2011 GRA Conference Agenda

 

Monday, July 25, 2011
  
8:00 – 8:30am             Full Breakfast & Welcome
 
8:30 – 10:15am           Session #1: Is the Municipal Bankruptcy Threat Real?
                                    The Multi-Billion Dollar Question
This panel will discuss fiscal stresses faced by local and state governments and explore the risk of and alternatives to bankruptcy for distressed governments.
Moderator: Richard Ciccarone, McDonnell Investment Management
Panelists:   H. Woods Bowman, DePaul University 
                          (Indicators paper)
    Michael Pagano, University of Illinois at Chicago
    James Spiotto, Chapman and Cutler LLP
    William A. Brandt, Jr., Development Specialists, Inc.
    The Honorable Kerry Cummings, President, Village of Glenview
 
10:15 – 10:25am         Break
 
10:25 – 11:55am         Session #2: Surviving the Third Rail: Making Pension Reform Work
This panel will discuss the successes and ongoing challenges experienced by the Chicago Transit Authority following its landmark pension and retiree health care reforms enacted in 2008.
Moderator: Dean Mead, Governmental Accounting Standards Board           
Panelists:   James Franczek, Franczek Radelet P.C.
                     John Kallianis, Chicago Transit Authority Pension Fund
                     Donald Franklin, Donald B. Franklin, Inc.
                     Karen Walker, Chicago Transit Authority
                               
12:00 – 1:35pm           Luncheon, presented by Freeborn & Peters LLP
                                    Location: LaSalle Dining Room
12:00 12:40pm          Luncheon Speaker: The Honorable Mike Quigley,
                                                                        Congressman,  5th District of Illinois
12:45 – 1:15pm           Lunch Served
1:15 – 1:35pm             Luncheon Presentation: Dean Mead, Governmental
                                                                                Accounting Standards Board
                                    This presentation will discuss the potential effects of pension accounting
                                    standards changes under consideration by the Governmental Accounting
                                    Standards Board.
                                           
1:45 – 3:15pm             Session #3: Budgeting for Results: Funding Priorities,
                                    Improving Outcomes
This panel will review recent performance measurement and “budgeting for results” efforts by the State of Illinois, Cook County and the Regional Transportation Authority.
                                    Moderator: Rick Mattoon, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago
                                    Panelist:     Grace Gallucci, Regional Transportation Authority
                                                         Neil Khare, Cook County
                                                         The Honorable Dan Kotowski, Senator, State of Illinois
                                                         David Vaught, State of Illinois
 
3:15 – 3:30pm             Break
 
3:30 – 5:00pm             GRA Member-Focused Roundup #1: The Year in Review
GRA members will discuss major successes and challenges their organizations faced during the previous year.
Moderator: Kent Gardner, Center for Governmental Research
 
5:00pm                        Adjourn
 

Tuesday, July 26, 2011
 
8:30 – 9:00am             Full Breakfast
 
9:00 – 11:00am           Session #4: The Role & Contributions of Independent Research in
                                    Improving Urban Education
This panel will discuss how the research and evaluation needs of public education systems can best be met by research organizations.
Moderator: Elizabeth Evans, New Voice Strategies
Panelists: Paul Goren, University of Chicago Urban Education Institute
  Kirstin Pryor, Center for Governmental Research
  Jean-Claude Brizard, Chicago Public Schools
  Terry Mazany, The Chicago Community Trust
  Robin Steans, Advance Illinois
 
11:00 – 11:15am         Break
 
11:15 – 12:30pm         GRA Member-Focused Roundup #2: Practicing What We Preach:
                                    Lessons Learned from Strategic Planning
GRA member panelists will discuss strategic planning processes that their organizations have undertaken and stakeholder involvement as well as lessons learned.
Moderator: Lise Valentine, Civic Federation
Panelists: Ran Coble, North Carolina Center for Public Policy Research
  Kent Gardner, Center for Governmental Research
  Jeffrey Guilfoyle, Citizens Research Council of Michigan
          (CRC Strategic Plan)
  Rob Henken, Public Policy Forum
 
 
12:30pm                      Adjourn for the Afternoon 

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

 

9:00 – 9:30am             Light Continental Breakfast
 
9:30 – 10:30am           Session #5: Presentations from Award Winners
At this session, the 2011 GRA award winners will make short presentations about their winning projects and help others learn from their success.
Moderator: Eric Lupher, Citizens Research Council of Michigan
Panelists:   Award Recipients
 
10:30 – 10:45am         Break
 
10:45 – 12:15pm         GRA Member-Focused Roundup #3: Innovative Methods in Research
                                    and Marketing for Governmental Research Organizations
Panelists will discuss successful innovations and ideas for GRA member organizations in both research methods and marketing techniques.
                                    Moderator:  Steve Kroes, Utah Foundation
Panelists:    H. Woods Bowman, DePaul University
                                    (the Neglected Logarithmic Graph)
                     Rebecca Hendrick, University of Illinois at Chicago
     Kent Gardner, Center for Governmental Research
     Mebane Rash and Nancy Rose, North Carolina Center
     for Public Policy Research
 
12:15 – 12:30              Thank You & Adjournment

 

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