Cory Poris Plasch

Cory is the Vice President, Client Development for Polco having previously served in leadership positions including Executive Director of the Wisconsin City/County Management Association and Membership Director for the Alliance for Innovation.  As a former 911 Dispatcher she has a heart for public service and her experience includes working in the City Manager’s Office in Illinois communities.  She has spoken around the country on topics including the use of data, civic engagement, engaging hard-to-reach populations and innovation in local government. Cory has helped numerous local governments and other public-sector organizations find success in better engaging their communities, affecting policies and driving positive change.

Ron Holifield

Ron Holifield is a “Servant Leader Provocateur” with one goal: To drive the leadership conversation in corporations and local government nationwide toward a servant leadership value system. 

You cannot change the world without challenging the status quo, so Ron is aggressive in how he pushes people to embrace authentic servant leadership principles. His specialty is helping local government and corporate leaders get into that uncomfortable space to create cultures that produce both high performance and emotional satisfaction for their teams.

For more than 30 years, he’s successfully recruited, assessed, and developed innovative, collaborative, and authentic leaders in the country’s most change-resistant sectors. As a former city manager, Ron has grown and transformed destinations to cities named as best-run and top for business, elevating their positions as statewide leaders. He’s partnered with more than 700 local jurisdictions in 47 states and consulted with some of the nation’s leading corporations, including American Express, Xerox, IBM, PeopleSoft, Verizon, Aramark, Space Imaging, and NASA.

A straight-talking change agent who produces results, Ron is a nationally sought-after speaker who presents annually at over 50 national, state, and regional conferences and has been featured on NPR, Entrepreneur, and numerous online, print, and broadcast news outlets. He’s also the author of 4th Dimension Leadership: A Radical Strategy for Creating an Authentic Servant Leadership Culture.

Martha Perego

Martha has been with ICMA since 1998 and currently serves as the Director of Member Services and ICMA’s ethics program. In this capacity, she provides advice, guidance and training to ICMA members on applying the principles of the ICMA Code of Ethics to the local government profession. Essential to her position, Martha oversees the ethics enforcement process and provides support to the ICMA Committee on Professional Conduct. Martha is also the author of a monthly column Ethics Matter! for ICMA’s PM magazine, consults with local governments on development of ethics policies and codes, and conducts training programs for local government staff and elected officials on ethical issues. 

 Prior to joining ICMA, Martha worked in local government for 17 years as a municipal manager, assistant manager, finance director and budget analyst. She holds an undergraduate degree in public service from The Pennsylvania State University, a MPA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed the Senior Executive Institute at UVA.  Martha is also an ICMA Credentialed Manager. 

You can reach her at mperego@icma.org or 202-962-3668.

Lauren Palmer

Lauren Palmer joined the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) in 2018. MARC is the regional council of governments and Metropolitan Planning Organization for the nine-county, bi-state Kansas City region. Prior to joining MARC, Lauren worked for 14 years in local government administration, including serving as city administrator in Parkville, MO and assistant city manager in Independence, MO and Manhattan, KS. She began her local government career as a management intern and management analyst in Des Moines, IA. Lauren serves on the advisory board for the Greater Kansas City Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC). She is an ICMA Credentialed Manager and was named a 2019 Woman of Distinction for Eastern Jackson County, Missouri. Lauren has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Master of Public Administration degree from Indiana University.

Jennifer Drake

Jennifer Drake is a consultant based in St. Louis, MO, whose practice focuses on organizational development, especially with nonprofits, leaders of color, and organizations and companies that are interested in serving black communities well. Jennifer has several years of experience as a consultant after more than a decade in the nonprofit sector. Her experience runs the gamut from program design and evaluation to leadership development and management on a range of issues and progressive causes. Jennifer’s experience includes serving as Assistant Director of the Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life, where she worked to train leaders to run for local office as well as prepare college students for careers in public service. 

Jennifer was born and raised in St. Louis, MO. She earned a degree in Biology from Truman State University and a Master of Social Work from the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis. Jennifer is a board member of the Missouri Teen Pregnancy and Prevention Partnership. She is a resident of Richmond Heights in St. Louis County, where she lives with her child Noah, a fourth grader at Maplewood Richmond Heights Elementary School. 

Rob Dixon

Rob Dixon is the Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development. 

Before becoming director, Rob served as the President/CEO of the Missouri Community College Association. MCCA is a membership organization for Missouri’s community colleges, providing government advocacy, networking, and education resources for its members. It is the largest higher education association in the state, with approximately 2,000 members.

Rob also served in a variety of roles at the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce. His overall responsibilities included leadership and management of staff and programs in economic and workforce development, public affairs, local government policy, communications, community development, and strategic planning.  Rob Dixon also served as the Executive Director of the Hollister Area of Chamber of Commerce.

Rob joined the U.S. Marine Corps after high school, where he served as an intelligence analyst in Afghanistan and Pakistan immediately after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He was recognized for leadership and performance as a U.S. Marine. Rob received an honorable discharge as a sergeant after five years in the Marine Corps.

Rob has a Master of Public Administration degree from Missouri State University, a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, and an Associate of Arts in Political Science from St. Charles Community College. 

Rob is a native Missourian. He is married to Melanie Dixon, and they have one son, Eddie.

Brenda Bouse

Dr. Brenda Bouse serves as the CEO for The Quality Coach® partnering with clients in all industries who have a strong desire to succeed.  Brenda has an upbeat outlook on life and is a proven leader with a rewarding career in the areas of business, franchising, higher education, and health care.  She focuses on being a positive practitioner and avid learner in leading teams, workforce and economic development education initiatives, employee engagement, and adult learning programs tied to organizational goals.
 
Contact Dr. Bouse at Brenda@thequalitycoach.com

Ellen Woodruff

Ellen serves as a Coach and HR Business partner for The Quality Coach®  She has served in Human Resource Leadership Roles for over 25 years specifically in retail and wholesale business environments. She is passionate about working with leaders to support and positively influence their workplace needs which encompasses building valuable teams for productive and enjoyable outcomes. 

 Contact Ellen at ellen@thequalitycoach.com 

Quentin "Q" Williams

M. Quentin Williams is the founder and CEO of Dedication to Community (D2C), the national nonprofit he established in 2012. Quentin's career in law, professional sports and leadership consulting culminates in D2C, which delivers skills-building workshops and ongoing forums to improve understanding and build relationships in communities through healing, reconciliation and unity. D2C experts work with government agencies and the private sector on diversity, belonging and equality, and advise on critical issues in public safety and law enforcement. 

An advocate, attorney and author-educator, Quentin is sought as a speaker and thought leader who draws on personal history as a former FBI agent and federal prosecutor, and in senior positions with the National Football League (NFL), Jacksonville Jaguars and National Basketball Association (NBA). In additional to leading D2C and law enforcement training for agencies across the U.S., Williams has been an instructor at the FBI National Academy and a member of the Law Enforcement Education and Training Council at the BFI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. 

Quentin earned his JD from St. John's University School of Law, where he is an executive committee member of the Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights. He holds a bachelor's in economics from Boston College, which he attended on football scholarship.

Known by friends and associates as "Q," Quentin is of Caribbean and Jewish descent and grew up in New York City and Yonkers, New York. He is the proud father of a son and daughter, and credits his first-born as the inspiration for writing the survival guide, How NOT to get KILLED by the POLICE.

Camden on the Lake Resort - Discounted room rate is $146. Reservations must be made by September 28. Must register to receive discount code. Cancellations or changes in arrival and/or departure dates must be received at least 72 hours in advance to avoid forfeiture of first night stay. Early departures will be charged the contracted nightly rate for the entire reserved stay.

Lodge of Four Seasons - overflow hotel if availability.

Guests will still want to call Camden on the Lake to make a wait list reservation. Their staff will then direct guest to call the Lodge of Four Seasons. Call 573-365-5620.

REGISTRATION OPEN!

Wednesday, October 27 at The Cove. Requires a separate registration.

Shotgun start at 11 a.m. SHARP to insure completion of the event well in advance of the opening reception.

The event will be a four person scramble. The cost is $80/player, includes 18 holes of golf, cart, lunch and drink, extra drink ticket, prizes and skins game.

Dues to the requirement that meal guarantees be made in advance, cancellations should be made to Emily Koenigsfeld at emilyk@mocities.com by October 13, 2021. No refund of the registration fee will be made after 5 p.m. on October 13.