Overview

August 18

This instructional webcast for special district leaders will explore federal stimulus funding to support technology investments, including the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Attendees will hear firsthand from e.Republic experts and special district leaders that have successfully overcome their financial constraints and tapped into new funding opportunities to sustain and innovate their operations for the future. The discussion will also feature an interactive portion for attendees to have their most pressing questions answered live. All virtual participants who view the webinar will receive a certificate of attendance sent out by Government Technology, upon request.

Speakers

Gloria Salazar

Chief Executive Officer, San Joaquin Regional Transit District

Ms. Salazar assumed the role of RTD’s chief executive officer in January 2020 with more than 28 years of experience in the transit industry. Her leadership as deputy CEO and de facto CFO for 18 years at RTD greatly contributed to RTD receiving the coveted Outstanding System of the Year Award by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) in 2018. Because of Ms. Salazar’s business acumen, RTD has consistently delivered balanced budgets without incurring long-term commercial debt. She has designed effective business processes and implemented robust systems for RTD, including a financial reporting system which earned RTD a Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) award for 16 consecutive years. In addition, she has been instrumental in the funding and building of long-term infrastructure projects such as RTD’s Downtown Transit Center and Regional Transportation Center.

Angelina Benedetti

Interim Director of Library Outreach, Programs and Services for the King County Library System (KCLS), King County, WA

Angelina Benedetti is the Interim Director of Library Outreach, Programs and Services for the King County Library System (KCLS), in King County, WA. She has worked in public libraries for over 25 years. In addition to her work in the library field, she was appointed in February 2020 to the City Council in her home community of Renton, WA. She is on the Board of the Renton Regional Community Foundation, a nonprofit that created a COVID-19 Response Fund to meet the onslaught of basic needs stemming from the pandemic. To date, RRCF has distributed $393,000 to 65 organizations in South King County.

Joe Morris

Deputy Chief Innovation Officer, e.Republic

Joe Morris is deputy chief innovation officer for e.Republic and a national keynote speaker on issues, trends and drivers impacting state and local government and education. He has authored multiple publications and reports on funding streams, technology investment areas and public-sector priorities. Joe has conducted state and local government research with e.Republic since 2007 and knows the ins and outs of government on all levels.

Dustin Haisler — Moderator

Chief Innovation Officer, e.Republic

As the former chief information officer (CIO) and assistant city manager for the city of Manor, Texas, Dustin built a track record and reputation as an early innovator in civic tech. He pioneered government use of commercial technologies like Quick-Response (QR) barcodes, crowdsourcing and gamification. Dustin’s work has been featured in numerous publications and books including Wired, Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal, Inc. Magazine, the Today Show on NBC, and Citizenville by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Webinar

Special Districts: Understanding the Special Districts 2021-2022 Funding Landscape & Emerging Opportunities