Public Financing Administrators Roundtable

The Brennan Center and Albuquerque Clerk will host a dynamic event the morning before COGEL begins, bringing together public campaign financing administrators from across the country for a collaborative forum. Our roundtable will foster an exchange of knowledge and best practices among the professionals who run public financing programs of different types: block grants, matching funds, or vouchers; new or longstanding. The main topics for discussion will include:

• Technology and new tools
• Keeping programs current as the realities of campaigning change
• Plans for continuing collaboration among administrators

This event is intended for administrators of public campaign financing programs in the U.S. Registration is required by November 22nd and separate from COGEL Conference registration. If you are interested in attending, please pre-register by contacting ian.vandewalker@nyu.edu.

 11:30 AM - 3:30 PM

 Conference Registration

 12:30 PM - 1:00 PM

 Kay Williams First Timers & Conference Preview

  1:15 PM - 2:30 PM

 Concurrent sessions 

This Session Was Paid For By...Exploring the Practical and Constitutional Limits on Political Ad Disclaimers 

The Role of Witnesses, Documents, and Planning in Successfully Navigating Investigatory Hurdles

Build It or Buy It: An Elections Funding & Resources Workshop 

Training Roundtable 

2:45 PM - 4:00 PM 

 Concurrent sessions 

Seeds of Success and Growing Pains: Getting a Public Financing Program Off the Ground 

State Insights: 50 Years of Reform— What Has Worked, What Needs To Be Improved, Where Do We Go From Here    

Turning Crises into Opportunities: Strategies for Building and Restoring Public Trust in Government  

Present with Presence: Improv Skills to Boost Collaboration and Connection in your Presentations 

 4:15 PM - 5:15 PM

 Team Huddle

5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

 COGEL 50th Celebration at the Grammy Museum

 7:00 PM

 Dinner - On Your Own or Join a COGEL Dine-Around

 7:30 AM - 8:30 AM

  8:30 AM - 10:00 AM

 Plenary session 

“An engaged voter is the backbone of our democracy”: Perspectives from California Secretary of State Shirley N. Weber, Ph.D.

10:20 AM - 11:40 AM

Campaign Finance Update I: Litigation Update 

I Will Survive: How Ethics Commissions Combat Existential Threats from Lawmakers, Lawyers, and More 

 Who’s the Boss? Lobby Disclosure Frameworks in the U.S. and Canada: Impacts and Challenges for Non-Profits, Coalitions, and Membership Organizations 

Post It! Like It! Share It! Social Media Use & Transparency 

Foreign Interference in the Election Spotlight 

 12:00 PM - 1:40 PM 

 Awards Ceremony Luncheon & Plenary Session

From the Nixon White House to the COGEL Award: Historical Context and Perspective with John W. Dean

2:00 PM - 3:20 PM

 Artificial Intelligence & the New Political Frontier 

Ethics Update 

Settlement Showdown: The Views from Both Sides 

The Voties: A Red Carpet Showcase of 2024 Highlights in Voter Outreach and Countering Misinformation  

 Mastering the Art of Managing Difficult Requesters 

3:40 PM - 5:00 PM

Concurrent Sessions

Timely and Thorough? Best practices for efficient and effective Campaign Finance Audits 

Ethics Roundtable 

Lobbying Update: U.S. and Canadian Federal, State, Provincial, and Local Lobbying Laws 

FOI Session 

Looking Back to Look Forward: The Big Campaign Finance and Election Administration Developments from the 2024 US Elections  

6:30 PM 

 Dinner - On Your Own or Join a COGEL Dine-Around

 7:30 AM - 8:45 AM

 8:45 AM - 10:00 AM

 Plenary session 

Making Change, A Life of Activism and Action: In Conversation with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass

 10:20 AM - 11:50 AM

 Campaign Finance Update II: Legislative and Regulatory Update 

 Work It!  Applying Pre, Post and Concurrent Employment Requirements to Today’s Workplaces 

  Small Problems, Major Implications: Tackling Everyday Issues in FOI 

 Elections Update 

 All Things are Local: Transparency Strategies for Local Lobbying Activity 

 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM

 The Threshold Question: Foreign-Influenced Corporations and Other Trends in Foreign Spending Bans 

  Enforcement Update 2024: Trends, Challenges, and Developments in Investigations and Enforcements 

  FOI Legislation and Litigation Update 

 Small But Mighty: Strategies for Success for the Small Government Agency      

  Lights, Camera, Ethics: Navigating DEI & Enriching Ethics Commissions   

 3:50 PM - 5:00 PM

 Plenary session  

A Real Right to Vote: A COGEL Conversation with Rick Hasen

 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM

 Happy Hour at Lucky Strike

 6:30 PM

 Dinner - On Your Own or Join a COGEL Dine-Around

 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

 Breakfast & the Annual COGEL Business Meeting

 9:15 AM - 10:30 AM

 Concurrent sessions

Progressing with Purpose: Using Data, Evaluation, and Innovation to Strengthen Public Financing Programs (Public Financing II) 

The Blockbuster Threats to Elections 

Out of the “Lobby” and Into the Grass: Grassroots, Grasstops, Astroturfing 

Data to Decisions: Enhancing Transparency and Insight through Government Dashboards   

Best Practices in Succession Planning: Protecting Your Agency from Chaos and Crisis  

 10:45 AM - 12:00 PM

 Concurrent sessions

Pay-to-Play: What's New? How Ya Doin'? 

Weird Gifts: Enforcing Gift Rules in the New World of Freebies 

One Size Does Not Fit All: Appropriate Penalties and Remedies 

Freedom of Information Roundtable 

Speak Up and be Heard! Skills and Techniques to Unleash the Effective Communicator in You 

 12:00 PM

 Lunch - On Your Own or Join a COGEL Dine-Around