COGEL’s annual conference is an invaluable opportunity for professionals working in government ethics, elections, disclosure, enforcement, and other types of regulatory agencies. Whether your field is public disclosure, conflict of interest, Freedom of Information Law, or campaign finance, the COGEL conference has panels and speakers tailored to your information needs.
Recent COGEL conferences have offered sessions such as:
- Addressing Voter Turnout
- Agency IT Systems Development
- Campaign Finance Update
- Dealing with the Difficult Requester
- Ethical Issues for the Government Attorney
- Elections Update: Current Trends and Litigation
- Lobby Update
- Pay to Play: Contractors and Contributions
- Public Financing: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
- Training - Developing and Mantaining Public Education Programs
- Trusting Your Gut: Drop, Settle, or Prosecute?
In addition, each COGEL conference features lively and informative plenary speakers and topics, that have included:
- The Right Hon. Joe Clark, Former Prime Minister of Canada
- Chairman of the Iraqi Election Commission
- The Anatomy of Ethics Reform in New Jersey
- Canadian Accountablity Act
But more than panels, legislative updates, and speakers, the annual COGEL conference offers the rare opportunity to interact with your professional peers and learn first-hand about their challenges and successes. These contacts can prove invaluable, particularly as advances in technology and ongoing government reform efforts lead to rapid changes in how COGEL members accomplish the goals of their respective agencies. Perhaps most important, attending the COGEL annual conference can be a chance to recharge your batteries and, as you learn more about what’s going on outside your jurisdiction, to become excited all over again about working for the public good.
As one COGEL attendee posted on the COGEL website:
What an amazing conference - presentations, presenters, accommodations, food, site location and more - all of it near perfect. Thanks to everyone who put so much work into making it a success for all. I learned SO much - especially about the larger national and international context in which I'm serving. The conference re-energized me to come back to it with renewed energy, proud of what I've accomplished and, at the same time, with a much clearer sense of what still needs to be done. Thank you, thank you - planners, organizers, speakers and other attendees - for the wonderful gift of yourselves, your time and your knowledge!
