'Mastering the Media' seminar one of several LELA opportunities

When the going gets tough, are you going toward the door? Or are you rolling with the punches, and answering the tough questions from local media outlets? The NCACC's pre-conference seminar, to be held Aug. 26 in Pitt County, will change for the better the way participants deal with the media by teaching successful strategies that are proven to work during a crisis. "Mastering the Media: How to Get Good News Coverage Even When Things Are Going Bad," is taught by acclaimed media relations strategist and consultant Mark Weaver of Communications Counsel, Inc.

Pre-conference seminar attendees will receive six hours of credit toward recognition for their commitment to lifelong learning through the Local Elected Leaders Academy (LELA) Recognition Program. The program helps the NCACC accomplish one of its five strategic goals, "strengthen county leadership and board development."

The "Mastering the Media" seminar is one of several opportunities available this summer and fall to local elected officials. For more information on "Mastering the Media," visit www.ncacc.org/countylines/2010/05/ac-pcseminar.html. Descriptions of other opportunities are listed below.

Where the Jobs Are in N.C.

Creating employment opportunities is Job No. 1 in North Carolina. This July 14 informative webinar will feature two experts from the N.C. Department of Commerce who will share their insights on which industry sectors are growing now and which sectors have continued to grow despite the recession. They will also highlight the geographic areas within North Carolina that are fueling job growth and talk about the types of occupations expected to grow. Also discussed will be the job creation potential of emerging sectors such as aerospace, defense/military, and "green" energy.

For more information, visit www.sog.unc.edu/courses/1206/ or contact Susan Jensen at (919) 962-0940.

Stormwater and Watershed Finance and Management

Stormwater and watershed finance is a broad topic involving partnerships between local governments and between local governments and nonprofit watershed groups. As participants in this July 20-21 workshop will learn, the role of elected officials is important in collaborating with other governments in the region.

Scholarships are available to underwrite attendance at this workshop for elected officials whose cities/counties have no training funds. The workshop will be held at the School of Government (SOG) in Chapel Hill (Orange County). For more information, visit www.sog.unc.edu/courses/0789/ or contact Deidre Lewis at (919) 966-4171.

Development Finance Toolbox

N.C. local governments can select from a wide array of financing tools in their efforts to attract and grow businesses, improve real estate and build community assets. In order to select the right financing approach for your development project, it helps to understand the options. This one-day session, to be held Sept. 8 at the SOG, will include discussions of municipal bonds, tax increment financing (also known as TIF or project development financing), business improvement districts, place-based incentives, and other mechanisms for providing businesses with greater access to capital.

There are scholarships available for those in cities/counties that have no funds for training. For more information, visit www.sog.unc.edu/courses/0779/ or contact Carla Stowe at (919) 843-8176.

Strategic Leadership: Setting Priorities and Getting Results

This workshop, to be held Sept. 23-24 at the SOG, will give you the tools you need to create a vision for your community, develop goals and an action plan, measure your results and hold your manager and staff accountable. SOG faculty bring lots of experience in this arena, and their work with cities and towns is producing tangible results.

Scholarships are available for this program as well. For more information, visit www.sog.unc.edu/courses/0649/ or contact JoAnn Brewer at (919) 966-4197.

Balancing Your Budget in Tough Times

Elected leaders will face tough decisions in their budgets next year. The easy cuts were made last year and all of the "low hanging" fruit has been plucked.

The first pre-conference session held Oct. 22 in conjunction with the N.C. League of Municipalities (NCLM) Annual Conference in Winston-Salem will involve role play activities based on real-life budget situations designed to help you understand your leadership role in the budget process, alternatives to consider when cutting services/programs, and options for generating revenues.

Engaging Citizens in the Budget Process

The second NCLM pre-conference session held Oct. 22 is designed to help you involve citizens in the budget process. Involving citizens in the budget process means they are better informed and can give you information about the services and facilities they need and value most. In addition to learning how to make public hearings work better and to positively respond to citizen concerns, participants will be introduced to a variety of ways to engage citizens including Web-based communication tools, advisory committees, forums and workshops.

More information on the NCLM seminars will be posted online at www.nclm.org/meetings-training/Pages/Annual-Conference.aspx.