'IPELRA18'

IPELRA held its first Annual Training Conference in 1978 … 40 years later, our Association is still going strong! We hope you were able to join us in Galena to celebrate our 40th Anniversary! IPELRA’s conference offered three days of professional development, compelling speakers, supportive sponsors, and many networking opportunities to help public sector professionals keep up with the daily challenges they face.

On Sunday, as in the past, National PELRA conducted one of its Academy classes – this year, Academy III: The Negotiation Process. IPELRA is very proud to bring these classes to our conference each year, enabling our members to progress toward their CLRP®.

This year, for Sunday's pre-conference workshop we welcomed attorney Keri-Lyn Krafthefer from Ancel Glink for a panel discussion: Not in Our Locker Room: Are Your Doors Open to Transgender Populations? Attendees were able to delve into this hot topic and hear a transgender woman explain the challenges that transgender populations face, her life experiences, and what the appropriate practices and expectations are for public facilities. This session took place in the early afternoon and attendees were still talking about it during the President's Welcome Reception that evening! Thank you to our panelists Michael Clark, Palatine Park District, and Sophie Michaels, our transgender panelist. To listen to this session, please visit Ancel Glink's Quorum Forum podcast.

We BRACED FOR IMPACT Monday morning with our keynote speaker, Dave Sanderson – Personal Leadership Authority, Survivor of Miracle on the Hudson, Inspirational Survivor, and Author. He shared the story of Flight 1549, and how teamwork and leadership can help us overcome any obstacle and “Brace for Impact.” Remember, success does not require an apology. Failure always has an alibi.

After the keynote, Robert J. Smith, Jr. (Partner, Clark Baird Smith LLP and IPELRA General Counsel) presented his very popular plenary session: An Update on Labor Trends in Illinois. As always, Bob boiled down important labor statistics and law for us so we can see the 2018 trends and what the future may or may not hold. Since this was IPELRA's 40th anniversary, Bob also gave us a look 40 years back -- does anyone remember how much eggs cost in 1978?

Monday's Awards Luncheon was a little different in 2018 since it featured a tribute to IPELRA, in honor of the 40th anniversary, presented by one of its founders, Jim Baird (Partner, Clark Baird Smith LLP). Jim put together a memorable presentation looking back on labor and PELRAs that you can view here.

The celebration continued at the 40th Anniversary Celebration and Sponsor Recognition Reception on Monday evening and Tuesday night at the 40th Annual Conference Banquet. Monday evening was very special for IPELRA since "DJ Ted" Clark returned to the turntables. Attendees enjoyed the tunes while socializing and dancing. Sponsors were honored and thanked with gifts at the beginning of the Reception. Tuesday night's Banquet was a delight for the senses - the food was plentiful and the entertainment was one-of-a-kind thanks to the humorous anecdotes of lawyer turned comedian Paula Farahvar and comedians Jeanie Doogan, and Patti Vasquez.

Wednesday is always a sad day at the IPELRA conference because it marks the last day of the conference and soon, a return to our day-to-day lives. IPELRA's Annual Business Meeting kicked-off the day and was where we were able to install the new IPELRA Executive Board. Following the Business Meeting, attendees were delighted with A Bad Day at the Office: Good Ways to Deliver Bad News and Negative Reviews, presented by Melissa DeLay. The Closing Session took a light-hearted turn with our favorite attorney-turned-comedian, Paul Farahvar who facilitated an interactive presentation on the topic Everyone’s a Lawyer.

To view all the photos from the conference, please visit the IPELRA18 photo album.

To view the brochure, program, and speaker information, please visit the IPELRA18 webpage. Please note, some materials may be password protected since it was for attendees only.