About the Series: This FREE webinar series will address ways to improve overall municipal operations by discussing resources for increasing municipal efficiency, assistance in communication, and financing for the future.
Webinar Schedule At-A-Glance
January 26 – Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and its Utility for Municipalities
February 9 – Communicating with the Public About Water Infrastructure
February 16 – Financing for the Future – Financial Longevity for Municipal Operations
Webinar 1: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and its Utility for Municipalities
Thursday, January 26, 2017 | 1:00PM-2:00PM EST
Maintaining both above and below ground assets can be a daunting task, and developing an organized way to visualize where these assets are can seem just as difficult. Being able to quickly identify assets can assist in emergency response work as well as help the broader community.
This webinar will introduce the fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems and how it can benefit rural municipalities. Participants will gain a basic understanding of the functions of GIS as well as its application in asset management, road mapping, land use and zoning, and how they can get started with GIS without a large out of pocket cost.
Speaker:
Mickey Dietrich – Past President, NYS GIS Association
Mickey Dietrich is an advocate for making sure that any organization, no matter their budget, can have access to GIS (Geographic Information Systems). GIS is a powerful tools to help communities in planning, zoning, asset management, tourism, and emergency response. Mickey works for the NYS Tug Hill Commission, where he has put in almost 15 years of dedication to helping rural communities with their mapping needs. He also was the President of the NYS GIS Association in 2016 and currently serves in the role of Past-President and a member of the 2017 New York State Geospatial Advisory Council. To get started with GIS, Mickey likes the phrase “It only takes one spark, to start a fire.”
Webinar 2: Communicating with the Public About Water Infrastructure
Thursday, February 9, 2017 | 1:00PM-2:00PM EST
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The one group that all water and wastewater systems must report to on a regular basis is the ever-changing public they serve. Issues such as drinking water contaminants, algal blooms, and increased utility rates can put a community on edge.
This webinar will address how best to communicate with the public in a way that will garner support and encourage public engagement. Participants will learn tools for communicating with their customers directly and through media outlets, as well as effective messaging for maximum impact.
Speaker:
Sarah Diefendorf – Director, EFC West
Sarah Diefendorf is the Executive Director of the Environmental Finance Center West, a program
housed in the School of Business and Leadership at Dominican University of California and in
the National Center for Smart Growth and Research and Education at the University of Maryland.
She has founded and managed numerous nonprofit organizations throughout her career and has
specialized in building financial, communications and leadership capacity in the US and abroad. Most recently Sarah co-facilitated leadership and internal/external communications training to elected officials, water systems and government agencies based in fourteen states to gather support for water and other sustainability initiatives. Ms. Diefendorf holds a BA in International Relations from San Francisco State University and an MS in Environmental Geography from Cambridge University.
Partners: EFC West, Environmental Finance Center Network (EFCN), American Water Works Association (AWWA)
Webinar 3: Financing for the Future – Financial Longevity for Municipal Operations
Thursday, February 16, 2017 | 1:00PM-2:00PM EST
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Rate setting, financial management, and department budgeting are vital components to ensuring financial longevity for municipal operations. With increasing demand on utilities, expanding or declining populations, and the need for future infrastructure repair, it is necessary to look beyond the sort term financial planning and look towards financing for the future.
This webinar will introduce methods that can be used for budgeting for the future. Topics will include projecting for future scenarios, tracking and benchmarking financial performance, and creating financial plans that will extend beyond those that are currently being used. Participants will gain an understanding of how they can project for future changes and risks, and create a financial plan that will ensure there is money to address these events as they occur.
Speaker:
Shadi Eskaf – Senior Project Director, The Environmental Finance Center at The University of North Carolina
Shadi Eskaf is a Senior Project Director at the Environmental Finance Center at UNC’s School of Government. He has 11 years’ experience working with and educating water operators and utility managers on financial management of water utilities, particularly on rate setting, capital planning, accessing funding sources, benchmarking financial performance and addressing affordability concerns. Shadi has presented at dozens of statewide, regional and national workshops, seminars and conferences training water operators and utility managers (most offered contact hours). Shadi has a Master of Science in Environmental Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Partners: The Environmental Finance Center at The University of North Carolina, Environmental Finance Center Network (EFCN), American Water Works Association (AWWA)
Webinar Recordings
Webinar 1: Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and its Utility for Municipalities