Wednesday, December 10
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View WednesdayKnow Your Role: Whoa! No! v. OK, Go
In ethics work we sometimes have difficulty assessing our correct role. Are we analyzing and parsing rules, statutes, and regulations to give “legal” advice? Are we exercising judgment in asking more of our agency in the pursuit ethical principles which may go beyond what the rules say? Is it both depending on the question presented? Do our ethics rules require interpretive flexibility or does that lead to bad acts? Join this interesting and participatory discussion about the challenges we face in identifying our best role for the people we serve.
Paul Solis (Moderator)
Chief Ethics Officer, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro)
Ruth Kwon
Ethics Officer, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass
Michael Cooke
Senior Officer and Deputy Senior Counsel, The Pew Charitable Trusts
Carlos Santiago
Deputy Ethics Officer, City of Atlanta
You've Got Questions, We've Got Answers: Investigations & Enforcement Roundtable
Take part in a lively discussion with your colleagues as well as moderators and panelists from this week’s Investigations & Enforcement track. This roundtable is your opportunity to have more intimate conversations about all things Enforcement & Investigations.
Dawn Widman
Senior Investigator, Detroit Board of Ethics
Richard Barzaga
Senior Staff Attorney, City of Philadelphia Board of Ethics
Annual FOI Roundtable
This session is your opportunity to join a lively and wide-ranging discussion about government access issues. Join your colleagues from all COGEL disciplines in this roundtable discussion of freedom of information and how we make it work.
Colleen Murphy (Co-Moderator)
Executive Director and General Counsel, Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission
Paula Pearlman (Co-Moderator)
Managing Director and Associate General Counsel, Connecticut Freedom of Information Commission
Enhance Your Outreach Efforts: Meeting Voters Where They Are
Election administrators make thorough efforts to ensure that eligible voters are able to participate. This is often a combination of maintaining voters lists, planning voting opportunities and providing outreach materials to ensure voters are ready on Election Day. However, election management body (EMB) efforts to reach various groups that face barriers to participation (e.g. incarcerated individuals, remote communities, or those disassociated with participation in democratic processes) offer new opportunities and complex challenges. This panel will explore how EMBs balance their mandate to serve all voters with the realities of implementing outreach in politically sensitive or resource-intensive contexts.
Sarah McAfee (Moderator)
Chief Communications & Engagement Officer, Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder
Maysa Sitar
Voter Accessibility Administrator, Denver Clerk and Recorder
Dr. Bridgett King
Associate Professor of American Politics, Department of Political Science, University of Kentucky
Government Social Media: Best Practices for Engagement
Join this panel to learn social media best practices for governmental agencies and official accounts. Speakers will bring their expertise to multiple areas of conversation, including what to engage with or avoid, channels to use and why, and engagement dos and don'ts. Leave with the tools for information-sharing and transparency, clear strategies for engagement, and best practices to boost audience education.
Alissa Guzman (Co-Moderator)
Director of Marketing and Digital Communications, New York City Campaign Finance Board
Rashee Raj (Co-Moderator)
General Counsel, D.C. Board of Ethics and Government Accountability
Elena Saunders
Associate Vice President, Fenton
Nathan Rice
Executive Director, State of Illinois Executive Ethics Commission
Jennifer Chapman
Senior Communications Manager, City of Johns Creek, Georgia
Danger Zone: Current Public Financing Challenges
Public campaign finance programs are powerful tools, but they’re not without turbulence. From legal threats and political pushback to administrative hurdles and funding gaps, this session dives into the challenges facing public financing systems today. Hear from experts on how programs are navigating risks, adapting to change, and defending democracy in the danger zone.
Nick Mahon (Moderator)
Campaign Finance Administrator, Denver Clerk and Recorder
Rachael Fauss
Senior Policy Advisor, Reinvent Albany
Allie Swatek
Senior Director of Strategy and Policy, NYC Campaign Finance
Salman Munir
Director of Audit & Disclosure, Connecticut State Elections Enforcement Commission
Ethics Update II
Ready to take a deeper dive into this year’s Ethics Update? This companion session has been added to empower conference attendees to continue the conversation and share their perspectives and expertise on this year’s ethics developments.
Cathryn Motherwell
Integrity Commissioner of Ontario, Office of the Integrity Commissioner of Ontario
Paul Nick
Executive Director, Ohio Ethics Commission
Steve Berlin
Executive Director, Chicago Board of Ethics
Join Us in the Lobby: Lobby Law Hot Topics, Innovations, and Challenges
Join fellow regulators and compliance professionals for an interactive conversation about all things lobbying. Discuss new ideas, current trends, recent challenges, and vexing topics related to lobbying regulations and disclosure.
Wesley D. Bizzell (Moderator)
Senior Assistant General Counsel, Managing Director of Political Law & Ethics Programs, Altria Client Services LLC
Grow, Inform, and Establish Trust: Strategies to Build Awareness of Your Organization's Mission
Ensuring that stakeholders know your agency's mission and trust the agency to deliver are critical to the success of any public entity. In this session, attendees will learn different approaches, tips, and tricks to boost stakeholder understanding of your organization’s purpose and core values. Relying upon experts from across multiple COGEL disciplines, panelists will discuss marketing efforts, social media campaigns, and other tools to create a unique approach to amplifying your organization’s voice.
Kate Zinnecker (Moderator)
Training Development and Outreach Coordinator, Illinois Executive Ethics Commission
Alissa Guzman
Director of Marketing and Digital Communications, New York City Campaign Finance Board
Kevin Schukle, JD
Ethics Advisor I, City of Atlanta, Ethics Office
Michael O'Connell
Training Specialist, Detroit Board of Ethics
Nathan Rice
Executive Director, Illinois Executive Ethics Commission