LINCS 2012 PDS Schedule (As of September 20, 2012)

Registration for Bootcamp - Madison Concourse Hotel

Breakfast

2012 Boot Camp: Creating a 21 century communications plan for your office (including social media).

Boot camp is open to all Super PDS participants for an additional fee.

The day will be filled with activities, case studies and opportunities to work with other legislative communicators to create a strategic communications plan that will carry you through the year. A good plan can be applied to any situation. Don Stanley, founder of 3Rhino Media and faculty at University of Wisconsin- Madison, and Andrew Krzmarzick, director of community engagement at GovLoop, will spend the day discussing the elements of a successful strategic communications plan and how to put it in place.

Morning

• Introductions
• Setting goals
• Small group activities

Mid-morning

• Digital communications scenario
• Overview of communications today
• Overview of comprehensive communications strategy
• Details of a comprehensive communications strategy

Lunch

Afternoon

• Workshops

Registration - Madison Concourse Hotel

Opening joint plenary breakfast: Say more than you think (co-sponsored by all staff sections)
NCSL gratefully acknowledges the support of our sponsor, NCTA

Wouldn't you like to learn how to read others accurately and ultimately stop second-guessing how you should've handled that last challenging interaction better? And wouldn't it be awesome if you were always able to gauge whether or not, your non-verbal message, was matching your true intention? During this interactive, cutting-edge, keynote program, you'll discover how to use the New Body Language moves, such as: "The Bellybutton Rule," the 3 power zones, facial micro-expressions, dangerous feet faux pas, and much more, to get what you want in any situation.

Our speaker, Janine Driver, is a former ATF investigator and public information officer, the New York Times bestselling author of "You Say More Than You Think" and president of the Body Language Institute. Janine's NEW book "You Can't Lie to Me" just hit the Washington Post Best Seller's List and was highlighted on NBC's TODAY Show and on Anderson Cooper LIVE.
 

Welcome:

• Steve Miller, Chief, Legislative Reference Bureau, Wisconsin

Moderator:

• Rob Stoddard, National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA), Washington, D.C.

Speaker:

• Janine Driver, President, Body Language Institute, Washington, D.C.

5 secret interviewing strategies you must know before getting back on TV
Janine Driver will work with LINCS members to talk about the importance of how you hold your head, your hips, and your hands when giving interviews to the media. Plus, you'll discover how your eye contact can make or break your message! This is information and advice you can take back and share with your members and staff.

Speaker:

• Janine Driver, President, Body Language Institute, Washington, D.C.

NCSL gratefully acknowledges the support of our sponsor, NCTA.

Media credentialing 101

Does your state need a media credentialing policy? Should social journalists or think-tanks newsletters have the same access in the capitol as traditional media outlets? And could these journalists challenge a policy on the books? In this day and age, more people are claiming to be reporters and some states are implementing media credentialing policies to ensure qualified media have appropriate access. Statehouse reporters in Wisconsin and members of the legal community will help to shed some light on these questions and chime into the debate of whether or not media credentialing policies could help or possibly hinder state legislatures. Please feel free to bring copies of your legislature’s credentialing policy to this session.  

Moderator:

• Sharon Scarborough, LINCS officer, Director of Senate Media, Texas Legislature

Speakers:

• Jason Stein, state capitol reporter at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, former president of the WCCA
• Robert Dreps, attorney, Godfrey and Kahn

Social media takeaways (co-sponsored with NALIT)

LINCS gratefully acknowledge the support of our sponsor, Sliq Media Technologies.

Andrew Krzmarzick, director of community engagement for GovLoop, will discuss how state legislatures and all branches of government are using social media and how trends indicate these tools could be used in the next three to five years. Andrew will also discuss to impact of social media policies and/or what actions we can take to ensure proper use of these tools within our legislatures.

Moderator:

• Jay Pearson, LINCS chair, Virginia

Speaker:

• Andrew Krzmarzick, director of community engagement, GovLoop

Dome Tours at the State Capitol

*Please make sure to arrive in the capitol rotunda by 2:00 p.m. A group will meet in the lobby of the Concourse to walk over at 1:45 p.m.

Lessons learned from large events at capitols: safety, citizens and 1^st amendment rights (LINCS, NLSSA, LSSS, LSSS, & RACSS)

Planning for large events keeps the legislature running smoothly, prepares the staff and protects the rights of citizens. Several states have learned from dealing with demonstrations, serving as movie sets, welcoming high-profile visitors and accommodating other major events. Learn how to provide citizens access, control crowds and avoid negative publicity.

Moderator:

• Bryant Howe, deputy director, Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel, Utah

Speakers:

• Bladen Finch, Senate Page Program Director, Senate Clerk's Office
• Joseph T. Kreye, Legislative Attorney, Legislative Reference Bureau, Wisconsin
• Jay Pearson, Virginia House of Delegates, Information & Communications Services Director
• Sue Riseling, chief of UW Police Department
• Ken Scheer, Captain, Texas Department of Public Safety

Wisconsin's Eye

Wisconsin Eye has been informing the public about the legislature for over two decades. For most of the 2011 capitol standoff, they were the only television station broadcasting live from inside the capitol. Learn more about how this NAPAN station informs the citizens of Wisconsin and allows everyone to take part in the legislative process. LINCS welcomes any legislative staff registered for the PDS to attend this tour/session.

Speaker:

• John Henkes, director of Wisconin Eye
• Steve Walters, senior producer
• Claudia Looze, program director
• Fred Woskoff, production director
• Rob Stoddard, National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA)

Tours of the capitol building and networking reception 

Master of Ceremonies:

• Steve Miller, Chief, Legislative Reference Bureau, Wisconsin

Welcome:

• Honorable Fred A. Risser, President of the Senate
• Honorable Robin Vos, House of Representatives, Wisconsin

Registration - Madison Concourse Hotel

Joint breakfast session: The hype over hyperconnectedness (co-sponsored by all staff sections)

Being connected to the web, mobile technologies and social media have made many of us feel over or hyper-connected. Is there a downside? Could being hyper-connected actually benefit younger generations? Lee Rainie with the Pew Center on the States will review the latest data that shows how constant contact among younger generations allows them to be nimble, quick-acting multi-taskers who count on the Internet as their external brain and approach problems in a different way from older generations. But could this also lead to a generation that looks for quick fixes, has a loss of patience and eliminates deep-thinking skills?

Introduction and opening remarks:

• Patsy Spaw, Clerk of the Senate, Texas

Moderator:

• Peter Capriglione, business applications manager, General Assembly, North Carolina

Speaker:

• Lee Rainey, Pew Center on the States, Washington, D.C.

Lee Rainie is the Director of the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, a non-profit, non–partisan "fact tank" that studies the social impact of the internet. The Project has issued more than 350 reports based on its surveys that examine people's online activities and the internet's role in their lives.

On the high wire: The editorial balancing act (LINCS, RACCS, LSSS)

Balancing the needs of various editorial “customers”—the legislature, a committee, an individual legislator, a supervisor, and, ultimately, the residents of the state—is a challenge even for experienced editors. The needs are not always the same, and it may not always be feasible to meet all of them equally and stay on deadline and on budget. Anita Samen, managing editor of the University of Chicago Press and part of the team behind The Chicago Manual of Style, will discuss the challenges of  balancing competing editing tasks and priorities, maintaining editorial standards (one’s own and those of the organization) in less-than-ideal circumstances, and serving the needs of various editorial “customers” while remaining focused, productive, and effective. This will be an interactive, workshop-like session, and attendees are invited to share insights, war stories, and survival tips.

Moderator:

• Wendy Jackson, senior legislative editor, Legislative Reference Bureau, Wisconsin

Speakers:

• Anita Samen, Managing Editor, University of Chicago Press

Art of an apology

At some point in our lives, and possibly careers, we will need to issue an apology. But what makes an apology effective and not just appear to be lip service?
Jennifer Miller from Rockford Gray will lead this session and will walk us through what an apology is really about, reasons to apologize and the eight elements of an effective apology. This session will help you learn the key elements to the mea culpa: what to say and how to say it so you can put unfortunate incidents behind you and move forward.

Moderator:

• Bladen Finch, LINCS vice chair, Virginia

Speaker:

• Jennifer Miller, Rockford Gray, Denver, CO

Luncheon and joint session: Compromise and negotiation in the legislative arena (co-sponsored by all staff sections)
NCSL gratefully acknowleges the support of our luncheon sponsor, LexisNexis.

Negotiation has always been a primary instrument in the legislative process, where skillful policymakers meet determined advocacy with principled compromise.  Yet recent trends of hyper-partisanship may be eroding the vitality of negotiation and compromise as a discipline of democracy. How can legislative staff ensure its survival? What techniques and perspectives can help you negotiate more favorable and lasting outcomes? This session will provide you with practical skills and lend insight into your own negotiation strengths and weaknesses.

Professor Ralph Cagle teaches negotiation skills at the University of Wisconsin Law School and has conducted negotiation training programs for professional groups throughout the United States. In a prior career, he served as a key aide to legislative leaders in Wisconsin, represented clients before the legislature and conducted research on state legislatures.

LINCS and LSS will present their 2012 Legislative Staff Achievement Awards. Honorees from all staff sections will be recognized, including those whose awards were presented at the Legislative Summit.

Moderator:

• Sallie Bolton, administrative assistant, Office of the Speaker, Kentucky House of Representatives.

Speaker:

• Professor Ralph Cagle, University of Wisconsin Law School

Helping reporters understand the story

Public affairs and communications staff play an integral role in helping reporters gather information and present facts when a crisis hits. 2011 was a big year in Wisconsin state politics. Hear from the Wisconsin State Journal’s state government reporter Clay Barbour on what it was like covering Governor Walker and the Wisconsin Legislature during the debate over public sector unions. In addition, Barbour will talk about what role communications staff play and how they can most effectively work with journalists. 

Moderator

• Jon Kuhl, manager of public relations and media, NCSL

Speaker:

• Clay Barbour, government reporter, Wisconsin State Journal  

Can technology and Harry Potter improve civic engagement online? 

Fans often write letters to their favorite actor or author asking for autographs and showing their support. But some fandom groups are trading in the chance to receive an 8 x 10 glossy for a chance to change public policy. Fandom groups often discuss political issues and write letters to state legislators  asking them to support issues connected to a book, television show, comic, or movie. While the audience may be unique, legislative staff should take these groups and their citizenship practices seriously.

Ashley Hinck, a graduate student and instructor with the University of Wisconsin, has researched the Harry Potter fandom group and will help us understand this fan-citizens movement, how  their communication relates to society, culture and discourse, and how this type of civic engagement could offer a strong route to civic engagement (one that is especially important in light of concerns over decreasing youth participation). Ashley will also discuss the type of communication tools these fandom groups use, which is almost all digital/online, to connect with you, your office and/or member.

Moderator:

• Morgan Blanchard, LINCS secretary, Louisiana

Speakers:

• Ashley Hinck, graduate student and instructor with the University of Wisconsin.
• Chris Rynders, director of market development, Granicus

The ethics of using social media

Social media has moved from a dorm room fad to a legitimate and influential way to communicate. Legislatures are using social media to disseminate information, communicate with constituents, and increase transparency and public participation. How can legislators and staff effectively and ethically tap into this powerful tool and make their messages even stronger? This session will:

• Describe how social media is being used, and by whom;
• Consider ethical dilemmas and potential legal pitfalls;
• Share best practices that you can adopt

Speakers:

• Natalie O'Donnell Wood
• Meagan Dorsch

Networking Reception and Exhibits
NALIT is opening its exhibit hall to bring you the latest in information technology products and services for legislatures. Take a leisurely and first-hand look at our exhibits while enjoying the reception.
Exhibitors:

• EMC/CDW-G
• Granicus
• International Roll-Call
• Irosoft
• Propylon
• Sliq Media Technologies
• Tallan
• Thomson Reuters

Registration - Madison Concourse Hotel

LINCS business meeting

The best mistake I ever made (LSS)

Learn from your mistakes...or our mistakes. LSS and LINCS colleagues from across the country will openly discuss some "lessons learned" on the job and how the experience made them grow as individuals and legislative employees.

Speakers:

• Noah Hanson, staff to Representative Berta Gardner, Alaska House of Representatives

Retiring colleagues, stagnant salaries and intensifying partisanship are top concerns of legislative staffers. How will these issues factor into the next generation of legislative staff and how can we continue to recruit top talent to work for state legislatures?

Speakers:

• Karl Kurtz, director, Trust for Representative Democracy, NCSL
• Brian Weberg, director, NCSL's legislative management services