Articles, Newsletters & Misc.

Dear CALBO Friends and Colleagues,

We made it! Welcome to a new and emerging year at CALBO, I’m glad you’re here. As we say farewell to last year and apply our lessons learned, I would like to express my gratitude to you – our resilient members. I have been honored by your support, personally and professionally, as CALBO evolved during these unprecedented times. From hosting a virtual ABM, to launching CALBO webinars, and wrapping up the year 2020 with the successes of the hybrid socially-distanced training, you supported CALBO. You are the reason CALBO is here, to support and promote our profession. Together, we are accomplishing so much, yet there is so much yet to do.  

Ahead into 2021, I’m looking forward to seeing more faces and fewer screens. This year ahead is going to give us many opportunities to make this reality happen. Kicking off this year with our hybrid socially-distanced “Summer Conference” is our answer to coming together as a profession. Please join us in Newport Beach in just a few weeks. We even added in a mini-education week to give you more reason to join us.  You can look forward to our core education weeks in San Ramon and Ontario returning, in addition to a full-scale annual business meeting next March in Los Angeles. Bring your smiles and your desire to reconnect, because we are all ready to put real pants back on and visit.

I mentioned our Summer Conference and mini-education week in Newport Beach is right around the corner, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank those who are working to make it happen. A special thank you to CALBO partners, sponsors, and exhibitors for your support and participation at this upcoming event. Your commitment to the profession and industry has been unwavering and I’m excited to see you in person. I know I am not alone in this sentiment, so thank you for supporting us as your community.  
Given capacity limitation and local guidelines, registration for the Summer Conference and Mini-Education week is available until next Monday, May 10. Hurry! I encourage you to visit the event webpage, register for an in-person or virtual day pass (or five), and spread the word that CALBO and CTI trainings continue to thrive.

On behalf of the CALBO Board, I look forward to seeing you either virtually or in-person in Newport Beach.  Let’s celebrate our successes and look ahead as we work together to advance our profession.

Until next time,

Shane G. Diller, M.P.A
Assistant Director, Development Services
City of Elk Grove

Dear CALBO Friends and Colleagues,

Spring is upon us. Flowers are blooming, birds are chirping, the state legislature is writing new laws, and home project permits are being pulled. Though our state continues to work through the pandemic, our industry has shown its resilience and has not missed a beat in the year since COVID-19 began its impact.

First and foremost, I again want to thank everyone who joined us in December for Education Week 2020. I could not be more proud in knowing that with everything we were up against, CALBO was able to execute a training event with both in-person and virtual components, training over 2,600 people. The hard work of the CTI Commission, the instructors, the subject matter experts, and the rest of the CALBO team that came together to make this event a success cannot be overstated.

But with every success comes a pivot to the future. And I am pleased to report that the future at CALBO looks bright. We have begun the final planning of our next event, a hybrid annual conference, and training that will closely duplicate the style we saw success with in December. In-person and virtual options will be available once again in Newport Beach. I also want to let you know about CALBO’s first virtual job fair. On April 15, the CALBO Outreach & Communications Committee is coordinating an innovative way to connect new talent with our industry. Registration information for both of these events can soon be found on the CALBO website.

So much of what we look forward to as a profession is tied to our ability to meet in-person again, and that time is coming. I am heartened to hear that many of our members have received their COVID-19 vaccinations and are on track to getting back to a place of familiarity.  

The return to normalcy is emerging in all aspects of what CALBO is doing. Our policy committees are hard at work advocating in Sacramento, reviewing code standard proposals, and preparing helpful information and education on emerging trends. Plans are coming together now for Education Weeks in Fall 2021, which will look much like you remember. And of course, I am eager and excited for our 60^th Annual Business Meeting in Los Angeles in March 2022.  Though the past year has been tough on many fronts, I have to express to all of you how lucky I feel to have been able to lead this amazing organization in this past year and how honored I continue to be that the membership entrusted me to it.

I and the CALBO Board of Directors will keep up the hard work and look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events.

Stay well,

Shane G. Diller, M.P.A
Assistant Director, Development Services
City of Elk Grove