Workshops

A central feature of Connect 351 is the wide selection of workshops covering the latest developments and pressing issues affecting local government.

First Session: Friday, Jan. 24, 2:15-3:30 p.m.

• Brief Review: Updates on Municipal Laws
Presented by the Massachusetts Municipal Lawyers Association
This workshop will cover recent and significant developments in municipal law, as well as forecasts of upcoming changes from the General Court. A panel of municipal attorneys will discuss the impact on cities and towns of key federal and state cases, agency decisions, regulations, new laws and developing issues, including the open meeting law, tax title, land use and zoning issues, and accessory dwelling units.
Panelists
Kristen Gagalis is an associate at Anderson Kreiger.
Steve Torres is a partner at West Group Law PLLC.
Moderator
Ivria Fried is a partner at Harrington Heep LLP.

• Fiscal and Economic Outlook
Presented by the Division of Local Services
This workshop will cover important current issues in municipal finance and will look at fiscal 2025 and beyond. Administration officials will give updates on the status of state tax collections and the state’s economic outlook for fiscal 2026.
Panelists
Matthew Gorzkowicz is secretary of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance.
Geoffrey Snyder is commissioner of the Department of Revenue.
Deb Wagner is chief of the Bureau of Accounts at the Division of Local Services.
Chris Wilcock is chief of the Bureau of Local Assessment at the Division of Local Services.
Ken Woodland is chief of the Bureau of Municipal Finance Law at the Division of Local Services.
Moderator
Sean Cronin is senior deputy commissioner at the Division of Local Services.

• Having the Courage to Confront: Managing Behavioral Challenges in the Workplace
How do you handle bullying, gossiping, negative attitudes, and other challenging behaviors in public sector workplaces? In this interactive workshop, participants will learn strategies for setting expectations around respectful workplace communication, having difficult conversations with municipal employees and officials, and resolving behavioral disputes in unionized settings. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in role-play scenarios.
Panelists
Jean Haertl is the president and founder of Safety and Respect at Work LLC.
Jaime Kenny is an attorney and partner at Clifford & Kenny LLP.
Moderator
Molly Fitzpatrick is the assistant town administrator and human resources director in Westwood.

• Navigating Politically Contentious Legal Matters
This discussion will focus on confronting events with legal issues primed for the 24-hour news cycle. Municipal leaders are often caught between the public’s demand for immediate answers and the careful considerations that are required for these issues, such as allegations of discrimination by government officials, the alleged use of excessive force by police officers, restrictions on free speech, and alleged misconduct or bullying in schools, to name a few. Panelists will provide input for how municipal leaders can respond to and examine considerations relating to public reaction and the potential effect on future litigation.
Panelists
Dave Dowd is vice president of claims for MIIA Member Services.
Jeff Trapani is a partner at Pierce Davis & Perritano LLP.
Andy Weiner is senior counsel for MIIA Member Services.

• Smooth Transition Ahead: Organizational Succession Planning
Does your city or town engage in succession planning? Most communities have measures in place to build their bench strength, but are you prepared to develop and maintain strong leadership throughout your organization in today’s work environment? This session will explore how to design a succession plan or enhance the work you’re currently doing.
Panelists
Kate Fitzpatrick is the town manager in Needham.
Julia Novak is the executive vice president at Raftelis.
Moderator
Ryan McLane is the town administrator in Carlisle and vice chair of Small Town Administrators of Massachusetts.

• Sparking Success with Municipal Internship Programs
This workshop will highlight three municipal internship programs that focus on connecting with younger generations and introducing them to local government. Learn how your community can use both paid and unpaid internships to help advance important projects, fill temporarily vacant positions, and excite the younger people in your community about getting involved and pursuing potential careers in municipalities.
Panelists
Melanie Cutler is an educator at Andover High School.
Brittney Franklin is the assistant to the town administrator in Medfield.
Amanda Lima is the town engineer in Yarmouth.
Moderator
Joyce Losick-Yang is director of sustainability and energy in Andover.

Second Session: Friday, Jan. 24, 3:45-5 p.m.

• Accelerating Housing Production While Addressing Roadblocks, NIMBY, and More
In this session, municipal leaders across the Commonwealth will discuss their experiences creating housing options. The session will focus on the partnerships, resources, and leadership required to move through known barriers to get housing built, including zoning, permitting and financing. The session will also spotlight successful examples of how communities throughout the United States are tackling this issue, as illustrated in the “Housing Supply Accelerator Playbook: Solutions, Systems, Partnerships,” which was published by the National League of Cities and the American Planning Association in 2024, primarily for local elected officials.
Panelists
Dana LeWinter, is the chief of public and community engagement for the Massachusetts Housing Partnership.
Alex Morse is the town manager in Provincetown.
Maureen Pollock is the planning director in Montague.
Moderator
Jennifer Raitt is executive director of the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments.

• Deepening DEI Knowledge by Exploring Self-Awareness
This interactive workshop is designed to deepen participants’ understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion by exploring self-awareness. The session will begin by examining how individuals are shaped by societal norms and roles, which influence their views on identity, fairness and justice. Participants will engage in self-reflection to better understand their own identities and how these relate to broader systems. The workshop will aim to address the impact of unintentional slights and biases, providing tools to recognize and respond to these. Finally, the session will cover strategies for navigating difficult conversations in a DEI context, helping participants foster meaningful dialogue and promote inclusion within their communities and workplaces. Participants will leave with a deeper awareness of how they can contribute to creating equitable and inclusive environments.
Panelists
Kiana Pierre-Louis is an assistant dean at Northeastern University and chair of the Sharon Select Board.
Moderator
Jillian Harvey is the chief equity officer at the MMA.

• The Latest in Labor Law
Developments in the labor law landscape have significant impacts on municipalities in Massachusetts. Two employment and labor law attorneys with decades of experience will discuss the trends in 2024 and provide an outlook for the future. They will cover major court cases, agency decisions, and legislation on topics including civil service, collective bargaining, pensions, workplace safety, and other important labor law issues.
Panelists
D.M. Moschos is a partner at Seder & Chandler LLP.
Melissa Murray is a partner with Norris, Murray & Peloquin LLC.
Moderator
Dave Koffman is senior executive and legislative director at the MMA.

• Navigating Cyberthreats: Empowering Municipal Executives
This session will provide the latest intelligence on emerging cybersecurity threats, cybersecurity insurance perspectives, and state and federal programs available to support municipalities. It will provide managers with the information to engage their IT staff in discussions on a shared municipal cybersecurity vision that is supported throughout the organization. Leaders from the state and federal government will be available to answer questions about their programs.
Panelists TBA

• Prioritizing Resilience: From Planning to Capital Investments
As cities and towns face more frequent and severe weather events, they need to make resilience a priority. This workshop will: provide insight into what prioritizing resilience means for municipal officials and their communities; review the use of resiliency plans to help focus capital projects and purchases; and explore how this prioritization is reflected in capital investment practices.
Panelists
Jill Cahill has been the chief administrative officer for the city of Gloucester since January 2022, and was previously the city’s community development director for five years. She has led efforts on vulnerability preparedness and resilience, economic development, tourism and housing, and has helped secure state and federal grant funding for a diverse portfolio of projects.
Carys Lustig is the director of public works in her hometown of Needham, where she has served the town in construction, finance, and administration for her entire career. Under her leadership, Needham completed more than $20 million in capital projects this past summer, and a succession planning program implemented more than five years ago has resulted in more than 20 internal promotions to fill the skills gap left by retirements and vacancies.
Kimberly Noake MacPhee manages the Franklin Regional Council of Governments’ Land Use and Natural Resources Program. She is a registered professional geologist and certified floodplain manager with 35 years of private and public sector work experience. Her current projects focus on watershed-scale and municipal climate resiliency planning, sustainable stormwater management, fluvial geomorphology and erosion hazards, clean energy, and natural hazard mitigation.
Dan Nason, the town administrator in Harvard, has more than 27 years of experience as a civil engineer in both the private and public sectors. He has spent the last 19 years serving various communities in Massachusetts. Previously, he worked as a civil/site engineer for various small firms in central Massachusetts, and was the national engineering manager for a technology transfer company focused on manufactured stormwater quality and treatment devices.
Moderator
Lisa DeMeo is the assistant director of public works and city engineer in Amesbury. With 22 years of experience, she has held public works and engineering roles in both small towns and in cities in Essex and Middlesex counties, and is active in several field-related organizations, including as a past president of the Massachusetts Highway Association and immediate past president of the Essex County Highway Association.

• What’s Driving the Cost of Public Education?
With major cost increases in school districts across the Commonwealth, municipalities are looking for answers on why the cost of public education is increasing so rapidly. This workshop will explore the changing needs of students post-pandemic, the major budget drivers in public education, and best practices for collaboration between municipal and school officials.
Panelists
Sean Mangano is the executive director of finance for the Holyoke Public Schools.
Josh Vadala is the superintendent of the Peabody Public Schools.
Moderator
Melinda Tarsi-Goldfien is a member of the Mansfield Finance Committee and president of the Association of Town Finance Committees.

Third Session: Saturday, Jan. 25, 1:30-2:45 p.m.

• Bringing Balance, Productivity and Human Sustainability to the Workplace
The saying, “All that glitters is not gold,” serves as a reminder that appearances can be deceiving. Despite outward success, high performers in the workplace may struggle with their well-being. Achieving mental, physical, and emotional well-being is crucial for sustained success, as individuals lacking alignment across various aspects of their lives are susceptible to long-term burnout. In this workshop, we will embark on a journey toward human sustainability by carefully navigating disconnections and connections both within and outside the workplace. By delving into mindfulness, honing communication skills, embracing well-being initiatives, and exploring the science of happiness, participants will craft a roadmap to attain balance and enhance productivity in their professional endeavors.
Panelists
Trish Hart, a leading voice for workplace well-being, is a credentialed stress management expert, integrative health and wellness coach, experienced mind-body specialist and mindfulness instructor, and certified mindful outdoor guide, as well as a consultant, trainer and nature-infused retreat leader for numerous employee assistance programs, corporations, municipalities, universities and individuals.

• Building Trust in Local Government Through Communications
At a time when all levels of government can face a trust deficit, this workshop will explore the roots of mistrust and how effective communication strategies can help rebuild trust. Topics will include the following:
• The Trust Deficit: Explore the roots of mistrust in government, including the impact of federal and state politics and perceptions about inadequate local government transparency and responsiveness.
• Effective Communication Strategies: Learn best practices and tools for crafting timely, accurate and complete communications to address and mitigate misperceptions. For example, we can invest in technology that will make it less cumbersome for residents to deal with local government, and focus our attention on human-centered design, keeping residents top of mind.
• Engagement Techniques: Discover innovative methods to engage residents and encourage collaboration and participation.
Panelists
Maura Buckley is a communications specialist for the town of Foxborough.
Jeremy Warnick is director of media relations and content strategy for the city of Cambridge.
Moderator
Sean Dugan is the assistant town administrator in Easton.

Focus on Federal Funds
Details for this workshop will be available soon.

• An Insider’s Look at the Joint Labor-Management Committee
Learn strategies for better dispute resolution. Join leaders of the state Joint Labor-Management Committee and experienced MMA members for an interactive conversation about navigating collective bargaining disputes in municipal settings. Panelists will provide an overview of the JLMC arbitration process and share insider tips for how communities can best prepare for disputes and reach solutions internally.
Panelists
Jen Breaker is the assistant town manager in Danvers.
John Hanson is chair of the Joint Labor-Management Committee.
Robert Markel is the Joint Labor-Management Committee’s senior staff representative for management.

• Making AI Your Partner in Local Government
With potential applications across sectors and disciplines, artificial intelligence can help municipalities enhance their operations in areas such as public works, climate and sustainability, human resources and performance management, among others. This workshop will explore opportunities and challenges, providing attendees with a set of best practices and considerations for using AI to improve planning, decision making, and service delivery.
Panelists
Andrea Foncerrada is CEO of PolicyMind.
John Mangiaratti is the town manager in Acton.
Dewand Neely is the chief information officer for MGT.
Moderator
Kevin Mizikar is the town manager in Shrewsbury.

• Raising Revenue: Passing Debt Exclusions and Overrides
As municipalities face ongoing fiscal challenges in the Proposition 2½ environment, this workshop will cover best practices to pass a debt exclusion or override in your community. From strong community education and engagement strategies, to understanding the legal considerations for municipal officials, this workshop will empower local officials to raise needed revenue.
Panelists
Paige Duncan is the town manager in Foxborough.
Jason Tait is the director of communications and public education at the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.
Moderator
Dennis Sheehan is the town administrator in Stoneham.