The upcoming Training on Administering General Assistance/Emergency Assistance in Urban Townships will take place on Friday, July 22 from 8:30 am-4:00 pm at Schaumburg Township, 1 Illinois Blvd in Hoffman Estates. Registration begins at 8:00 am with a light breakfast. The training will be led by Julie Villarreal, whose background is provided below. This training session will discuss how to set up GA and EA programs in a way that maximize the benefits to your township residents. A review of interviewing, budgeting and completion of legal notices will be included. Using a holistic approach with other programs and community resources will be highlighted as well.

The cost of this program is $35 for MTA members and $45 for non-members, this covers the cost of breakfast and lunch which is being provided. Please RSVP to nallen@metrotownships.org. Checks can be mailed to James Barr, Executive Director, 250 Illinois Rte 59, Bartlett, IL 60103.

Julie Villarreal is the Director of General Assistance for Wheeling Township. She holds a Master’s Degree in Human Services and Bachelor Degrees in Psychology and Spanish. Julie has over 25 years of experience working in General Assistance, including 4 years as a GATI instructor and past President of both TOI and TOCC associations. In addition to GA and EA, Wheeling Township offers a myriad of other services to help low-income residents.

The MTA Quarterly meeting will also be held on April 27 beginning at 6:00 PM in person at Bloomingdale Township, 123 N. Rosedale in Bloomingdale. We are requesting RSVPs for this meeting since dinner will be provided. You can RSVP by emailing nallen@metrotownships.org. The evening will include a legislative update and a guest speaker on best practices related to insurance.

April’s monthly virtual training is Best Practices of Township Foundations, presented by Attorneys Michael Airdo and Mark Kimzey of Airdo Werwas, LLC. It will begin at 2:00 PM on April 27. Township Foundations play an important role in supporting townships in providing critical services to residents. This presentation by the Township Attorneys for Hanover Township and Palatine Township will provide an overview of relevant federal and state laws and explore key legal issues, such as: corporate governance, legal compliance, and conflicts of interest. The discussion will focus on practical considerations and best practices for Township Foundations to diminish legal risks and protect their operations.

With the state of the world today, cyber security is more important than ever. In this presentation Nick will walk you through the critical components and tactics that go into creating a proper cyber defense strategy for your township.

Join us in Springfield as we lobby for issues important to urban townships. Meetings have been set with all four legislative leaders.

Building partnerships is one of the cornerstones of any organization. Objectives. Goals. Results. None of these can be achieved without assistance from those in and outside your Township. This session will explain why it’s important for Townships to build relationships with other elected leaders and offer strategies to engage with these officials to foster long lasting relationships for everyone’s benefit.

Presented by: Tom Kuttenberg, Director of Legislative Affairs for the Metropolitan Township Association and Director of Community & Government Relations at Hanover Township.

Pro-tips for successfully assessing community needs and quickly implementing cost-effective programs.

Supervisor Hovde will explain the required steps to form and fund your board as well as the appointment of board members and how the board will interact with your township. Amanda Teachout addresses essential functions, operations and staffing considerations for your board.

Come to learn OMA basics, and stay for the not-so-basic rules that tend to trip people up. This is great for newly elected officials and seasoned officials alike.

Learn how to communicate effectively to the deaf and hard of hearing community.