Join P&N for "Doing More with Less," a one-day seminar about improving your community in today's economy.

At this year's FREE seminar, you'll get practical tips for:

• Asset Management & Capital Improvement Plans
• Raising Revenue & Cutting Costs
• Grass-Roots Fundraising
• Finding & Writing Grants

Reserve Your Place Today

Space is limited, so sign up today:

Sessions

Doing More with Less: Using Cooperation, Consolidation, & Ingenuity to Your Advantage
Don Stypula, Collaboration Matters, LLC (Traverse City event)
Beth Bialy, Plante & Moran (Grand Rapids event)
Find out how other communities are collaborating, consolidating, and getting creative to balance their budgets. You’ll hear ideas for cutting costs and enhancing revenue that can work, with stories about how other communities are doing it successfully.

Making Smart Infrastructure Investments: Asset Management & Capital Improvement Plans
Jason Washler, Project Manager, Prein&Newhof
Ed Dempsey, GIS Specialist, Prein&Newhof 
Learn how communities are investing wisely by identifying their key infrastructure assets, logging their condition and remaining useful life, and using GIS mapping to develop Capital Improvement Plans. 

Grass-Roots Community Fundraising
John Bry, Community/Downtown Development Specialist
Wondering where to find money for community projects? Drawing from John's experience in downtown and community development, John has a bucket full of useful ideas you can take home with you.

Finding & Winning Grants: Positioning Your Projects for Success
Jim Hegarty, Project Manager & Grants Specialist, Prein&Newhof
Discover how to find grants and low-cost financing, get your community or project positioned for grant success, and then write a persuasive grant proposal.

Tales from the Trenches: Grant Success Stories
Jason Washler, Project Manager, Prein&Newhof
See how other communities have used grants and low-cost financing. You will hear stories describing some of the very creative tactics the have used to get their projects done.

Speakers

Beth Bialy is the firm leader of Plante & Moran’s Governmental Services Group. She is a graduate of Wayne State University and has been with Plante & Moran for 26 years. Beth works with clients in the municipal industry to help them remain fiscally sustainable. She has extensive experience in long-range planning and has developed a specialization in legacy costs, including pension and retiree health care. Beth is a member of the Michigan Association of CPAs and the AICPA. She is a past member of the Michigan State Board of Accountancy, which issues licenses and oversees CPAs. Beth served on the Board for 8 years and is the immediate past Chair.   

John Bry has advised and worked with over 100 communities in 12 states, advocating exciting, vibrant, and common-sense approaches to downtown revitalization. John has been a featured speaker at national and state downtown revitalization conferences, and was employed as the Eastern Program Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Downtown Center prior to returning to his home state of Indiana. There he is the Executive Director of the Noble County Visitors Bureau, and is leading efforts to create the first regional downtown revitalization center in Indiana. He has a reputation of developing creative and innovative partnerships for the betterment of smaller communities. He has worked as a Main Street Manager throughout the Midwest where he has led his communities to exciting revitalization initiatives and helped them secure millions of dollars in financial support. John is a nationally certified downtown professional through the National Main Street Center.

Jim Hegarty, P.E., is a Civil Engineer, P&N’s Business Development Manager, and a co-author of  P&N’s Grants and Loans 2011: A Guide to Infrastructure Financing for Michigan Communities. Jim works with over 40 P&N engineers to help them find grants and financing for their clients’ projects. He is a frequent speaker and author on infrastructure grants and municipal financing.

Don Stypula is the founder and president of Collaboration Matters, LLC, which provides public policy consulting and legislative advocacy services to state and national clients. Don retired in January 2011 after serving more than eight years Chief Executive Officer of the Grand Valley Metro Council, a regional collaborative organization representing Kent and Ottawa Counties, 33 local governments and Grand Valley State University. Prior to joining the Metro Council in 2003, Don served for 13 years as Manager of Transportation and Environmental Affairs for the Michigan Municipal League, advocating the viewpoint of the state’s 500-plus cities and villages in Lansing and Washington. He also served in upper level management positions at the Michigan United Conservation Clubs.

Jason Washler, P.E., is a Civil Engineer and Team Leader at Prein&Newhof. He has 15 years of experience in municipal engineering, including roads and streets, water distribution, wastewater collection, stormwater collection, and airports. He was named '2007 Young Engineer of the Year' by the American Society of Civil Engineers, Michigan Section.