Tuesday, July 22

 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
 Convention Center  
R02--Second Level

The Complete Office Makeover
In the world of software, trying to prepare for major upgrades can be a challenge.  Please join us to explore the new Office 2007 user interface including the new tools added to increase the professional look of your documents, worksheets and presentations. This session will introduce you to the components of the Office 2007 user interface as well as the new features in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Moderator:

• Gary Schaefer, Senate, Louisiana

Trainer:

• Daniel Bunton, Microsoft Technology Specialist, Microsoft, Texas

Online Collaboration
How we collaborate today may not be the most efficient way to get the job done in the legislative environment.  This session will explore technologies available today and how they are being used.  It also will touch on how collaboration might affect open meeting laws and public records requirements.

Moderator:

• Peter Capriglione, Applications Manager, General Assembly, North Carolina

Speakers:

• Daniel Bunton, Microsoft Technology Specialist, Microsoft, Texas
• Maryann Horch, Systems Analyst, Senate, Virginia
• Robin Johnson, General Counsel, Office of the Speaker of the House, North Carolina

Creating an Effective Statewide Information Technology Policy
(Sponsored by the Communications, Financial Services and Interstate Commerce Committee and the Legislative Effectiveness Committee)
Information technology (IT) is a critical ingredient of state government operation. As reliance and spending on IT continue to grow, how can legislatures ensure that their state takes a coordinated, effective and fiscally prudent approach to managing this asset?

Dinner for NALIT Members: Sponsored by Propylon
Join NALIT members from around the country for a great evening at a local restaurant.  Advance registration required.  Space may be limited, so contact Pam Greenberg by July 11 to register or for more information.

Wednesday, July 23

Networking Roundtables: Continental Breakfast

 7:30 am - 2:30 pm
 State Capitol, Baton Rouge

NALIT Tour and Briefings: Louisiana State Capitol, Baton Rouge
Sponsored by Akamai Technologies, Inc.  and by Public Systems Associates, Inc.
NALIT members will travel to Baton Rouge for a tour and briefings at the state capitol.  Highlights will include demonstrations of Louisiana's committee room management software and how it interfaces with webcasting; tours of the chambers with briefings about the voting systems and their integration with the chamber system and members' management systems; and briefings about the networking and other legislative systems.  Advance registration is required.  Please contact Pam Greenberg by June 13 to register or for more information.

 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
 Convention Center 
222--Second Level

Out with the Old, In with the New: Succession and Retirement Planning in State Legislatures
(Joint session with other NCSL staff sections)
Baby boomers are reinventing what succession planning and retirement means. In response, the Oregon Legislative Assembly developed a program to retain boomers that allows for an adequate time to recruit and train new employees.  Learn about their plan and to discuss how retirement will affect legislative staff offices across the country. 

Speaker: 

• Lore Christopher, Human Resources Director, Oregon State Legislature

Thursday, July 24 

 8:00 am - 9:45 am
Convention Center 
La Louisiane Ballroom--First Level

LSCC Megasession: Millennial Makeover
(Joint session with other NCSL staff sections)
Baby boomers, move over: the generation of Millennials (born between 1982 and 2003) have already begun to make over politics, and will make over America, according to authors Mike Hais and Morley Winograd. They see a seismic change occurring with the coming of age of the Millenials, one that can reshape American life and politics. Mike Hais will talk about their book, Millennial Makeover, and the kind of change this generation will bring.

Moderator:

• Nancy Cyr, Legislative Research Division, Nebraska

Speaker:

• Mike Hais, Author, Millennial Makeover: My Space, YouTube, and the Future of American Politics, California 

Exhibit Hall Lunch

Issue Forums

General Session: A Conversation on Solving America's Challenges
Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the U.S. House, and Lee Hamilton, director of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and former congressman, will discuss what is needed to move America beyond gridlock to solving our biggest issues, including health care, education and the environment, with innovation and originality.

Speakers:

• Newt Gingrich, Former Speaker, U.S. House of Representatives, District of Columbia
• Lee Hamilton, Director, Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and Former Congressman, District of Washington

Legislative Websites--Enhancing Access to Information
Legislators, lobbyists, the press and the public are asking for easier access and more information on legislative websites.  States are providing enhanced access to public records, making information available in real time, supplying tracking and notification tools and allowing website visitors to customize their website experience for ease of access to data.

Moderator:

• Kelly Stallings, Analyst/Programmer, General Assembly, North Carolina

Speakers:

• Peter Capriglione, Applications Manager, General Assembly, North Carolina
• Scott Darnall, Senior Programmer/Analyst, Legislative Research Council, South Dakota
• Linda Pittsford, Manager, Computer Support Center, Legislative Council, Texas
• Joel Redding, Webmaster, Legislative Research Commission, Kentucky

Friday, July 25

 7:30 am - 9:00 am
Convention Center
Hall B2-1 First Level

Networking Roundtables: Continental Breakfast

General Session: The Changing Face of America
James Johnson, a noted demographer, will demonstrate how our changing racial and ethnic population will transform the nation and create a new demand for a diverse workforce in our social, economic and political institutions.

Speaker:

• Dr. James Johnson, University of North Carolina, Kenan-Flagler Business School, North Carolina

NALIT Lunch and Business Meeting
NALIT members will hear from NALIT officers and committee chairs, congratulate winners of the NALIT Achievement and Online Democracy Awards, elect new officers, and consider other business of the association.

Presiding:

• Gary Schaefer, Information Systems Coordinator, Senate, Louisiana, Chair, NALIT

Protecting Legislative Digital Records
Legislatures around the nation are creating digital-only records as the transition from paper to digital records continues, but are the right records being preserved?  Can you access those records in five, ten years?  Explore how to manage and minimize risks relating to electronic records and ensure that electronic records are accessible for legal discovery, business continuity, and disaster recovery purposes.  Learn the importance of using data transfer and archiving methods that are dependable, verifiable, and enduring.  Become acquainted with a Library of Congress grant to develop a model architecture that helps you preserve legislative electronic data and digital records.

Moderator:

• Paul Schweizer, Controller, House of Representatives, Minnesota

Speakers:

• Robert Horton, Director, Library, Publications and Collections, Minnesota Historical Society, Minnesota
• Sean McGrath, Chief Technology Officer, Propylon, Dublin, Ireland

World War II Museum Social Event
Rejoice in the spirit of our country as New Orleans opens the doors to the only museum in the nation dedicated to World War II. Music of the era will sweep you back to a time when brave men and women shipped out to defend international freedom. Hear oral histories of those who united to protect life, liberty and our pursuit of happiness. Just steps away at the Contemporary Arts Center, enjoy an exhibition of art, photography and essays of students that display the beauty and majesty of our disappearing wetlands. High energy Cajun Zydeco music will wash over you like the waves of the Gulf of Mexico, where barrier islands, misty marshes, and mysterious swamps form the first line of defense for coastal Louisiana. Bring the kids--there will be fun, food, music and activities to delight all ages.

Saturday, July 26

 8:30 am - 10:30 am
 Convention Center
 La Louisiane Ballroom--First Level

General Session Breakfast: Election 2008

Two of the nation's premier pollsters and political analysts from opposite sides of the aisle—Kellyanne Conway and Celinda Lake—will provide a perspective on what the 2008 election means for policy now and in the new year.

Speakers: