Women in Public Service 2019 Conference Agenda

Theme: Harnessing Power and Influence: Advocating for Yourself and Others 

7:45–8:20 a.m.
Check-in

8:30–8:35 a.m.
Welcome 
Kris Norman-Major, Center for Public Administration & Leadership, Hamline School of Business 

8:35–9:15 a.m.
Keynote 
TBA 

9:15–9:45 a.m.
Women in Public Service Awards Ceremony and Panel 
Sundin Hall, Kris Norman-Major, emcee  

10:15–11:15 a.m.
Morning Concurrent Sessions I

Mentoring Matters (How to Get One and How to Be One)
Room TBD 
Dawn Baker, Director, Learning and Development Solutions, City of Minneapolis 
Connie Caron, Agency-wide Employee Engagement Coordinator, MN Department of Human Services 
Mentoring is a powerful knowledge transfer and leadership development strategy to help propel your career. If you don’t have a formal mentorship program in place, how can you find a mentor? Attend this program to learn about the typical   goals of a mentoring relationship, and how the roles of mentor and mentee differ. You’ll get practical tips for obtaining a mentor, when to choose a professional coach instead of a mentor, and how to structure and drive the mentoring   relationship. We’ll also describe various types of mentoring, such as reverse, situational, distance and peer mentoring. 

Bridging Divides: What to Do When People Disagree 
Room TBD
Mariah Levison, Manager, Office for Collaboration and Dispute Resolution 
Learning to work effectively across differences may be the most important challenge facing our country today.  In this session we will begin by developing a mindset that will enable you to stay focused on problem solving in the face of seemingly divergent, deeply held beliefs.  Next, we will share several skills essential to bridging divides including: establishing shared values, identifying what people actually need to move forward even they aren’t saying it, reframing toxic arguing into productive dialogue, and moving beyond compromise to integrative solutions – solutions that integrate the most important needs of everyone involved.  

Lead From Where You Are  
Room TBD  
Moderator: Kristen Olson
Karuna Mahajan, Director of Operations CPED, City of Minneapolis 
Christine McDonald, American Indian Community Specialist, City of Minneapolis 
Karen Moe,Deputy Director – Neighborhood Community Relations, City of Minneapolis
Gretchen Pederson, Public Works, City of Minneapolis
Melanie Rucker, District Fire Chief, Minneapolis Fire Department 
Marcia Westbrook, Finance, City of Minneapolis
This session aims to challenge conventional ideas about leadership relating to how women lead in their positions, and change what we often think leadership looks like. A panel of City of Minneapolis employees at various stages in their careers share advice, insight, and compelling examples of their everyday leadership and how changing perspectives can impact your organization. Attendees should expect to leave this session with a stronger understanding of how they can utilize their own power in any position, empower others around them, and help move their organization forward by recognizing leaders in a different way. 

Networking Circles 
Anderson Forum  

 11:30–12:30 a.m. 
Morning Concurrent Sessions II 

60 Minutes to Clarity
Room TBD 

Working with Incompetence
Room TBD 

Harnessing your power to change public policy. 
Room TBD 
Stephanie Radtke, Deputy Director, Community Services, Dakota County 
Rena Moran, House Representative, 65A, MN House of Representatives 
Ellena Schoop, Minnesota IT Services, Minnesota Association Professional Employees (MAPE) Board Member 
Stacie Christensen, Director, Data Practices Office, Department of Administration
Public policy is the set of laws, rules, and regulations enacted and enforced by government. Policy is made in response to a societal issue or problem that requires attention and is made on behalf of the public. While many policy changes happen via citizens and/or advocate groups, women, inside agencies are at the helm in making changes because they see first-hand policies that don’t work.  They vary in approach.
Having a panel with diverse approaches and personal stories on making change, is a great way to share and maybe inspire others that may not be in a “policy” position. Possible questions for our 3-4 member panel are:

• How do transformative changes in public policy take place?
• Why do some public policy reforms succeed while others fail?
• Does democracy work as described in textbooks or do pundits, lobbyists, politicians, and bureaucrats really make the decisions?
• What does it take to make change happen through public policy?

If time permits we can take questions from the audience.

Networking Circles 
Anderson Atrium  

12:30-1:40
Lunch 
Anderson Atrium                

1:45-2:45 
Afternoon Concurrent Sessions I 

Pay Equity: How to Advocate for Yourself.   
Room TBD 
Rea Bastion, Lisa Crum, Manny Vang 
Pay equity between men and women remains a concern in today's competitive work environment. This session will discuss strategies for negotiating pay either within your current organization or for a new position.  The panelists will provide advice on how to put your best foot forward in pay negotiations and receive the pay you deserve.

Multi Generational Workforce: Successful Succession
Room TBD 
Gia Wilson-Mackey, United States Air Force
Emily Paoli Johnson, Director of Workforce Planning, Department of Human Services
The modern workforce is changing rapidly. Experts with long-time knowledge are moving out of the workforce, and younger generations entering the workforce are not staying long enough to create the same expert knowledge.  In this session, we will discuss several knowledge capture and transfer strategies to help leaders capture, preserve and transfer knowledge in the workplace. Discussion on development of succession plans and knowledge transfer opportunities while still recognizing opportunities for change and improvement within the workplace.

Grit, Growth and Leadership 
Room TBD 
Lisa Dejoras, eCRV Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Revenue 
Kristin Haugen, Owner, KC Haugen Law, LLC, Rock Solid Consultants LLC 
How gritty are you and how does grit affect leadership? 
This session will help you assess your grittiness within the context of leadership development for women. Topics covered will include leadership challenges, imposter syndrome, growth mindsets, and grit. 
Leave this session with a self-assessment, and inspiration for positive next steps in your leadership journey!  

Networking Circles 
Anderson Atrium  

3:00-4:00
Afternoon Concurrent Sessions II 

Navigating the Workplace in the #MeToo Movement
Room TBD 
Moderators: Zoe DiCicco, Jill Hellebregt 
Julie Burton, Founder and CEO, ModernWell  
Katie Eichele, Director, The Aurora Center for Advocacy & Education 
Andrea Turner, Director of Human Resources, City of St. Paul
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, cultural norms and workplace policies are evolving. New questions and realities are starting to surface. How do we endure work after experiencing harassment? How are our HR departments adjusting their policies? How can we create spaces safe and empowering spaces for women? This session will provide a 360 perspective on how to navigate the workplace amid the #MeToo movement.

Filling the Gap: Partnerships to engage underserved communities.
Room TBD 
Ellena Schoop, Minnesota IT Services, Minnesota Association Professional Employees (MAPE) Board Member 
The State of Minnesota wants to be sure that not only are citizens counted, but also engaged.  This session looks at how Minnesota builds partnerships that help engage and provide access to underserved or underrepresented communities.  This includes; employment for people with disabilities, and people of color; in efforts to promote census participation in underrepresented communities; engagement in the abuse prevention campaign.

Advocacy and Influence: building your leadership presence
Room TBD 
Lisa Dejoras, eCRV Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Revenue  Kristine Schaefer, Executive Communications Coach and Principal, Loma Communications 
How do you become a powerful advocate and inspire others to support you? Our success depends on how well we interact, collaborate, communicate and care for one another. It depends on how well we work together to solve problems. 
Learn how to show up fully, act with clarity and integrity. Leave this session with a deeper understanding of the practices that help us individually and collectively to reach our goals.

Networking Circles
Anderson Atrium 
Circles can discuss topics from a wide range of subjects. Specific table topics are listed below, but could also include starting a Lean-In or employee resource group at your organization, cultivating connections across your organization, advancement and growth opportunities in the public sector, what I wish I had known, success in non-traditional careers, and conferences or associations that have been beneficial.
The circles will run during each session and hold 1-3 tables with volunteers from the Women of Minneapolis Employee Network group. The WOMEN group is an employee resource group dedicated to the advancement and empowerment of city of Minneapolis women employees. Members will facilitate small networking roundtables.
List of topics for table discussions: 

• Women of the sandwich generation: Pressures of caring for both children and aging parents. 
  
• Women lead from where they are at: Turning challenges into opportunities to lead from any level. 
  
• What women need to succeed: How organizations should support women’s professional development. 
  
• Making space and welcoming diversity: How allies and workplaces can retain diversity in the workforce. 

4:00-4:30 
Closing Reception 
Anderson Atrium 
Join your colleagues for light refreshments, networking and a chance to share your experiences from the day.