NAPC's 2009 National Conference
 

  Community Planning in Turbulent Times--

Staying on Top when the Bottom Falls Out

March 2 - 4, 2009

Hyatt Regency Town Lake  -  Austin, Texas

The conference was outstanding! 
Many thanks to all the speakers, planners, and participants!

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LEARN MORE:

-  Read blog about conference sessions and add your comments
   On the community indicators blog by Ben Warner, immediate past President of NAPC

-  Read summary of conference sessions
   By conference participant Mariana Salazar

-  Online album of all the conference photos ... view slideshow, order prints

-  Some speakers' PRESENTATIONS (marked like this) are available

-  Videos are coming soon

-  Newspaper coverage from session on Census changes

-  Conference flyer  ...  promotional slideshow ... keynote speakers  ...  registration form

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INTRODUCTION TO THE CONFERENCE:

Today we face a world that is rapidly changing.  Global and national trends are reshaping what problems we face, how we face them, and who faces them.  Our country's leadership is in transition.  Today we need to come together as an Association of people and organizations who care deeply about our communities and are engaged in planning for the future well-being of the people we serve.  We need to understand the global economic, demographic, technological, social, and other trends that affect us.  We need to know how best to address these trends in ways that make life better for all in our communities.  And we need to develop the flexibility and skills to be able to think in new ways and use new tools to assure that our own organizations will survive and thrive, so we can continue to lead and support community progress in the challenging times to come.

The conference included: 

• Nationally-known keynote speakers, plus leading community planning practitioners and technology experts from across the U.S.

• Newcomers' welcome session; opening reception; resource fair; topical breakfast roundtables

• Three days of speakers and interactive sessions:  March 2, 3, and 4

• Judith Rothbaum Award, honoring excellence in using social indicators for community action

• National Association of Planning Councils annual meeting

MONDAY, MARCH 2

9 am-Noon, at Austin City Hall, 301 West 2^nd Street   Map

Preparing for the impacts of the new Census changes on community planning

In 2010 the American Community Survey (ACS), a relatively new survey conducted by the Census Bureau, will replace the decennial census long form as the primary source of data on social, economic, demographic, and housing characteristics of the U.S. population.  The Census changes will result in shifts in federal funding.  Federal agencies have typically used decennial census data for a variety of purposes such as eligibility determinations, allocation of funds, program parameters, justification for discretionary grants, and policy analysis and evaluation.  About $300 billion in federal program funds are distributed each year based, in whole or in part, on Census and ACS data.  Learn more about these important changes by attending this session, which will explore the changes' broad impact (policy, programs, funding); federal coordination; impact on local communities; and how we as local leaders can prepare for these changes.  Also discussed will be the ACS data release strategy, what data will and will not be available to communities, and what the Census Bureau is doing to communicate these changes to stakeholders and data users across Federal, state and local governments and the public.   

Welcome:
Will Wynn, Mayor, City of Austin
Judge Sam Biscoe, Travis County, Chair of CAPCOG
Ben Warner, President, National Association of Planning Councils
Vanessa Sarria, Executive Director, Community Action Network (CAN)

Moderator:  Jim Walker, Chair of Envision Central Texas and Executive Director of the Central Texas Sustainability Indicators Project

Speakers and panelists: 

Susan Schechter, Chief, American Community Survey Office, U.S. Census Bureau (Wash. DC)  PRESENTATION

Alfredo Navarro, Assistant Division Chief, American Community Survey Statistical Studies, U.S. Census Bureau (Wash. DC)  PRESENTATION

Robert Kominski, Assistant Division Chief, Social Characteristics Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division, U.S. Census Bureau (Wash. DC)

Nicole Scanniello, Coordinator, American Community Survey Organization, U.S. Census Bureau (Wash. DC)

Karl Eschbach, Demographer, State of Texas

Ryan Robinson, Demographer, City of Austin

Mark Salling, Research Director, The Center for Community Solutions;  Director, Northern Ohio Data & Information Service in The Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University  PRESENTATION

Sarah Eckhardt, Travis County Commissioner

This session was sponsored by NAPC and the Capital Area Council of Governments, Community Action Network, Envision Central Texas, and the Census Bureau. 
 

Online album of all the conference photos ... view slideshow, order prints

2-4 pm  Community Planning 101

Speaker:  Ben Warner, President, NAPC; Deputy Director, Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. (JCCI) (Jacksonville, FL)
PRESENTATION coming soon
For all who are new to the field, new to NAPC, new executive directors of member organizations, or curious about how NAPC and its most-experienced practitioners view “the basics” essential for success…core values and competencies, key elements, strategies, models, and methods.
 

5-6 pm  Welcome Session for New Members and First-Time Conference Attendees
 

6-7:30 pm  Conference Opening Reception

Online album of all the conference photos ... view slideshow, order prints

7:30 pm  Dine Arounds...enjoying nearby Austin restaurants in groups with others from the conference

TUESDAY, MARCH 3…
Tuesday's theme:  the new "big picture"...drivers of community change

The focus for Tuesday was on better understanding drivers of community change -- “big-picture” issues affecting our world and our work.  Two national keynote speakers challenged and informed us.  Participants related these issues to aspects of community planning work important to local communities, including community engagement, new models, new partners, advocacy, and more.  Special emphasis was on changes as a result of the election and implications for community planning work.

8-8:50 am  Breakfast roundtables and continental breakfast

Choice of three simultaneous small-group sessions on these topics...providing a time to address issues that may or may not reflect the conference theme, but that are of high interest to members.

A.  “The Perfect Storm” – community engagement
What are local communities doing to better understand the enormous demographic, economic, and social changes now under way, and to engage people in community planning and action based on this understanding?  MORE about The Perfect Storm
Presenters:  Phil Dessauer, M.A., Executive Director, and Jan Figart, M.S.N., R.N., Associate Director, Community Service Council (Tulsa, OK)

B.  Funders' roles in collaborations
Funders in a community sometimes work together in innovative ways to share information and coordinate their efforts to support work to meet community needs.  A case example from DuPage, Illinois was presented, then participants briefly described models in their communities.
Presenter:  Candace King, Executive Director, DuPage Federation for Human Services Reform (Villa Park, IL)

C.  Disaster preparedness for your organization, and for your community
Inevitably, natural or man-made disasters will happen.  This session covered key questions, how-to’s, useful planning tools, lessons learned, and the valuable roles a planning council can play as a community plans for and responds to emergencies.  MORE    
Presenter:  Martha Blaine, MBA, Executive Director, Community Council of Greater Dallas (Dallas, TX)

9-9:15 am  Opening session 
Welcome and conference overview

9:15-10:30 am  Morning keynote speaker and discussion:
Drivers of change and what they mean for human services and local communities
Speaker:  Jerry Friedman, Executive Director, American Public Human Services Association 
Bio and blog   More

VIDEO OF JERRY FRIEDMAN'S PRESENTATION

Above:  speaker Jerry Friedman (left) and Browning Spence
 

10:45 am-noon  After the election...
Browning Spence facilitated a discussion on the emerging scene following the national elections, local community implications and responses, and roles for NAPC.

12:30-1:30 pm  Luncheon and NAPC Annual Meeting and Anniversary Celebration

VIDEO:  PRESIDENT'S REPORT - BEN WARNER

NAPC founding members Nancy Findeisen and Phil Dessauer announced that this is NAPC's 20th anniversary year, and described the group's early history.  Members and guests celebrated.

20th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION VIDEO

NAPC President Ben Warner expressed appreciation to Vanessa Sarria for serving as local host for the conference and to Nancy Findeisen for chairing the planning committee.

NAPC Board members were recognized and thanked (below).

The President recognized NAPC members (below).

Nominating Committee Chair Pam Kestner-Chappelear nominated officers and Board members for 2009-2010.  They were elected by acclamation.

Incoming President Browning Spence (below, right) expressed NAPC's appreciation to outgoing President Ben Warner and discussed plans for the coming year.

VIDEO - INCOMING PRESIDENT'S REMARKS AND PRESENTATION
 

Karen Wulfkuhle (below, right), Chair of the Awards Committee, presented the Judith Rothbaum Award for excellence in using data for community action to Jan Figart, who was nominated by Phil Dessauer, Community Service Council of Greater Tulsa.  More

2:00 - 3:30 pm  Afternoon keynote speaker and discussion: 
The economic crisis, and ways forward
Global context and national trends--living standards, employment, workforce development; public policy for short-term and long-term improvements; community implications
 

Speaker:  Heidi Shierholz, PhD; Labor Economist and Co-Author with Larry Mishel of "The State of Working America," Economic Policy Institute (EPI), Washington, D.C.   More 
PRESENTATION

Speaker Heidi Shierholz with Phil Dessauer (left) and Ben Warner and Browning Spence (right)

 

3:45 - 4:45 pm  -  Recruitment and Retention of Mature Workers:  Is It Still Pertinent in a Down Economy?
Speaker:  Martha Blaine (below, right), leader of NAPC’s Mature Workforce Initiative; Board member, NAPC; Executive Director, Community Council of Greater Dallas (Dallas, TX)  MORE
A discussion about whether councils and the nonprofits in their communities need to be concerned with recruiting and retaining the talents of older workers when the economy is in recession.  Can these workers help nonprofits maintain stability?  The session included updates on NAPC’s work with The Conference Board and Civic Ventures on baby boomers seeking encore careers in the nonprofit sector, and NAPC organizations' communities’ initial efforts in this area.

6:30 pm  Dine Arounds…enjoying nearby Austin restaurants in groups with others from the conference

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4

Wednesday's theme:  using 21st century tools to address 21st century problems  

This day’s discussions was about becoming more effective, efficient, and persuasive using technology that is primarily free online or downloadable.  In tight economic times, how can we address the problems in our communities better, easier, and without a negative impact on our bottom line?  These sessions introduced tools you can implement immediately to improve information gathering, analysis, policy development, presentation of information to the community, advocacy, and community engagement.  When to use them, when not to use them, what their advantages and minefields are, and what it takes to make them effective. 
 

8-8:50 am  Breakfast roundtables and continental breakfast

A.  Developing new strategies in bad economic times
Some community planning organizations and other nonprofits have begun operating differently in order to survive and succeed during challenging economic times.  Several specific approaches were presented, then participants discussed their experiences and ideas.
Presenter:  Patrick Linnane, retired Executive Director, The Planning Council (Milwaukee, WI)

B.  Building systems of care for children and families
This session covered the process for building systems of care for school readiness, family counseling, neighborhood family support, and out of school time services.  Governance, access, consumer choice, and development strategies were described.
Presenter:  H. Browning Spence, Ph.D., Deputy Director, Juvenile Welfare Board--the Children's Services Council of Pinellas (Pinellas, FL)

9 am  Opening session

Speaker:  Ben Warner
How comfortable are we with new technology?

9:30 am-10:45 am  Increasing effectiveness in public policy development, research, and analysis
Moderator:  Vanessa Sarria, Executive Director, Community Action Network (Austin, TX)

-  Presenting to affect public policy
Speaker:  Dr. Philip Huang, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Austin/Travis County Health & Human Services Department   PRESENTATION

-  Mapping data to track indicators, target solutions and maximize impact
Jim Walker, Executive Director of the Central Texas Sustainability Indicators Project and member of Children's Optimal Health  PRESENTATION - PowerPoint version   PDF version

-  Using CLIKS to chart trends and save time

Speaker:  Frances P. Deviney, PhD, Texas KIDS COUNT Director, Center for Public Policy Priorities  PRESENTATION

-  Mapping data using accessible, no-cost tools for assessment and planning
Speakers: 
Sean Moran, Center for Regional Development Director, Capital Area Council of Governments
Ilyanna Kadich, GIS Analyst, Center for Regional Development, Capital Area Council of Governments
PRESENTATION

Above, left to right, speakers:  Jim Walker, Dr. Huang, Vanessa Sarria,
Frances P. Deviney, Ilyanna Kadich, and Sean Moran

11:00-Noon  Using visual imagery to describe the world
Interactive game showing new possibilities through new technology.
Speaker:  Sunni Brown, M.P.A., BrightSpot Information Design  PRESENTATION

Below:  Marianna Salazar
with speaker Sunni Brown (right)

1:30- 2:00 pm  Data displays – 30 examples in 30 minutes
Speaker:  Ben Warner  PRESENTATION   Choosing a good chart

2:15- 3:45 pm  Community planning in a digital world:  new methods of community engagement
Speakers: 
Taylor Willingham, Founder of Texas Forums and Adjunct Associate Professor for Graduate Library Schools at the University of Illinois 
Silona Bonewald, founder and Executive Director, League of Technical Voters
Charles Knickerbocker, SamePageResults 
Using blogs, Facebook, and other social media tools (bulletin boards, discussion boards, MySpace, Change.org, etc.).

Above, speakers Taylor Willingham, Charles
Knickerbocker, and Silona Bonewald

4-4:30 pm  Conference wrap-up and evaluation

More scenes from the conference...

Online album of all the conference photos ... view slideshow, order prints
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THE HOST CITY: 
Austin, Texas
Frequently ranked high on lists of "Best Cities," Austin, Texas is famous  for being the "Live Music Capital of the World" and is packed with  recreational opportunities.  http://www.austintexas.org/ ... http://www.austincityguide.com/index.html ... http://austin.about.com/

HOTEL:  The Hyatt Regency Downtown, on Town Lake
208 Barton Springs Road.  Map   Hotel website   Photos  

CONFERENCE SPONSOR: 
The National Association of Planning Councils (NAPC)

NAPC is a private non-profit organization which promotes quality community planning and supports its members as they provide leadership for community-based human services and health planning and action.  Planning councils bring people together to identify needs and work toward solutions, mobilizing community involvement, developing and coordinating services, advocating for informed decisions by funders and policy makers, and linking people with community resources.  Interested organizations and individuals are invited to join NAPC. 

LOCAL HOST:
Community Action Network (CAN)

NAPC greatly appreciates the support of the Community Action Network, local host for NAPC’s 2009 conference.  The mission of the Community Action Network is to achieve sustainable social, health, educational and economic outcomes through engaging the community in a planning and implementation process that coordinates and optimizes private and individual actions and resources.

Planning Committee:

Conference Co-Chairs: 
Nancy Findeisen, NAPC Board member...Executive Director, Community Services Planning Council (Sacramento, CA)
Vanessa Sarria, NAPC Board member...Executive Director, Community Action Network (Austin, TX)

Conference Committee Members:
John Begala...President, The Center for Community Solutions (Cleveland, OH)
Martha Blaine…NAPC Treasurer; Community Council of Greater Dallas (Dallas, TX)
Fred Butler...retired Executive Director, CAN (Austin, TX)
Phil Dessauer...NAPC Board Member; Community Council of Greater Tulsa (Tulsa, OK)
Carrie Garnett Baird...NAPC Board Member; One Voice for Volusia (Daytona Beach, FL)
Pam Kestner-Chappelear...NAPC Past President; Council of Community Services (Roanoke, VA)
Suzanne Puryear...NAPC Board Member; The Planning Council (Norfolk, VA)
Kathy Schlather...Human Services Coalition of Tompkins County (Ithaca, NY)
Browning Spence...Juvenile Welfare Board (Pinellas Park, FL)
Ben Warner…NAPC President; Deputy Director, Jacksonville Community Council, Inc. (JCCI) (Jacksonville, FL)

Staff:
Sharon Clark...Coordinator, National Association of Planning Councils (Dallas, Texas)

For more information: E-mail -- conference@communityplanning.org

Information and photos from past conferences: 

2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1999, 1998