Bella Harbor 2008
Education and Policy Conference
April 23-25,
2008
Hilton
Bella Harbor
2055 Summer Lee Drive
Rockwall, TX 75087
Phone: 214-771-3700
Overview
The next Urban Counties
Education and Policy Conference will be held on April 23-25, 2008 at the Hilton
Bella Harbor on Lake Ray Hubbard in Rockwall, Texas.
Bella Harbor 2008 will be an opportunity for
urban county officials to gather in a relaxed setting for in-depth discussions
of the major issues and challenges facing urban counties. It will feature a mix
of top-level state and national speakers and educational programming that is
tailored for the interests of county officials from urban areas. The conference
will set the tone for Urban County policy for the next regular session of the
Legislature and may result in policy formulation on the spot – or provide
direction for the development of future policy positions.
Sponsors
- Please be sure you thank the sponsors.
Who
Should Attend?
Members of
commissioners court and county professional staff – including Executive, Budget,
Information Technology, and Legislative staff – will all benefit from attending.
Registration Information - Registration is closed.
Hotel Information -
Hilton
Bella Harbor
2055
Summer Lee Drive
Rockwall, TX 75087
Phone:
214-771-3700
From DFW Airport: Exit the north entrance
of the airport to I-635. Follow I-635 approximately to
I-30 East. Take I-30 east to Rockwall and exit Horizon
Rd. Turn right on Horizon Rd. and right on Summer Lee
Dr. Follow Summer Lee Dr. to the lakefront and the
entrance to the hotel.
From Love Field: Exit left out of the
airport and follow Mockingbird Ln. to the Dallas North
Tollway. Head north on the Tollway to I-635
approximately to I-30 east. Take I-30 east to Rockwall
and exit Horizon Rd. Turn right on Horizon Rd. and right
on Summer Lee Dr. to the lakefront and the entrance of
the hotel.
Please request the
"Texas
Conference of Urban Counties"
room block when reserving your sleeping room.
Room Rate- $120 per night, plus
tax
The cutoff date for this special room rate is
Monday, March 31, 2008. Please make
your reservations soon!
You can reserve your room online
here:
Hilton Bella Harbor -
Book your room today!
Use Group Code: TEXURB
Agenda - View the
agenda.
Confirmed Sessions
for Bella Harbor
2008:
-
Keynote Address: Dr.
Frank Luntz, a
nationally
recognized pollster
and political
analyst will lead
the audience through
an interactive
discussion of the
national political
climate; public
attitudes on issues
of interest to
counties; and on how
to discuss important
issues in the most
meaningful way with
the public.
-
“Transportation
issues in the 21st
Century.” Senator
John Carona,
Chairman of the
Senate
Transportation and
Homeland Security
Committee, will
discuss the current
status and the
future outlook for
transportation
funding in the State
of Texas. He will
discuss the
challenges of
continued growth,
revenue diversion,
and rising costs in
planning for
mobility needs.
-
“Pandemic Influenza:
State and County
Readiness.” Dr.
David Lakey, MD,
Commissioner of the
Department of State
Health Services will
discuss the current
readiness of the
state and county
government to
respond to a
pandemic influenza
emergency. Dr. Lakey
will provide a
historical overview
of pandemic
influenza, discuss
existing
preparations and
review the need to
be continually on
guard should the
“unthinkable” happen
in the new century.
-
“The
Impact of Changing
Demographic Trends
on Local
Government.” Dr.
Karl Eschbach,
Director of the
Texas State Data
Center (TxSDC), will
provide a
presentation on the
changing
demographics of the
State of Texas and
provide an insight
into the future in
terms of the rate
and sources of
population growth
and the aging of the
population. Dr.
Eschbach will also
provide projections
for changes in
educational
attainment,
household income,
and rates of poverty
that will continue
to drive the need
for services in the
future.
-
“Media
Management in
Crisis
Situations.”
Public Relations
experts Chris
Gavras and Pat
Svanica will
conduct a panel
discussion on
how to manage
media
communications
during a crisis
situation. This
session will
feature real
world examples
of what to do
during an
emergency, the
mistakes to
avoid, and best
practices to
ensure the
proper
information gets
out to the right
audience
|
|
|
|
|
|
Golf -
The biennial golf championship will
be held at Buffalo Creek golf course. Ranked consistently in the top five
courses in the Dallas area and top 10 in Texas, Buffalo Creek offers everything
for the novice and the professional. Holes 6 and 16 have been rated as two of
the toughest in the state by the Dallas Morning News. Over the years,
Buffalo Creek has played host to the USGA Open, Amateur and Mid-Amateur
qualifying events.
We will play the traditional
Florida four-man scramble. Green fees and golf carts will all be provided. Each
player will need to bring $25 in cash for the prize pool. We will be awarding
gift certificates for first, second, and third place, during the Conference
opening reception Wednesday evening. Tee-times will run from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM
on Wednesday April 23rd.
Please provide your average when registering if you
are interested in participating in the golf tournament.
|
Registration Fees |
Early |
After March 31 |
| Registrant |
$370 |
$420 |
| Guest (includes
dinner and reception) |
$120 |
$140 |
For more information please
contact us at 512.476.6174