Technical Program is subject to last minute changes. The latest program will be published in the Onsite Program. Any changes after printing date will be posted onsite.

Technical Session Descriptions

Click HERE to download a copy of the session descriptions.

Pre-Conference Workshop

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23, 2019

Managing Right-of-Way, Railroad, and Utilities for Project Success

Who Should Attend?  Certified local agencies, ODOT staff and anyone who would like to learn how to better manage the complexities of right-of-way, railroad, and utility aspects of their public works projects.

Workshop Description:  Right-of-way, railroad, and utilities bring a higher level of complexity to your public works project and can be the source of project delays and cost over runs.  This workshop will provide an overview of each process, identify key issues and how to resolve them, and provide informational resources that you can add to your tool kit.  Speakers are ODOT and local agency staff who will share their expertise, practical experience, and proven strategies to help you better manage your public projects. 

Keynote Speakers

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 23, 2019

Big County, Little County
Lessons Learned in the Eagle Creek Fire

The Eagle Creek Fire started Labor Day weekend 2017 and became the #1 fire in the country. Two counties activated their Emergency Operations Centers for three weeks, evacuated residents, dealt with transportation and shelter issues, pushed out rapidly changing public information and navigated a high-profile incident from two ends of the same wildfire. Find out what worked, what didn’t, how we can work together better, tools you can use and how you can apply what we learned to your next emergency incident, from a County Emergency Manager's perspective.
Barb Ayers, Hood River County Emergency Manager and Public Information Officer

THURSDAY OCTOBER 24, 2019

Improv Skills for Business Presentations

Professional improvisors forge instant and deep connections with their audiences. Those skills can be harnessed by presenters too. This fast-paced presentation about giving presentations will highlight those skills in an interactive format, while delivering a set of common-sense guidelines for telling your story, as opposed to presenting data. Learn solid tips from someone who's been hired by top executives to help them get through their public speaking dilemmas.
Patrick Short, President, CSz Worldwide / GM of CSz Portland