General Information | Register Now | Agenda | Seminar Materials
General Information
Benefits of Attending
The Civil Service and Labor Relations Workshop offers a broad developmental experience for all participants, no matter their level of knowledge or experience. There will be opportunities in each session to ask questions about administering the state civil service law in your city and legislation on mandatory collective bargaining for public safety. In addition to the formal program, you will have the opportunity to network with others who share similar problems and challenges. The speakers are experts in their fields who have extensive experience in civil service, labor relations, and human resources management.
Enrollment for this workshop is limited to human resources professionals and management representatives from Texas municipal governments. This workshop is not designed for police or fire association labor representative members. No on-site registrations will be accepted.
Who Should Attend?
- City Mangers
- Police Chiefs
- Personnel Professionals
- Attorneys
- Compensation Managers
- Assistant City Managers
- Fire Chiefs
- City Secretaries
- Risk Managers
- Human Resources Managers
- Civil Service Commissioneres
- YOU!
Location
All events will be held at the Marriot Sugar Land
16090 City Walk, Sugar Land, Texas 77479
Sponsor Registration
Sponsor staff is required to register online for the conference. Please choose the “sponsor comp” option to use your complimentary registrations. The sponsor set up is Tuesday afternoon. All preassigned sponsor tables will be in the Sugar Land foyer. If you have any questions, please get in touch with Lisa Norris.
Hotel Accommodations
The Marriot Sugar Land Town Square, located at 16090 City Walk, Sugar Land, Texas 77479, extended a room rate is SOLD OUT. We recommend checking out the Courtyard Sugar Land, or searching local hotels near the venue.
Here is information on the Marriot Sugar Land COVID-19 Property Details.
Please be aware of housing poachers if contacted about booking hotel rooms. The only TMHRA endorsed hotel for this event is the Marriot Sugar Land. Please note we are NOT working with any other companies to provide housing. If you receive any pirating emails or calls, please refer them to Lavern Gaines at lavern@tml.org or 512-231-7447.
Continuing Education Credit
Individuals may submit program information to their certifying agency to determine if CEU’s or other credits may be applied. TMHRA does not pre-certify sessions for credit. CEU forms coming soon!
Seminar Materials
All speaker presentations and handouts will be posted on our seminar materials page as they become available.
Special Accommodations
If you require assistance of any kind, including special dietary needs (such as allergies, restrictions, or sensitivities to particular ingredients) or need mobility, audio or visual aids, or other assistance, please contact Lavern Gaines at 512-231-7447 or lavern@tml.org.
Attire
The conference attire is casual so please dress for comfort. Be sure to bring a sweater or jacket to the sessions in the event the meeting rooms are cold.
Health and Safety
Please view the most up-to-date COVID public health recommendations here:
- National guidelines via the CDC website
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) | Texas DSHS
- Coronavirus (COVID-19) Information | Sugar Land, TX – Official Website (sugarlandtx.gov)
Questions?
Contact the TML Affiliate Services Department at 512-231-7400 or tmhra@tml.org.
Registration
Online Registration
On-site registration will not be available.
| Civil Service and Labor Relations Workshop – Feb 1-3, 2023 | By January 11 | After January 11 |
| Register Now! | $475 | $585 |
Cancellation and Substitute Policy
If you are registered and cannot attend, we encourage you to send a substitute. If you cannot send a substitute, a $75 cancellation
fee will be assessed if written cancellation is received by January 11. No refunds will be honored after January 11.
Agenda
February 1, 2023
Sessions and speakers are subject to change without notice. Please check the app for current updates.
| Time | Session | Presenter |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30–8:30 a.m. | Breakfast and Registration | |
| 8:45–9:00 a.m. | Welcome Address | TMHRA President Andre Houser, Human Resources Director, City of Conroe |
| 9:00–10:00 a.m. | Surviving the Las Vegas Shooting | Bruce Ure, President, Ure Consulting |
| 10:00–10:30 a.m. | Networking Break and Engagement with the Sponsors/Vendors | |
| 10:30 a.m.–Noon | Intro to Civil Service | Bettye Lynn, Owner, Lynn Law, PLLC |
| Noon–1:15 p.m. | Lunch (Provided) | |
| 1:15–2:45 p.m. | Public Safety Mental Health Initiatives | Jeff Spivey, Executive Director of the Caruth Police Institute and Senior Fellow of Law Enforcement Policy |
| 2:45–3:15 p.m. | Networking Break and Engagement with the Sponsors/Vendors | |
| 3:15–4:30 p.m. | Prepare for a Line of Duty Death | Panelist: Catherine Clifton, Partner, Ross | Gannaway | Clifton, PLLC, Daniel Scesney, Chief of Police, City of Grand Prairie, Linda Spacek, CPM, CGBA, Director of Human Resources, and Stan Standridge, Chief of Police, City of San Marcos Moderator: Dori Lee, SHRM-SCP, IMPA-CP, Director of Human Resources, City of Lancaster |
| 5:00–6:15 p.m. | Fireside Chat: Fire and Police Chief Panel – Challenges Under Civil Service | Panelist: Mark Poland, Police Chef, City of Sugar Land, Daniel Scesney, Chief of Police, City of Grand Prairie, John Sullivan, Fire Chief, City of Georgetown and Chief David Zacherl, City of Texas City Moderator: Lisa J. Norris, SHRM-SCP, Human Resources/Civil Service Director, City of Grand Prairie |
| 6:15 p.m. | Adjourn |
February 2, 2023
Sessions and speakers are subject to change without notice. Please check the app for current updates.
| Time | Session | Presenter |
|---|---|---|
| 7:00–8:00 a.m. | Breakfast and Registration | |
| 8:00–9:15 a.m. | Critical Incident Workshop: “But for the grace of God go I – a discussion in the wake of Uvalde.” When the world is watching (and judging) what will your critical incident response look like? | Attorney for former Uvalde ISD Police Chief, Pete Arredondo, Mr. George Hyde, Managing Partner, Hyde Kelley LLP, Master Police Officer, Police Commander, Retd. |
| 9:30–10:45 a.m. | Grievances, Complaints and Appeals | Julia Gannaway, Partner, and Catherine Clifton, Partner, Ross | Gannaway | Clifton, PLLC |
| 10:45–11:15 a.m. | Networking Break and Engagement with the Sponsors/Vendors | |
| 11:15 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | Introducing a New Commissioner: Who’s Role is What? | Melissa H. Cranford, Partner, Messer, Fort, & McDonald PLLC |
| 12:30–1:30 p.m. | Lunch (Provided) | |
| 1:30–2:45 p.m. | Establishing/Modifying Effective Civil Service Rules-Utilizing a Commissioner’s Rule-Making Authority for Your City | Julia Gannaway, Partner, and Catherine Clifton, Partner, Ross | Gannaway | Clifton, PLLC |
| 2:45–3:15 p.m. | Networking Break and Engagement with the Sponsors/Vendors | |
| 3:15–4:30 p.m. | Managing Ethical Boundaries Ethics represent a set of standards and values that define how a public organization will manage itself and how it will promote the greater good. An organization’s policies guide its employees on what is acceptable behavior as leaders we are responsible for guiding employees with the principles of confidentiality, honesty, and transparency in the public organization’s dealings and conduct towards others. This presentation is designed to help us identify the most common work-related ethics and compliance concerns. We will learn how to recognize and address suspected inappropriate conduct in the workplace. This presentation will demonstrate how to think through an issue and determine the most appropriate choice of action to take in a given situation. We will discuss how to think things through and make the best choice in a situation. In this program, we will discuss: • What “ethics” means and how personal ethical decisions reflect the value of the values of the organization; • How to frame “ethics” to highlight prevention at every level within the organization. • Barriers to an ethical organization. • What does it look like to “choosing wisely;” • What happens when good people are asked to work in a bad culture; • How we make “ethics” are core value within our organizations. | Please join me as we look at practical approached to managing ethical boundaries within public entities. — Mark Stephens, Esq., Learning Facilitator, Stephens Training and Consulting |
| 4:30 p.m. | Adjourn | |
| 5:00–6:30 p.m. | Networking Reception | Co-sponsored by Ure Consulting. Light Refreshments provided |
February 3, 2023
Sessions and speakers are subject to change without notice. Please check the app for current updates.
| Time | Session | Presenter |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30–8:30 a.m. | Breakfast | |
| 8:30–10:15 a.m. | Legal Update Bettye Lynn, Owner, Lynn Law, PLLC | |
| 10:15–10:30 a.m | Networking Break and Engagement with the Sponsors/Vendors | |
| 10:30–Noon | How Employee Engagement is Strengthened Through Title VII Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Through the work of David Sirota and Douglas A. Klein in their book “The Enthusiastic Employee: How Companies Profit by Giving Workers What they Want,” this session will reflect on how their “three factor theory” may be considered to create a more engaged workforce through Title VII Discrimination and Harassment Prevention. This session will review the Title VII protected classes and cases involving Title VII discrimination within the framework of the research offered with Sirota and Klein’s book regarding what engaged employees want: Equity, Achievement and Camaraderie. When employees have an understanding of Title VII’s protected classes and what discrimination may look like through real case examples, employers may strengthen their messaging that discrimination will not be tolerated and every employee will have a safe place to work where their value is reflected through equity, achievement and camaraderie. | Mark Stephens, Esq., Learning Facilitator, Stephens Training and Consulting |