Personnel and Employee Relations
The major activities of the Personnel and Employee Relations Department include providing networking opportunities, fostering professional development through a variety of training opportunities and services, and serving as a technical and advisory resource to Cal Cities through appointed policy committee representatives.
Subscribe to the Personnel and Employee Relations Listserv to receive the latest updates and information.
- Promotes the purposes and goals established in the League of California Cities bylaws.
- Serves as a resource to the membership of the department and other departments of Cal Cities in their dealings with human resource, personnel and employee relations issues.
- Assists in the sponsoring and support of necessary and desirable legislation to benefit municipalities, and to assist in opposing unfavorable legislation.
- Provides a unifying structure for human resource administrators to contribute to the purposes of the Cal Cities.
President - Jamie Cannon, Director of Human Resources, Rohnert Park
First Vice President - Kari Mendoza, Administrative Services Director, Beaumont
Second Vice President - Michael Horta, Human Resources Director, Morgan Hill
Department Director* - LaTanya Bellow, Deputy City Manager, Berkeley
Past President - Lisa Murphy, Deputy City Manager, Santa Cruz
Appointed by the department president, each department has at least one representative on each of Cal Cities standing seven policy committees that can provide technical information to the committee as a whole to ensure that the department has a voice in the decision-making process, and make recommendations to the board of directors on legislative and policy issues.
- Community Services – Lisa Murphy, Deputy City Manager, Santa Cruz
- Environmental Quality – Paolo Beltran, Deputy City Manager, Lakewood
- Governance, Transparency, and Labor Relations – Jamie Cannon, Director of Human Resources/Risk Management, Rohnert Park
- Housing, Community, and Economic Development – George N Harris, Director of Finance, Lancaster
- Public Safety – LaTanya Bellow, Assistant City Manager, Berkeley
- Revenue and Taxation – Robert Neiuber, Senior Human Resources Director, Rancho Cucamonga
- Transportation, Communications, and Public Works – Lucy Garcia, Assistant City Manager, Alhambra
For more information about the appointment process, please contact Meg Desmond.
Annual Conference and Expo
October 16-18, 2024
Long Beach Convention Center
300 E Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA
The 2024 League of California Cities Annual Conference and Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center, Oct. 16-18, features general sessions, workshops, and networking events. The conference attracts hundreds of leaders from all sections of city government, including mayors, council members, city managers, city clerks, city attorneys, fiscal officers, and other city staff.
This year’s conference will offer educational and innovative leadership sessions across a variety of formats, with a roster of more than 100 speakers. Change is constant in our cities, and these sessions will support city leaders by equipping them with the latest knowledge, resources, and tools to advance their communities and assist officials in their daily roles and operations within their city.
For questions about registration, please contact our registrar, Megan Dunn. For questions about becoming an exhibitor, please contact Amy Wade. For all other questions, please contact Education and Events Manager, Christina George.
Conference Information
Click here to view the 2023 Annual Conference and Expo program.
- Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis
- Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis - McChristian
- A Local Agency's Guide to HCD's Housing Accountability Unit
- A Tale of Two Cities Disparities in Mental Health
- Adapting Main Street for a Changing Retail Landscape
- After the Storm Lessons Learned from the California Storms
- AI in Governance- Opportunities and Ethical Considerations
- Assets and Opportunities Surplus Land Act 101
- Black Health and Wellness Healthcare Services within Communities of Color
- Building Americas Greenest City Hall
- Building in Economically Challenging Times
- Building Mobile Crisis Response Teams - Linkins
- Building Mobile Crisis Response Teams - Planck and Shyne
- California Cannabis Seven Years After Legalization
- California Cannabis- Seven Years After Legalization - Hillsman
- California Economic Forecast A Look Ahead
- CalPERS Funding Levels, Projections and Strategic Update
- Case Study Response to Homelessness in the City of Rialto - Kling
- Centralized Customer Relations
- City Clerks Workshop- 2024 Elections Trends, Legislation, and Practical Advice
- Connecting and Engaging to Make a Difference Mentoring Not Just Mangaging
- Connecting With Your Community Through Human-Centered Communication
- Cybersecurity Checklist - Kaufman
- DEI Recruitment at All Levels of Your Organization - Winney
- Enhancing Emergency Preparedness Through Whole Community Collaboration
- Fees! You Got ‘Em. How Do They Work Today - Colantuono
- Fees! You Got 'Em. How Do They Work Today - Seufert and Turner
- From Idea to Action Budgeting for Strategic Impact
- Harassment Prevention Training for Supervisors and Officials (AB 1661) (5)
- Hiring Future Local Leaders How to Attract Top Talent
- Homelessness to Housed How Cities Create and Leverage Strong Partnerships - Schneider
- Increasing Collaboration Between Local Governments and Utilities on Installing Infrastructure
- Introduction to the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System
- Managing Difficult Conversations with Constituents
- Minority Leaders Reshaping Local Government
- Navigating The New State Housing Laws
- One City, One Team Establishing Effective City Manager-Council Relations
- Opt In Why Cities Should Care About Digital Rights
- Reducing Wildfire Risk to Wildland-Urban Interface Communities
- Righting Wrongs Addressing Discrimination Against AAPIs
- Stop Hate How Local Elected Officials Can Combat Rising Hate Crimes and Hate Speech - Mei
- The Mayor Said What! Staying Ahead of the News
- The Joint Powers Act and its Utilization in California
- Understanding Public Service Ethics Laws and Principles (AB 1234)
- What about CSA’s and other Revenue Tools?
- What the Bleep!” Limits of Public Comment
- What the heck is a CSA?
MCLE Session Materials
Access the MCLE sessions agenda here.
Access the MCLE Evaluation form here.
Read speaker bios here.
Artificial Intelligence and the Practice of Law (MCLE Specialty Credit for Technology in the Practice of Law)
Speakers: Peter Lee, Martin Luther King Jr. Professor of Law, Director, Center for Innovation, Law, and Society, UC Davis School of Law
Matthew Slentz, Senior Counsel, Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley
Paper |
PowerPoint
General Municipal Litigation Update
Speakers: Pamela K. Graham, Senior Counsel, Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley
Meghan Wharton, Senior Counsel, Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley
Paper | PowerPoint
Meeting Disruptions, Workplace Violence Restraining Orders, and the Bane Act
Speakers: Jon R. di Cristina, Senior Counsel, Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley
Ryan Richardson, Chief Assistant City Attorney, Oakland
Paper | PowerPoint
Land Use and CEQA Litigation Update
Speaker: John Luebberke, Of Counsel, Herum Crabtree Suntag
Paper | PowerPoint
Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing – State and Federal Law
Speakers: Celeste Stahl Brady, Shareholder, Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth
Yolanda M. Summerhill, Assistant City Attorney, Newport Beach
Paper | PowerPoint
Case Study: A Capital City’s Approach to Unsheltered Community
Speakers: Emilio Camacho, Senior Deputy City Attorney, Sacramento
Aaron M. Israel, Senior Deputy City Attorney, Sacramento
Beau Parkhurst, Senior Deputy City Attorney, Sacramento
Paper | PowerPoint
Labor and Employment Litigation Update
Speakers: Geoffrey S. Sheldon, Partner, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore
Elizabeth Tom Arce, Partner, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore
Paper |
PowerPoint
CalPERS Legal Update, Emerging Issues, and Common Compliance Problems
Speakers: Steve M. Berliner, Partner, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore
Michael D. Youril, Partner, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore
Paper | PowerPoint
Municipal Tort and Civil Rights Litigation Update
Speakers: Jeremiah Johnson, Partner, ColeHuber
Neil Okazaki, Senior Deputy City Attorney / Constitutional Policing Advisor, Corona
Paper | PowerPoint
Pay to Play No More? Levine Act (SB1439)
Speakers: Robert Fabela, City Attorney, Anaheim
Amanda B. Freeman, Senior Deputy City Attorney, Fresno
Rebecca L. Moon, Senior Assistant City Attorney, Sunnyvale
Paper|
PowerPoint
Practicing Ethics (MCLE Specialty Credit for Legal Ethics)
Speaker: Valerie Silverman Massey, Chief Deputy City Attorney, Chief Ethics & Compliance Officer, San Diego
Paper | PowerPoint
- AB 602- An Essential Breakdown for Development Impact Fee Programs
- Advancing Empowerment in a Disadvantaged Community
- ARPA to General Fund- Leveraging Today’s Capital for Tomorrow’s Savings
- A Tale of Two Cities Disparities in Mental Health
- California's Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program
- CalPERS- Continuing on the Path to Sustainable Pensions
- Cannabis and Economic Development
- Cities for Workforce Health Grant Program- Lessons Learned for your Employee Wellness Program
- City Clerks Workshop- Fair Political Practices Commission- A Workshop for Filing Officers
- Climate Action Plans in Practice- San Leandro and Ontario Case Studies
- Community Capitals Policing- Rethinking Public Safety by Creating Healthy Communities
- Creating a Youth-Friendly City It’s Not Just About the Money
- Creating More Equitable and Resilient Communities
- Creative Funding Strategies for Infrastructure Renewal
- Creative Solutions to Reducing Homelessness
- Dealing With Deferred Maintenance
- Defending Institutions- Promoting Civic Debate & Rejecting Personal Attacks
- Ending Poverty in California Cities - Nagales
- EV Infrastructure at No Cost- Can’t Get Better Than That!
- Five Steps to Take Before Applying for Federal Infrastructure Funding
- Fixing Prop 47
- Going Green By 2025- Implementing SB 1383 in California Communities
- Harassment Prevention Training for Supervisors and Officials (AB 1661)
- How Bias-Free Technologies Can Play a Role in Reimagining Policing
- How To Be an Effective Partner During CEQA Tribal Consultation
- How to Stay Out of Trouble- Avoiding Council Chaos
- I'm Not in Charge- How to Get Things Done
- Infrastructure Recovery After Disaster- 2018 Camp Fire
- Keynote Address- The Future of California
- LED Streetlight Conversions- Benefits for the Environment and Your Budget
- Lessons Learned from the Most Destructive Fires in California History
- Making Equity Stick- City Charter Revisions and Other Systemic Changes
- On-Street Dining Risks- Managing Tensions Between Safety and Supporting Businesses
- Post-Pandemic Mentorship for Women
- Rural Retail- Making Your Community Competitive
- Scaling Up- Fostering Innovation Through Technology Pilot Projects
- SB 1383 Procurement and Opportunities
- Show me some RECOVERY
- Supporting Housing in Your Community through Policy, Finance and Communications
- Supporting Local Small Businesses to Raise Community Capital
- Surplus Land Act- Know the Impact Before You Transact
- The Joint Powers Act and its Utilization in California
- The Secrets to Building Tech Economies in Underestimated Cities
- Transgender Health Care
- Understanding Public Service Ethics Laws & Principles- AB 1234 Training
- What the Bleep!” Limits of Public Comment
MCLE Session Materials
Access the MCLE sessions agenda here.
Read speaker bios here.
Land Use and CEQA Litigation Update
Affordable Housing Covenants: Ensuring Continued Affordability
Gabrielle Janssens, Attorney, Goldfarb & Lipman
Paper | PowerPoint
The People’s Business: California Public Records Act Update
Practical Tips for Reviewing Public Works Contracts
Transferring and Financing Risk in Public Works Contracts
Lawyers’ Responses to Audit Letters: Law, Practice, and A Few Tips
Section 1090 Update: Davis v. Fresno, FPPC Opinions and Other Developments
Wireless Update: Shot Clocks, Deemed Granted Remedies and Fee Challenges
Municipal Tort and Civil Rights Litigation Update
Getting It Right: Best Practices in Responding to Government Claims
Labor and Employment Litigation Update
Elizabeth Tom Arce, Partner, Liebert Cassidy Whitmore
Paper | PowerPoint
Microaggresions vs. Dog Whistle: How to Differentiate and Investigate
General Municipal Litigation Update
Public Safety and Individual Rights in the Age of Firearms
So, You Say You Have Diversity?! Now What? (Specialty MCLE – Elimination of Bias)
Robert Lennox, Assistant City Manager, Carson
Sunny Soltani, City Attorney, Carson, Partner, Aleshire & Wynder
- A Practical Approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- An Out-of-the-Box Technique for Decision Making and Resident Involvement
- Attracting the Next Generation Workforce with Virtual Career Exploration
- Bold Action, Innovation During Fiscal Uncertainty, and Environmental Sustainability Case Studies
- Bridging Divides Tackling Polarization in Your Cities & Communities
- Building API Solidarity & Safe Communities
- California’s Drought: Can We Conserve Our Way Out?
- CalPERS Update: A Conversation with the CEO
- Cannabis- Perceptions vs. Reality
- Changing the Wildfire Prevention Paradigm
- City Finance Law and Elections Update
- Cybersecurity Risks and Cities Strategies to Address Escalating Threats
- Equity and Public Engagement Increasing Access and Building Trust
- Harassment Prevention Training for Supervisors and Officials (AB 1661)
- How Regional Cooperation Makes California Community Marketing Work Harder
- How to Create a More Inclusive Environment for LGBTQ+ People in Your City – Quinto
- How to Improve Public Safety Through Innovation
- Human-Centered Design and Why My City Should Care About It
- Introduction to Labor Relations for Elected Officials
- Level Up Your Leadership: Creating a Governance Culture of Civility and Purpose
- Municipal Data in Action
- Neighborhood Law Programs: Generate Revenue, Reduce Blight and Crime
- Post-COVID Retail Trends and Opportunities
- Ready, Set, Go! Zero-Emission Vehicle (ZEV) Outlook
- Roadmap to Advancing DEI in a Predominately White, Affluent Community
- Short-Term Rentals (STR): A Balanced Approach
- State and Local Roles in Building and Measuring Fiscal Resilience
- Stories of the Census: What It Says About California’s Future
- Tackling the Housing Crisis: The Role of Local Leaders
- The Road Ahead for Managing Rising Pension Costs
- Tools for Navigating Elected Officials Who Won't Follow the Rules
- Understanding Public Service Ethics Laws and Principles (AB 1234)
- Unprecedented Action Dignified Housing Delivered in Six Months – Ballard
- What Finance Professionals Need to Know about IT and Security
- Why Culture Curation Matters Now More Than Ever
2021 Annual Conference City Attorneys Programming Agenda
- 2020 Annual Conference & Expo Program
- Building a Virtual Emergency Operations Center - Lessons Learned from COVID-19 - Green
- Code Enforcement During a Pandemic Lessons Learned - Wright
- From Vision to Reality Lessons Learned in Complete Street Implementation - Kramer
- Harassment Prevention Training for Supervisors and Officials (AB 1661)
- Housing Law Update - Leishman
- Informing Through Crisis COVID-19’s Impact on Black Communities in California - Henry
- Integrating Lessons from Race and Trauma in Local Services Achieving Better Results at Lower Costs
- Is a Virtual Workforce our New Normal
- Is Your City Really Prepared for Rising Pension Costs - Meza
- Layoffs, Furloughs, & Concessions - Negotiating in Challenging Times - Brown
- Leadership in a Time of Uncertainty, Fear and Recovery
- Libraries Respond in Crisis and Beyond
- Local Government Apprenticeship & Workforce Strategies a Latino Caucus Perspective
- Local Government Apprenticeship and Workforce Strategies A Latino Caucus Perspective - Beltran
- Modern Emergencies How to incorporate digital communications into emergency plans - Cheng
- Placemaking & Community Branding That Leverages Your Natural Assets
- Placemaking & Community Branding That Leverages Your Natural Assets - Ketchum
- Rates, Policies and Reforms… How COVID-19 Will Impact CalPERS Employers - Hutchings
- Recovering From Ransomware - Hester
- Regional Partnership How to Address Homelessness Differently - Arrula
- Resetting Your Community Post COVID-19 - Ibarra
- Resetting Your Community Post-Covid 19 - Ambrose
- Scrap Your Fears About Food Waste Regulations Preparing for SB1383 - Enright
- Social Media & Government What Are the Rules of Engagement - Fox
- Talking Together About Housing in Burlingame Building Community Support
- Telecommuting Policies – Hot Topics & Key Issues to Consider - Yee
- Ten Years After the Bell Scandal-Are We More Ethical
- The Role of Local Governments in Adapting to Climate Change
- Think as an LGBTQ+ Executive Ally Enhancing your City’s Economic and Social Prosperity - Middleton
- Understanding Public Service Ethics Laws and Principles (AB 1234)
- What to Do When In-Person Engagement Isn't Possible - Stelmakhovych
- What You Need to Know About Municipal Revenues
Call for Proposals
The League of California Cities is seeking unique, forward-looking topics for the 2024 Annual Conference and Expo. Take advantage of this special opportunity to gain visibility and share expertise at the premier educational event for California local elected officials, city department directors, and decision-makers by submitting a session proposal.
Cal Cities is seeking thorough, thoughtful, and complete proposals that tell how your session can help elected city officials improve their communities, leadership abilities, and knowledge within their roles. Submissions from any individual, group, business, or organization on any topic are welcome. Proposals must be submitted online through the session proposal form by Friday, April 5.
We encourage you to take advantage of this exciting opportunity to share your ideas, knowledge, and expertise with this important audience!
Who Can Submit
How It Works
Target Audience
- Is the topic new and/or critical for city government?
- Will it draw a wide audience?
- Will this issue stimulate action and further important discussion?
- Does the panel reflect the diversity of California cities (north/south, large/small, urban/rural)?
Tips for Successful Proposals
- Think big
- Vary the viewpoint
- Pare down the panel
- Speaker skills matter
- Plan for a crowd
- Try something new
- Interact with the audience
- Fill in the blanks
- Quality counts
Types of Proposals
- Keynote Speaker
Keynote speakers are high-profile and designed to bring everyone together for a general session / and may set the tone of the event. This format permits approximately 45-60 minutes of an engaging presentation by a single speaker. Depending on time restrictions, the presentation may be followed by approximately 15 minutes of questions and answers with the audience or a moderator. - Panel Discussion
Panels consist of a moderator and a maximum of three speakers who participate in a 60 minute engaging presentation and discussion followed by approximately 15 minutes of questions and answers. - Speed Sessions
Fifteen minute bursts of information on one topic by one speaker followed by five minutes of questions & answers. Typically, these engaging presentations are based on focused projects or personal experience. - Facilitated Group Discussion
A 75 minute interactive conversation on a topic led by a single facilitator. You may include a maximum 15 minute presentation on which the issue/concern is framed and, then, guide a discussion among the attendees with prepared questions. At the conclusion of the discussion, the facilitator must spend time summarizing key findings, suggestions, and points. - Alternative Format
Be creative! If your session does not fit one of the above formats, this is your opportunity to propose something different. Please be sure to provide the time, room setup, and other important details. Alternative formats will be accommodated based on interest level, space, and set-up availability.
Submission Requirements and Review
Submissions will be reviewed by a program planning committee.
Cal Cities reserves the right to modify accepted proposal session titles, descriptions, presenters, or other elements as necessary to ensure balance, quality, and enhance marketability. If an originally accepted speaker cancels, the session may be disqualified. Additional speakers not included in the original proposal are not permitted to be added without review and approval.
Successful Proposal Considerations
- Relevance - What are the practical applications of your ideas? Have you included reasoning and documentation to support your conclusions, recommendations, and outcomes? Conference attendees prefer presentations focused on outcomes or results. Make the definition and background portions of your presentation brief. Highlight problems encountered, options available, choices made, documented pre- and post-change effects, and lessons learned.
- Content expands attendees' knowledge - Will your presentation expand knowledge beyond entry-level basics? Most conference participants are elected officials, appointed officials, and seasoned professionals. In general, direct your presentation to an intermediate or advanced audience.
- Originality - Does your presentation advance existing ideas or present new ideas? Has this material been presented elsewhere? You might apply proven techniques to new problems or identify and apply new approaches, techniques, or philosophies. Assess the degree to which an application is a new tool. Avoid highlighting a named product or service. Instead, focus on the general attributes, benefits, and drawbacks of a given application, process, or tool.
- Examples - Do you have an appropriate number of examples? Documenting comparative results convinces participants that your ideas have been tested in the real world.
- Timeliness - Will your presentation still be up-to-date and cutting-edge in six to nine months when the conference occurs? Will your topic have implications in the future? How relevant is your topic in the context of pending legislation, regulations, and technology?
- Inclusion of good, solid insights - What attendees want to learn is the reality versus the hype; the positive and negative attributes; problems encountered but not often discussed; realistic expectations for the operational use, and adaptability to a changing environment. They are searching for guidelines and models to simplify or manage their own application or installation.
- Logical conclusions - Are your conclusions supported by data? Attendees place a high value on supporting data in assessing the value and applicability of presentations. Include adequate and convincing details.
- Identification of outside resources - Have you included sources of information, benchmark data, or other examples?
- Avoidance of product/vendor commercial - No commercials and/or proprietary information for products, services, or vendors are permitted.
- Completeness of proposal - The quality, completeness, and accuracy of the proposal will be considered during the session selection process.
- Preferred Speaker Qualifications - Panels should reflect the diversity of California with a north/south, large/small, urban/rural representation when possible.
- Five or more years of public presentation experience.
- Two or more years of experience related to working in or presenting on the topic or idea.
- More than two successful speaking engagements to large audiences at a regional or state level in the past two years.
- Must not pose a conflict of interest with the subject or business area or must disclose such information in each speaker bio submitted.
- No commercialism.
To ensure a variety of perspectives, Cal Cities policy limits the number of times an individual, group, business, or organization can speak at a single conference. In addition, each panel should have no more than one panelist per city and county, firm, company, or organization. (Exceptions may apply.)
- Overall - In the end, you must make your case for the importance of this topic and its relevance to participants.
Registration and Speaker Policy
Privacy Policy
We value your privacy and will never share any of your personal information nor sell your email address to an outside party.
Contact Staff
Meghan McKelvey
Department and Member Services Senior Manager
(916) 658-8253
Isaac Black
Administrative Associate, Member Services