orientation Lonestar, Second Floor, Omni
7:00 pm-10:00 pm	Opening Reception - Welcome to Austin! Esther's Follies, 525 East 6th Street, Austin, Texas 78701
Thursday, September 21, 2006
7:00 am-4:00 pm	Registration/Information Desk Balcony Alcove, Second Floor, Omni
8:00 am-9:00 am	Continental Breakfast Longhorn, Third Floor, Omni Thank you to our sponsor, Propylon.
9:00 am-12 noon	Plenary Session – Problem Solving with Supervisors Capital Ballroom, Second Floor, Omni Back by popular demand, Dr. Ben Bissell visits the ASLCS to tackle the topic of problem solving with your supervisors.  How do you handle conflict?  How do you resolve it?  How do you motivate others to work with you?  Be prepared to analyze the techniques you use to deal with these issues and learn constructive ways to "go long to get along." Speaker: Dr. Ben Bissell, President, LuBen Associates, Las Vegas, Nevada
12 noon-1:30 pm	Lunch On Your Own
1:30 pm-2:00 pm	Committee Chair Transition Meeting Representative, Second Floor, Omni

2:00 pm-3:20 pm	Concurrent Session – How to Reward, Recognize and Retain Legislative Staff Capital Ballroom A, Second Floor, Omni This panel will explore various methods that you can use to reward your most valuable assets - your legislative staff.  Panelists will give real world examples and share their experiences.  Participants will leave with a list of ideas to implement back home. Moderator: Pat Saville, Secretary, Kansas Senate Panelists: Marilyn Eddins, Chief Clerk, Colorado House Anna Hanback, Human Resource Manager, Virginia House Susan Schaar, Clerk, Virginia Senate
2:00 pm-3:20 pm	Concurrent Session – Custodians of American Democracy Capital Ballroom B, Second Floor, Omni Who are legislative staffers, what do we do, and how are we perceived?  Karl Kurtz of NCSL will expand upon his article “Custodians of American Democracy” which appeared in July/august edition of State Legislatures magazine.  The results of a national survey are analyzed, paying particular attention to the differences between partisan and non-partisan staff. Introduction: Inga Emerson, Delaware House Panelist: Karl Kurtz, Director, Trust for Representative Democracy, NCSL
3:30 pm-5:00 pm	Concurrent Session – How to Save Your State Money: Ways to Reduce Your Office Budget Capital Ballroom A, Second Floor, Omni Is your state faced with increasing demands on limited fiscal resources?  Panelist will discuss cost-saving measures their offices have taken to save taxpayer dollars without reducing services to their members or the public. Moderator: Linda Hawker, Secretary, Illinois Senate Panelists: Johnye Bennett, Purchasing Officer, Virginia House Charlotte Mary, Fiscal Officer, Virginia House Norman Moore, Chief Clerk, Arizona House Denise Weeks, Principal Clerk, North Carolina House
3:30 pm-5:00 pm	Concurrent Session - Technological Solutions for Processing Legislation Capital Ballroom B, Second Floor, Omni This session will highlight three states and their use of technology to process bills, amendments and other legislative documents as they are filed at the front desk and move through the process in the Clerk’s and Secretary’s offices.  Specific programs will be demonstrated and discussed by those who design them and those who use them.  This session is designed for principal and assistant clerks and secretaries, front desk staff, calendar, journal, bill status and E&E staffs. Moderator: Scott Kaiser, Assistant Secretary, Illinois Senate Panelists: Dave Avant, Administrative Assistant to the Secretary, Alabama Senate Bud Nesbit, Legislative Counsel Bureau, Nevada Tim Rice, Director, Legislative Information System, Illinois
Evening	Dinner On Your Own

Friday, September 22, 2006
7:30 am-9:00 am	Registration/Information Desk Balcony Alcove, Second Floor, Omni
7:45 am-8:00 am	Bagels and Coffee To Go, Load Buses for Capitol Atrium, First Floor, Omni Buses will be waiting to transport attendees at the Corner of 8th Street and Brazos at 8 am.
8:30 am–10:30 am	Capitol Day Events Texas Capitol Building Welcome: Senator Leticia Van de Putte, Texas Senate and NCSL President
10:30 am-12 noon	Staff Group Breakouts Texas Capitol Building Please take advantage of this opportunity to break into groups and meet according to job function.  Breakouts will be facilitated by an ASLCS member and a Texas host.
	Principal Clerks and Secretaries Room This session is designed for the chief clerk or secretary of the chamber. Facilitator: JoAnn Hedrick, Chief Clerk, Delaware House
	Assistant Clerks and Secretaries Room This session is designed for the assistant chief clerk or secretary of the chamber. Facilitators: Tara Perkinson, Journal Clerk, Virginia Senate
	Calendar or Agenda Staff Room This session is designed for staff whose work involves the preparation of calendars or agendas for legislative sessions or legislative proceedings. Facilitators: Nathan Hatfield, Virginia Senate Linda Tubbs, Calendar Clerk, Texas Senate
	Journal Staff Room This session is designed for staff whose work involves record keeping or recording legislative sessions. Facilitators: Inga Emerson, Journal Clerk, Delaware House Diane Arrington, Journal Clerk, Texas Senate
	Bill Index, Status and History Staff Room This session is designed for staff whose work involves bill indexing, status, and history systems and information. Facilitators: Norma Chastain, Bill Status/History Clerk, Arizona House
	Engrossing and Enrolling Staff Room This session is designed for staff whose work involves engrossing or enrolling of bills. Facilitators: Patrick Merkel, Chief Engrossing Clerk, Tennessee Senate
	Public Relations Staff Room This session is designed for staff whose work involves media relations, constituent services or the dissemination of public information. Facilitators: Carmela Bills, Information and Public Relations Manager, Virginia House
	Fiscal Administration/Human Resources Staff Room This session is designed for staff whose work involves fiscal administration of the chamber or the clerk's office, such as tracking member or staff salaries, per diems or benefits or purchasing. Facilitators:
	Computer and Technology Support Services Room This session is designed for staff whose work involves computer services and other technology support services. Facilitators: Alan Whittington, Assistant Chief Clerk, Tennessee Senate
	Support Services Staff Room This session is designed for staff whose work involves support services such as security, document or mailing rooms, or other legislative staff. Facilitators: Johnye Bennett, Purchasing Officer, Virginia Senate, Jay Braxton, Procurement and Logistics Manager, Virginia House
	Committee Staff Room This session is designed for staff whose work involves committee operations and support. Facilitators: John Garrett, Deputy Clerk, Virginia Senate
12 noon-1:30 pm	Host State Luncheon Legislative Conference Center, Texas Capitol Building
1:45 pm-3:30 pm	Plenary Session - A Brief History of American Parliamentary Law Auditorium, Texas Capitol Building Sanford Peterson, national expert on parliamentary law, will return to speak to the Society about the history of the American parliamentary system. Sponsored by the Mason's Manual Commission.  Moderator: John Phelps Panelists: Sanford W. Peterson, Ph.D., National Authority on Parliamentary Law, Honorary Member, ASLCS
3:30 pm-4:00 pm	Return Transportation to Omni
5:00 pm-5:30 pm	Load Buses for Texas Night Buses will be waiting to transport attendees at the Corner of 8th Street and Brazos.
6:00 pm-10:00 pm	Texas Night

Saturday, September 23, 2006
8:00 am-4:00 pm	Registration/Information Desk Balcony Alcove, Second Floor, Omni
9:00 am-12 noon	Plenary Session – Stress Reduction: Lighten Up or Burn Out Capital Ballroom, Second Floor, Omni Stress is the number one cause of burnout, illness, and decreased productivity in America. How many times do we need to hear these words of caution before we do something?  We take our jobs seriously, we take our relationships with friends and family seriously, we take the challenging issues of our world seriously, but we don't have to take ourselves seriously.  Learn how to take yourself lightly and you've learned to decrease stress substantially.  Be ready to take an extremely serious look at taking yourself less seriously! Speaker: Craig Zablocki, Positively Humor, Denver, Colorado
12 noon-2:00 pm	Luncheon and Business Meeting Longhorn, Third Floor, Omni Presiding: JoAnn Hedrick, Chief Clerk, Delaware House and ASLCS President Thank you to our sponsor, Thomson West.
2:00 pm-3:20 pm	Concurrent Session – Legislative Page and Intern Programs - How Do These Programs Work in Your State? Capital Ballroom A, Second Floor, Omni Page and intern programs vary from state to state.  In this interactive session, panelists will share information about programs in their states, and members of the audience will be encouraged to share information about their programs.  Please come prepared to participate in this open forum!  This session is sponsored by the Support Staff Committee. Moderator: Norma Chastain, Bill Clerk, Arizona House Panelists: Nathan Hatfield, Calendar Clerk, Virginia Senate Rob Marchant, Chief Clerk, Wisconsin Senate Bonnie Trivette, Administrative Clerk, North Carolina House
2:00 pm-3:20 pm	Concurrent Session – Security in the Legislative Chambers and Capitol Complex Capital Ballroom B, Second Floor, Omni This session looks at how states secure the legislative environment while keeping the process open to the public.  Panel members will discuss security provisions implemented in the Capitol complexes and within legislative chambers.  Examines how states have reacted to security threats and what steps have been taken to prevent security problems in the capitols. Moderator: Scott Kaiser, Assistant Secretary, Illinois Senate Panelists: George Bishop, Deputy Clerk, Virginia House Judy Hall, Secretary, Oregon Senate Carleton Turner, Sergeant at Arms, Texas Senate

3:30 pm-5:00 pm	Concurrent Session – Jack of All Trades: Cross-Training Legislative Staff Capital Ballroom A, Second Floor, Omni How would your chamber operate without you there during session?  Could you perform the vital job functions of another staff member if that person were absent for an extended period of time?  This session will explore the benefits of cross-training your legislative staff.  Learn from states that have implemented cross-training programs, and discover just how valuable they have proven to be when an absence occurs. Moderator: Judy Barrows, Senior Systems Support Coordinator, Maine House Panelists: Diane Bell, Assistant Clerk, Florida House Vanessa Davison, Journal Clerk, Vermont Senate Cyndy Johnston, Calendar Composer, Oregon Senate Karen Wadsworth, Clerk, New Hampshire House
3:30 pm-5:00 pm	Concurrent Session – Surviving a Change Majority Party in Your Chamber Capital Ballroom B, Second Floor, Omni What do you do when the party changes?  How do you work with the outgoing leadership?  How do you train the incoming leadership?  Do staff get retained? Do new staff get hired?  When does the transition period begin?  These are but some of the questions that must be handled when the opportunities and challenges of a party change in a legislative chamber occurs.  This session will explore the various situations that have occurred in the North Carolina House, Tennessee Senate, and Washington Senate.  Come and learn how to help members pass the gavel while keeping both your and your staff’s jobs. Moderator: Jeff Finch, Deputy Clerk, Virginia House Panelists: Paul Campos, Director of Facilities, Washington Senate Russell Humphrey, Chief Clerk, Tennessee Senate Denise Weeks, Principal Clerk, North Carolina House
5:00 pm-5:30 pm	New Attendee Wrap-Up Lonestar, Third Floor, Omni
Evening	Dinner On Your Own
Sunday, September 24, 2006
8:00 am-4:00 pm	Information Desk Balcony Alcove, Second Floor, Omni
8:00 am-12 noon	Mason’s Manual Commission Meeting Congress, Second Floor, Omni Presiding: John Phelps, Clerk of the Florida House
9:00 am-10:15 am	Breakfast Buffet Longhorn, Third Floor, Omni Thank you to our sponsor, International Roll-Call Corporation.
10:15 am-11:30 am	Concurrent Session – Innovative Approaches to Legislative Training Programs Capital Ballroom B, Second Floor, Omni Meaningful new member orientation programs are one of the keys to easing the transition of successful candidates into effective legislators.  Panelists will be discussing the key components of a meaningful new member orientation program for legislators as well as innovative approaches to providing on-going, continuing education programs for returning members. Moderator: Scott Maddrea, Deputy Clerk, Operation, Virginia House Panelists: Judy Hall, Secretary, Oregon Senate Eric Fowler, Assistant Clerk, New Hampshire House Pat Mau-Shimizu, Chief Clerk, Hawaii House

10:15 am-11:30 am	Concurrent Session – Impact of Technology on Civility and Decorum in the Chamber Capital Ballroom A, Second Floor, Omni This session focuses on the relationship between technology and decorum in legislative chambers.  Panelists will describe what is happening in their states and discuss rules that attempt to regulate the use of technology (computers, cell phones, PDA's, etc.) during debate, as well as best practices and methods for obtaining compliance with those rules.  Panelists will encourage a broader discussion regarding the use of technology to improve debate while maintaining decorum and avoiding technology-related scandals.  Moderator: Brad Hendrickson, Assistant Secretary, Washington Senate Panelists: David Battocletti, Clerk, Ohio Senate Peter Capriglione, North Carolina House Tom Hoemann, Secretary, Washington Senate
11:30 am-1:30 pm	Lunch On Your Own
1:30 pm-2:20 pm	“A” Committee Meeting – Bylaws and Standing Orders Congress, Second Floor, Omni
1:30 pm-2:20 pm	“A” Committee Meeting – Inside the Legislative Process Longhorn, Second Floor, Omni
1:30 pm-2:20 pm	“A” Committee Meeting – Site Selection Capital Ballroom A, Second Floor, Omni
1:30 pm-2:20 pm	“A” Committee Meeting – Technology and Innovation Capital Ballroom B, Second Floor, Omni
2:20 pm-3:10 pm	“B” Committee Meeting – International Communication and Development Longhorn, Second Floor, Omni
2:20 pm-3:10 pm	“B” Committee Meeting – Legislative Administrator Congress, Second Floor, Omni
2:20 pm-3:10 pm	“B” Committee Meeting – Membership and Communication Capital Ballroom A, Second Floor, Omni
2:20 pm-3:10 pm	“B” Committee Meeting – Support Staff Capital Ballroom B, Second Floor, Omni
3:10 pm-4:00 pm	“C” Committee Meeting – Canadian-American Relations Congress, Second Floor, Omni
3:10 pm-4:00 pm	“C” Committee Meetings – Professional Journal Longhorn, Second Floor, Omni
3:10 pm-4:00 pm	“C” Committee Meeting – Program Development Capital Ballroom A, Second Floor, Omni
3:10 pm-4:00 pm	“C” Committee Meeting – Roster Capital Ballroom B, Second Floor, Omni
4:00 pm-4:15 pm	Committee Chair Meeting Congress, Second Floor, Omni
4:15 pm-5:00 pm	Special Committee Meetings Capital Ballrooms A and B, Second Floor, Omni
6:00 pm-7:00 pm	President’s Reception Foyer, Second Floor, Omni Thank you to our sponsor, LexisNexis.
7:00 pm-9:00 pm	State Dinner Atrium, First Floor, Omni
9:00 pm-10:30 pm	State Dinner Dance Atrium, First Floor, Omni

Monday, September 25, 2006
8:00 am-12 noon	Information Desk Balcony Alcove, Second Floor, Omni
8:00 am-10:00 am	Business Meeting and Continental Breakfast Lonestar, Second Floor, Omni Presiding: Laura Clemens, Clerk, Ohio House and ASLCS President
10:00 am-12 noon	2006-2007 Executive Committee Meeting Bouquets, First Floor, Omni Presiding: Laura Clemens, Clerk, Ohio House and ASLCS President
12 noon	Meeting Adjourns

Meeting Information

• Meeting Home Page

Staff Contact

• Natalie O'Donnell