With our website revamp complete, we are moving onto #ELGL15. The #ELGL15 Creativity Summit is scheduled for October 22 and 23 in Portland, OR. This year’s agenda features speakers from across the country which represents the diversity of our membership.
Previous ELGL conferences have sold out so we’re moving to a larger venue this year – Edgefield. Members will receive the first opportunity to register for the conference. To be eligible for priority registration, your membership must be active as of July 1, 2015.
Now, onto the first session announcement…..
Ceiling Can’t Hold Us: Next Wave of Elected Officials
Maurice Cheeks, City of Madison, WI Alderman, was elected to the Madison City Council in 2013. His agenda is focused on ensuring that Madison is a national example to other mid-sized cities on innovating to eliminate persistent opportunity gaps, increasing citizen engagement, and designing intentionally for anticipated population growth. After just two years on the Council he was elected into leadership by his colleagues, and serves as Council President Pro Tempore. Maurice is the current Director of the Wisconsin Innovation Network. Through this work he maintains a statewide network of hundreds of companies dedicated to fostering the growth of the high-tech and high-growth industries throughout Wisconsin. WIN is a function of the Wisconsin Technology Council which is the science and technology advisor to the Governor and the Legislature. He also serves as a non-profit board member for the Foundation for Madison’s Public Schools and is a founding executive board member of the Madison chapter of the New Leaders Council.
Karin Power, City of Milwaukie, OR Councilor, grew up in a small town in New Jersey, and moved to the west coast after college in Massachusetts. She’s spent time in Geneva, Washington, D.C., Boston, Seattle and Portland before making her home here in Milwaukie. Karin and her partner live in the Island Station neighborhood where they have two rescue dogs and four chickens. In her day job, she is a non-profit attorney for the Freshwater Trust, which works to fix freshwater rivers and streams across Oregon.
Lacey Beaty, City of Beaverton, OR Councilor, grew up in a suburb of San Diego and was a high school senior when the events of 9/11 happened. Lacey, like many other Americans, elected that she should serve her country in a time of need. She joined the United States Army and was trained as a Combat Medic and deployed to Iraq in 2004. That year she became a leader, truly understood the meaning of relationships, and found a passion in life that she carries with her to this day. Lacey believes that service to one’s country is one of the greatest sacrifices a person can make.
Alex Torpey, Former Mayor of South Orange, NJ, is a New Jersey based entrepreneur and public servant. Sworn into a four year term as the 48th Village President of South Orange in May 2011 as the youngest mayor in New Jersey at the time, he was the youngest in South Orange’s history. Alex’s four-year term lasted until May 18th, 2015, when, as his last act as Village President, he swore in South Orange’s first female Village President, Sheena Collum, whom he had supported in the election. Alex has become a leading voice on millennial civics leadership, technology and transparency in government and small business innovation. He is a James Madison Fellow at the Millennial Action Project and on the Advisory Board of the New Jersey New Leaders Council and an adjunct faculty of governance and technology at Seton Hall University.
Shannon Reynolds, Fircrest, WA, is the youngest person currently serving on a city council in Pierce County. She was elected at 20 years old.