MMHR to hold Fall Conference on Sept. 14 and 15 in Hull

Massachusetts Municipal Human Resources will host its annual Fall Conference on Sept. 14 and 15 in Hull.

The conference will open with a legislative update from MMA Legislative Director Dave Koffman.

Rachel Glisper, Principal of Crossroads DEIB, LLC, will lead an in-depth, two-part workshop on diversity, equity and inclusion. The interactive workshop will focus first on how participants can assess their communities’ DEI needs, and then on supporting DEI professionals once they have been hired.

Treniece Lewis Harris, CEO and founder of CulturaPsy, will lead a session focused on pandemic impacts on mental health and well-being in the workplace, how municipal HR leaders can recognize when employees are struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues, and how to identify mental health resources and providers to support employee mental health and well-being.

The first day of the conference will conclude with a discussion about trends in collective bargaining led by Melissa Murray, a partner with Norris, Murray, and Peloquin, LLC.

Day two will kick off with a training about Peace Officer Standards and Training. Pittsfield Police Chief and POST Commissioner Michael Wynn and POST Commission Executive Director Enrique Zuniga will share what municipal HR directors need to know about POST.

The final session will be focused on resilience for human resources professionals. Cally Ritter, principal of Positive Ripple Training & Consulting, will lead an interactive session covering how municipal HR leaders can support themselves and protect their own mental health and well-being in the face of significant ongoing change and turmoil in the workplace.

Registration and networking will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Sept. 14. The program will start at 9:15 a.m. and conclude at 4:30 p.m.

Attendees are invited to join an outdoor reception immediately following the first day of the conference for beverages, snacks and networking.

Optional sunrise yoga will take place on the Nantasket Beach Resort rooftop at 7 a.m. on Sept. 15. Breakfast and networking will begin at 7:45 a.m., and the program will start at 9 a.m. The conference will conclude at noon, with boxed lunches available to go.

The registration fee is $185 for the full conference or $110 for Wednesday only. Registration and a complete agenda are available at mma.org.

The conference will be held at the Nantasket Beach Resort at 45 Hull Shore Drive in Hull. The deadline to book hotel rooms in the MMHR room block has passed, but reservations may still be available outside of the block. To book a room, visit the Nantasket Beach Resort website.

The MMA currently requires attendees of in-person events to show proof of being fully vaccinated for COVID (card, photo or QR code). (Religious or medical vaccine exemptions are allowed with a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours.) Masks are optional. These safety protocols are subject to change based on the latest public health data and guidance.