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2025 Winter Conference Resource Page

Speaker Bios

Participant list as of 2.3.2025

Wednesday, February 5

12:30 p.m.
Registration Open Conference Center Hallway

1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Exhibitor set-up Redbird D

1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Pre-Conference Session:
Strong Towns Presents “Revolution
to Rebuild American Prosperity”
Redbird EF

6:00 – 6:30 p.m.
MIT Reception with Senior Advisors
Beaufort

6:30 – 7:00 p.m.
Welcome First Time Attendees,
Scholarship Winners, & New to the
Profession Redbird CD

7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Welcome Reception hosted by
Downstate/SWICMA Redbird CD

Thursday, February 6

8:00 – 8:50 a.m.
Breakfast Redbird C

8:50 – 10:00 a.m.
Welcome/Introductions/Keynote:
5 Keys to Predictably Attract, Engage
& Retain the Best Talent
Presented by Betsy Allen-Manning
Redbird EFG

  • presentation will be posted after the conference

10:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Break in Exhibit Hall Redbird D

10:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Resume Reviews/
Mock Interviews North Meeting Room

10:30 – 11:45 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions
Session 1: Financial Readiness:
Optimizing Your Retirement
Redbird A

Session 2: AI in the Workplace:
A Practical Roadmap to Integration
Redbird B

11:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m.
Lunch & ILCMA/ICMA Updates
Redbird C
Phil Kiraly, ILCMA President, City
Manager, Glencoe
ICMA Update – Matt Fulton, ICMA
Midwest Regional Director
Jeff Weckbach, ICMA Midwest
Vice President

12:45 – 1:45 p.m.
Luncheon Keynote:
The US Economy:
Remarkably Resilient,
So Far
by Elliot Eisenberg Redbird C

1:45 – 2:15 p.m.
Break in Exhibit Hall Redbird D

2:15 – 3:30 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions
Session 3: IACA Idea Exchange
Redbird A
Session 4: Tackling Toxicity
Redbird B

3:30 – 3:45 p.m.
Break in Exhibit Hall Redbird D

3:45 – 5:00 p.m.
Concurrent Sessions
Session 5: Who is Doing the
Hiring? Educating Your Hiring
Team on the Benefits of Hiring a
Veteran Redbird A

Session 6: From Insights to
Action: Practical Strategies and
Stories for Every Stage of Your
Career Redbird B

5:15 – 6:00 p.m.
Veteran’s Reception Marriott Bar

6:00 – 8:15 p.m.
Social Event / Dinner at the
Children’s Discovery Museum 101 E. Beaufort St. Normal

8:30 – 11:30 p.m.
IAMMA Social Event Redbird C

Friday, February 7

6:15 a.m.
ILCMA 5K Run/1.5M Walk
Meet in Marriott Lobby

8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Breakfast with Brad
Legislative Update – Brad Cole,
Executive Director, IML Redbird C

9:30 – 9:45 a.m.
Break Prefunction DEFG

9:45 – 10:45 a.m.
Concurrent Sessions
Session 1: Building an
Emotionally Intelligent & Inclusive
Workplace Redbird A

Session 2: Future Ready IT:
Transforming Local Government
with Strategic Partnerships and
Service Innovation Redbird B

10:45 – 11:00 a.m.
Break Prefunction DEFG

11:00 a.m. – Noon
Closing Keynote:
Great City/County
Leadership Amid Change: Building
Organizational Resilience from
the Inside Out by Scott Lesnick
Redbird D


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