Camp Govlife: ELGL 2025 Conference

Welcome to Camp Govlife — ELGL’s 2025 conference in Santa Rosa, CA! 

Grab your ELGL socks and canteen, dust off your compass, and pack your backpacks — Camp Govlife is calling! ELGL’s 2025 conference is heading to Santa Rosa, CA, from Oct. 1-3, 2025.

Whether you’re a seasoned local gov pro or a first-time local gov camper, Camp Govlife is the perfect place to learn, grow, and make memories with fellow public servants. And in the home of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz, there may even be a Snoopy sighting! So get ready for a camp experience like no other.

Spots are limited for Camp Govlife. Register now to join the adventure.

What to Expect

• Trailblazing sessions on the latest trends in local government.
• Fireside chats with inspiring leaders.
• Ghost stories from public service for sharing hilarious and terrifying tales of local gov in action.
• Survival skills for public service because, let’s face it, local gov can be wild.
• Skill-building workshops to sharpen your policy, budgeting, and community engagement skills.
• Cabin connections where networking feels less like small talk and more like making lifelong camp friends.
• Snack breaks and socials because every good camper needs fuel (and maybe a s’more or two).
• Achievement badges so you can record your wins and leave feeling like a local gov champion.

ELGL Analyst Academy: Where Analysts Earn Their Badges 

• Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025
• 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (lunch included, optional networking hour to follow)
• coLab, 427 Mendocino Ave., Suite 100, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
• Register

Calling all curious campers, spreadsheet scouts, and aspiring local gov trailblazers — ELGL’s Analyst Academy is back, and this year, we're heading to Camp Govlife!

Earn your official merit badges in the essential skills every local gov analyst needs to survive in the wild world of local government. This training is s'more than just professional development — it’s a campy career-boosting experience you won’t forget. The all-day curated training experience happens at the coLAB in downtown Santa Rosa.

Our Analyst Academy focuses on emerging- and early to mid-career local government analysts who want to develop or refresh key skills, collaborate, and network with similar local government colleagues. The day will be structured with a combination of presentations, small group breakouts, and team exercises taught by our camp counselors, a.k.a., active local gov practitioners. 

• Getting there: Parking is available at adjacent private parking lot for $3 or at the public lot behind the building. The venue is also accessible by Santa Rosa CityBus Routes 1 and 10 (B Street at Ross) and via e-bike through the Redwood Bikeshare app.

Explore Downtown Santa Rosa Scavenger Hunt: Civic Sleuth Badge

• Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025
• Downtown Santa Rosa Scavenger Hunt: 3-4:30 p.m.
• Downtown Santa Rosa Networking Hour: 5-6:30 p.m.

Get ready to unleash your inner camp scout and hit the trail in downtown Santa Rosa!

Join in a summer camp-inspired scavenger hunt, grab your map, and team up with fellow happy campers. Get ready for team-based challenges to test your brains, charm, and civic savvy. Dive into camp-themed tasks that require creativity and collaboration. Make downtown discoveries that show off Santa Rosa’s unique spirit.

Along the way, participants will spot quirky public art and historic landmarks, dig into small-town secrets, grab a City Hall Selfie, and snap a team photo with a Peanuts gang character along the way.

Participants will collect a Civic Sleuth badge, and the teams with the most spirited campers who visit the most locations will win prizes afterward at the Downtown Santa Rosa Networking Hour.

Camp Govlife

• Thursday, Oct. 2 and Friday, Oct. 3, 2025
• 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (with evening networking events to follow)
• Flamingo Resort, 2777 Fourth St., Santa Rosa, CA 95405
• Register

Camp Govlife kicks off at the Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa! Over the course of two days, participants will experience sunrise sessions, training workshops, field trips for local gov explorers, and camp-themed networking fun.

Participants will join fellow happy local gov campers to sharpen skills, explore best practices, swap stories, and earn merit badges, returning home with trailblazing ideas and s’more-worthy takeaways. Whether you’re a first-time camper or a seasoned camp counselor, Camp Govlife is your chance to connect, recharge, and grow with the most welcoming crew in local government.

• Getting there: Limited parking is available at hotel lot. Taking transit or rideshare is encouraged for attendees who are not staying at the hotel. The venue is also accessible by Santa Rosa CityBus Route 8 (Fourth Street at Farmers Lane) and via e-bike through the Redwood Bikeshare app.

Field Trips for Local Gov Explorers

Put on your walking shoes and grab your field journal. We’re heading out into the city for Camp Govlife site visits!

These experiential learning adventures take you beyond the campfire and into the heart of local innovation. Explore real-world projects and meet local public servants implementing the best practices. See firsthand how policy, planning, and public engagement come to life in the field. Get ready to be inspired, ask big questions, and return to camp with fresh ideas and a few great stories for the mess hall.

Campfire Connections Networking Night 

• Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025
• 5-7 p.m.
• Lazeaway Club at the Flamingo Resort

Gather 'round the campfire for an evening of conversation, connection, and community spirit at our Campfire Connections Networking Night.

Enjoy toasty vibes, camp games, and convo starters. This is your chance to spark new connections and stoke old friendships. Bonus points for wearing flannel, friendship bracelets and ranger hats — or just bringing your best local gov campfire story. Let’s make this a night to remember! (Bug spray provided.)

About Santa Rosa, CA

Santa Rosa is a place where local government is actively shaping a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable future.

Nestled in the rolling hills of Sonoma County, the City of Santa Rosa is more than just a postcard-perfect destination. With a population of 170,685 residents, the largest city in the North Bay is a vibrant mix of small-town charm and big ideas.

Known for its redwood-lined trails, farm-to-table eats, quirky art scenes, and a serious love for Charles Schulz and his pal Snoopy — yes, the Peanuts creator lived here — this city offers the perfect blend of nature, culture, and innovation.

Whether it's pioneering affordable housing solutions, championing preservation of open space, and boosting civic engagement, or navigating environmental recovery and focusing on resiliency following wildfires, Santa Rosa’s local government and other regional government partners offer lessons in resilience, innovation, and people-first public service.

Sponsor Camp Govlife

Our Conference Partner Program connects local government-serving businesses and organizations with the brightest minds in local government. It's a unique opportunity to showcase your brand's commitment to empowering local government leaders to build strong and more resilient communities.

We have developed the structure of our Conference Partner Program to fit the diverse needs of all our partners while reinforcing the value of an ELGL partnership. Your sponsorship includes full conference attendance so that you can learn alongside local government leaders. With a thoughtfully limited number of event sponsors, you won’t be one voice in a sea of vendors — you’ll be shoulder-to-shoulder establishing genuine rapport with the ELGL network.

Please review our Conference Partner Packet and submit your Conference Partner interest form today. We offer a thoughtful, limited number of event sponsors. You won’t be one voice in a sea of vendors — you’ll be shoulder-to-shoulder establishing genuine rapport with the ELGL network. Questions about sponsoring our event? Please contact our sponsorship team.

Why You Should Pitch a Tent at Camp Govlife

Pack your brain with new knowledge: Attend engaging sessions, panels, and workshops covering the most relevant and pressing topics in local government — no boring lectures, just practical insights and a-ha moments.

Connect around the campfire: Meet fellow public servants from across the country who are just as passionate (and delightfully nerdy) about local government as you are. This is networking without the awkward — just great convos, s’mores, and lifelong connections.

Earn your professional merit badges: Build new skills and you'll leave camp with tools to take back to your city, agency, or organization.

Get inspired in a new setting: Sometimes you need to get out of the office and into the woods (or the Flamingo Resort) to reset your perspective. Our location in Santa Rosa offers fresh air, fresh ideas, and some seriously good snacks.

Learn from fellow camp counselors: Hear from some of ELGL's Top Influencers in Local Government and local gov pros doing creative, impactful work — no egos, just experience and ideas worth sharing.

Explore Santa Rosa on civic adventures: Join site visits that highlight innovative programs, partnerships, and people making a difference in the community.

Leave recharged (and full of inside jokes): This isn’t your average conference. You’ll laugh, learn, maybe sing a camp song or two, and return home with renewed energy to serve your community.

Justification Letter

Need help asking for permission from your organization to attend? Use or modify our justification letter template to make a compelling case to your organization about why you should attend Camp Govlife.