MIIA Annual Meeting workshops cover hot topics in municipal governing

MIIA will present several training sessions during the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show, to be held on Jan. 19 and 20 at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston.

MIIA members who attend any of its training sessions will be eligible to earn MIIA Rewards credits. This year’s MIIA workshops will cover a range of timely municipal governing topics, as follows:
• Climate’s Impact on the Municipal Property Market
Friday, Jan. 19, 2 to 3:15 p.m.
Insurance experts will offer the latest updates on climate change and its direct impact on municipal infrastructure and insurance coverage. Industry leaders will discuss the importance of building a resilient community and best practices for maintaining existing facilities and building new ones.
MIIA Executive Vice President Stan Corcoran will moderate a panel that includes Megan Hart, managing director of Aon’s Catastrophe Risk Analytics Group; Kenneth Wertz, executive director of the Massachusetts Facilities Administrators Association; and Stephen Batchelder, MIIA’s vice president of claims operations and risk management.

• Municipal Cybersecurity Update
Friday, Jan. 19, 2 to 3:15 p.m.
State and national experts will discuss recent cybersecurity trends and outline ways to protect municipalities from cyberattacks. This session will also discuss what to expect with fiscal 2025 cyber insurance coverage and renewals, and where municipalities should plan to invest. Attendees will leave with an updated roadmap of state, federal and local resources that can be put into action.
Panelists will include detective Brian Gavioli from the Department of State Police’s Commonwealth Fusion Center; Greg Bautista, a partner at Mullen Coughlin; Colby Cousens, IT director in Danvers; Pete Sherlock, CEO of CyberTrust Massachusetts; Susan Noyes, director of the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security’s Office of Municipal and School Technology; and Taylor Reynolds, technology policy director of the MIT Internet Policy Research Initiative.

• Unemployment: What Your Municipality Needs to Know
Friday, Jan. 19, 3:30 to 4:45 p.m.
MIIA Executive Vice President Stan Corcoran will lead a panel discussion focused on the unemployment environment in Massachusetts. The panel will compare two financing methods available to municipalities, discuss fraud issues, and share best practices to help municipalities reduce disputes, improve unemployment processing, and reduce overall costs. Speakers will also cover regulations specific to governmental agencies, including reasonable assurance, seasonal certification, and positions that are exempt from unemployment.
Panelists will include Paul Scott, vice president of Unemployment Tax Management Corporation; Rich Siegel, president of Unemployment Tax Management Corporation and president of the Association of Unemployment Tax Organizations; and Cecilia Piazza, vice president of member services at First Nonprofit.

• Practice Resilience: Be Happier at Work
Saturday, Jan. 20, 1:45 to 3 p.m.
Working in local government has always had its challenges, but municipal employees today face added stress from an increasingly confrontational citizenry. MIIA’s wellness team will host a panel discussion focused on improving employee happiness and building resiliency. Needham Town Manager Kate Fitzpatrick and her daughter, Westwood Assistant Town Administrator Molly Kean, will share best practices and strategies for building employee morale during more stressful times.
Visit the MMA Annual Meeting & Trade Show website for complete information about the conference.

Written by Jennifer Ranz