Get a Life: Flock together

Spring is time when, like birds of a feather, federal employees can flock together at a variety of training conferences, writes blogger Judy Welles.

Spring is the time when birds of various feathers flock together, especially to get training on leadership and career development at group conferences. 

If you are not a member of one of these associations, or haven’t heard, there may still be time to take advantage of some of the upcoming conferences which qualify for federal training.

  • Executive Women in Government’s (www.execwomeningov.org) 2009 Annual Summit & Training Conference, “Women Taking the Lead to Save Our Planet,” will be held on March 25, at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Washington D.C.  Among speakers will be Rosemary O’Leary, co-director of the Collaborative Governance Initiative at The Maxwell School of Syracuse University and author of "The Collaborative Public Manager." 
  • The African American Federal Executives Association (www.aafea.org) will hold its fifth annual Training Workshop from April 13 -15, 2009, in Williamsburg, Va., for those in grades GS-13 through SES.  Among topics will be Interview Techniques and Mentoring, Achieving Diversity in the Senior Executive Service and Developing Executive Core Qualifications.
  • Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Government (www.dhhig.org/ntc) will hold its 12th National Training Conference (NTC) May 5-7, 2009, in Washington, D.C. This conference is targeted toward federal, state and local government employees. This three-day training will provide training and workshops covering leadership, information and communication technology, and career development.
  • The Federal Asian Pacific American Council (www.fapac.org/conference/2009/) will hold its 24th Annual National Leadership Training Conference on May 11-15, 2009, in Houston.  This conference, open to all employees, will provide workshops on topics including Critical Thinking and Decision Making, Executive Leadership in a Changing Environment and Leadership and Team Development.
  • The Society of American Indian Government Employees (www.saige.org) will hold its Sixth Annual Training Conference on June 1-5, 2009, in San Diego. The theme for this year’s Training Conference is “Many Nations, One Spirit.”