Event Description
How to Build Capacity for Good Governance & Sustainable Growth
We are convening a special leadership roundtable for local government executives in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. The event will bring together top officials from the region’s cities and counties to discuss how jurisdictions can effectively build capacity to meet the demands of rapid growth, manage fiscally sustainable budgets and prioritize good governance and community development in a time of volatility and change. Our program is designed to provide attendees with new ideas, information, and allies to support policy approaches and implementation strategies and empower local government staff with the tools to “work smarter, not harder.”
This is a closed-door, invitation-only event open to senior government officials from the region. Please review our draft agenda below. Invitees must RSVP to participate. If you are interested in attending or have questions, please contact us.
This event is hosted in partnership with Euna Solutions.
AGENDA
12:00 PM
Networking Lunch
12:30 PM
Welcome & Introductions
Opening remarks by Mark Funkhouser, President, Funkhouser & Associates
12:45 PM
A time of Growth and Change: The Texas Policy Landscape
An overview of top policy concerns, legislative updates and what high-performing governments are doing about legislative changes.
DISCUSSION LEAD: Bennett Sandlin, Executive Director, Texas Municipal League
Building Capacity for Growth and Change: Plans, People & Systems
1:15 PM
PLANS
We’ll explore frameworks and steps for strategically planning and sustainably funding long-term growth while also supporting equitable access to opportunity.
DISCUSSION LEAD: Aimee Kaslik, Chief Strategy Officer, City of Denton
1:45 PM
Break
2:00 PM
PEOPLE
Putting people at the core: We’ll discuss approaches to change management and building organizational culture to cultivate antifragile governments.
DISCUSSION LEADS: Opal Mauldin-Jones, City Manager, Lancaster and Oscar Trevino, Mayor, City of North Richland Hills
2:30 PM
SYSTEMS
Technology is the easy part: How are public sector organizations effectively implementing digital tools and other solutions to empower staff to better serve the community?
3:00 PM
Case Examples
We will spotlight 2-3 rapid fire case examples of how local jurisdictions are addressing some of the challenges and priorities of the region (such as growing the tax base, regional collaboration and coordination on transportation and resource issues, and/or workforce development).
3:30 PM
Wrap-Up
Summary of discussion highlights and takeaways.
Martin Lind, VP, Business Development & Strategic Partnerships, Euna Solutions
3:45 PM
Adjourn
Organizer
Funkhouser & Associates is a team of seasoned practitioners, storytellers and conveners. Armed with decades of 360-degree experience in the inner workings of how policy is built, funded and enacted, we bring insights, capacity and collective impact to the work of local government.
We build better government by cultivating trusted relationships, leveraging cross-sector expertise and advancing public sector innovation. We are guided by the principles of trust, dignity, and prudent stewardship of public resources and local governments’ role in promoting those values. Our work supports leadership, innovation and collaboration to nurture democracy at the ground level. We believe trust is the bond that allows people to come together in communities and govern themselves effectively. We believe in the fundamental worth of all people. Every person should be treated with dignity and have a voice in their community. We believe being smart with the money, managing financial resources well, is key to the performance of every other government function.