2023 Clerks Professional Development Retreat
- Registration Closed
As a township clerk, you are expected to have solutions for a wide variety of challenges. How do you ensure you’re equipped to anticipate and develop strategies to overcome virtually any situation that arises in your community? MTA can help! Get the education you need, in a convenient and affordable online format with our on-demand Clerks' Professional Development Retreat package! Topics included are:
- Update from the Michigan Bureau of Elections
- Practical Payroll Procedures
- Insights into Internal Controls
- Gotcha! Don’t Take the Bait
- Out of Order! Managing Meeting Hot Potatoes
- Who's the Boss?
- Why Isn’t THAT on Your Website?
Note that due to audio issues during recording, we've replaced some sessions on the original program with recordings from other retreats, or with alternate sessions on similar topics. In addition to the topics above, registrants for the virtual Clerks' Retreat also get access to:
- MTA Election Update (recorded 10/18/23)
- Financial Reporting: From Revenue to Red Flags (recorded version coming soon)
- 2023 MTA Legislative Wrap-up (join live on Dec. 1 or watch a recorded version later)
Sarah Jennings
Principal, Director
Maner Costerisan, PC
Sarah is a principal at Maner Costerisan and leads the firm’s Consulting services division. With over 20 years of experience, Sarah is widely regarded as a visionary leader within the firm, always offering new ideas to help Maner better support its clients. In addition to her leadership role providing expert consulting services to Maner’s clients, she spearheads the firm’s nonprofit team, where she’s able to align her work with her passion for advocacy and philanthropy. She also holds the distinction of being its first female board member.
Cindy Dodge
MTA Consultant
Cindy Dodge joined MTA in 2006 as a Member Information Liaison, hailing from Williamstown Township in Ingham County where she served as Clerk since 2005. She had been involved with the township since 2003 in other roles, including assistant to the supervisor, planning commissioner, and assistant to the planning commission. She is currently a Michigan Certified Assessing Officer. Now an MTA Consultant, Cindy provides township officials and employees with information and resources via phone and email regarding the day-to-day functions of township government. She also assist in developing resource materials, and presents workshop and Conference sessions as well as teaching live and recorded webinar courses.
Seth Koches
Attorney/Partner
Bauckham, Thall, Seeber, Kaufman & Koches, PC
Seth Koches is an attorney and Partner at Bauckham, Thall, Seeber, Kaufman & Koches, P.C. Prior to joining the firm, Seth worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney for 7 years in the Oakland County and Kalamazoo County Prosecutor’s office prosecuting cases from simple retail fraud to criminal sexual conduct and assault with intent to murder. Seth’s primary practice encompasses nearly every aspect of municipal law including annexation, ordinance enforcement, planning and zoning, and amicus writing.
Steven Joppich
Attorney
Rosati, Schultz, Joppich, & Amtsbuechler PC
Judy Allen
Director of Government Relations
MTA
As director, Judy oversees MTA’s legislative efforts to advocate on legislation impacting township government. She represents the interests of MTA members before the Legislature and the administration.
Judy began working for MTA in 2012 and has previous experience working with state and local governments. Prior to coming to MTA, Judy served as Director of Government and Community Services of Oakland Schools, where she advocated on behalf of 28 districts in Lansing and Washington, D.C. Judy has also served as Chief of Staff to the Senate Majority Leader and was later appointed by then Gov. John Engler to serve as Chairperson of the Michigan State Liquor Control Commission.
