American Association of Special Districts Logo, with blue font and a bold yellow line aligned to the left.

Mid-America Special Districts Governance Summit

Friday, April 25, 2025

Join fellow special district leaders and stakeholders from across the nation’s heartland for two days of networking, governance resources, professional perspectives, and advocacy in the Springfield, Missouri!

 Sunshine Law | Federal Grants | Procurement Strategies | Advocacy | Management

 

 

Thursday, April 24

Library Districts Summit
Leaders of America’s 1,600+ library districts are invited to join for a hard-hitting conversation on emerging and ongoing governance issues and concerns for this special sector of local government.
Featuring EveryLibrary & More!

 

 

 

Special district leaders will convene in Springfield, Missouri, for a special event offering thought-provoking and motivating perspectives on longtime and emerging district governance topics.

AASD strives to deliver these resources in the “backyards” of America’s special purpose government leaders, in regions where such conferences have never occurred, and in a way that is affordable for all types and sizes of special districts.

AASD’s core focuses for Summit content in 2025 include the following important governance issues for special districts:

Special District (Board) Governance | Special District Management/Administration & Professional Development | Accounting, Finance, and Grants | Human Resources | Advocacy & Intergovernmental Collaboration | Trending Public Policy Topics

Governance Sessions

Professional Perspectives & Presentations from AASD’s Professional Network

Office of the Missouri Attorney General: Diving into the MO Sunshine Law

Friday Session – Feature Presentation
Office of the Missouri Attorney General – Sunshine Unit

Note: This presentation specifically covers the Missouri Sunshine Law, which is the state’s open meeting and governance law. Specific reporting laws vary from state to state. Non-Missouri stakeholders in attendance are encouraged to check open governance laws in their state, and consider this presentation as a golden set of best practices for good governance.

Missouri’s Sunshine Law is the embodiment of Missouri’s commitment to openness in government. Chapter 610 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri is the foundation of what has become known as Missouri’s “Sunshine Law.” The Sunshine Law Unit within the Attorney General’s Office provides Sunshine Law education and training presentations across the state to the public, governmental bodies, members of the press, and other organizations. In addition, the Unit also reviews and investigates alleged violations of the Sunshine Law by Missouri public governmental bodies. The Unit’s objective is to broaden the understanding of the Sunshine Law and help agencies understand their roles and responsibilities to the people of Missouri regarding public meetings and public records of this state.

Leveraging Federal Grants to Build Resilience and Achieve Strategic Goals

Friday Session
Kristin Cooper Carter | Grant Management Associates

Join Kristin Cooper Carter, a grants powerhouse, as she walks special districts through approaches to unlocking federal and state grant opportunities.

This program will highlight how federal and state grants from agencies like DOE, DOT, and DHS can help special districts access the resources needed to strengthen their operations and resilience – with a focus on the alignment between these funding opportunities and the unique missions of special districts. Further, Kristin will illustrate the benefits of a proactive approach to grant funding, emphasizing collaboration, strategic planning, and forward-thinking investments in community resilience and infrastructure. Finally, we will cover how a partnership with GMA simplifies the complexities of grant processes, enabling district leaders to focus on their missions while enhancing their professional development and leadership capabilities.

 

District leaders will walk away from this presentation with confidence to leveraging external funding to achieve governance goals and operational success; knowledge of how to adopt strategic frameworks for grant acquisition, enhancing their ability to future-proof their districts; and feel empowered to take actionable steps toward securing essential funding with the support of a trusted partner in GMA.

Save Time and Money with Cooperative Procurement

Friday Session
Crosby Grindle | Cooperative Purchasing, LLC

Discover a more efficient way to look at your procurement process that saves time, offers you choice, and delivers better value. This session will discuss the importance of understanding your procurement process and guide you through the advantages of cooperative purchasing, your tool to smarter procurement.

Cooperative procurement has become a widely accepted practice to help local and state governments save time and money. This practice has evolved to cover most products and services special districts need to purchase. This means directors and agency leaders have another tool to save money and reduce overhead while ensuring they get the products they want for their district. You will learn how to create your own cooperative procurement strategy and take advantage of this procurement tool offered by a variety of organizations.

ply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

Getting Engaged with Local, State, and Federal Partners for Success

Friday Session

Join for a perspective on the importance of special districts’ intergovernmental collaboration with county, state, and federal partners. This 60-minute presentation will breakdown some nuances of connecting with each type of government, items to consider with context of current issues, as well as when and how to strike with engagement.

Library Session: The Importance of Community Collaboration

More information coming soon!

Library Panel: Writing the Book to Address Community & Governance Challenges

Thursday Session

A panel of library district leaders will share experience-based perspectives of what worked, what could work, and what has not worked to bridge the, at-times deep, divides that can exist among community members, governing boards, and library staff. 

Summit Begins

Day(s)

:

Hour(s)

:

Minute(s)

:

Second(s)

Register by March 28, 2025, for early registration!

AASD Member + Trial Members
Day 1 (Library Summit) Only: $55
Day 2 (Mid-America Summit) Only: $50
Library + Mid-America Summit: $75

Non-Member Stakeholders
Day 1 (Library Summit) Only: $115
Day 2 (Mid-America Summit) Only: $110
Library + Mid-America Summit: $173

Hotel Room Block Available
Residence Inn-Springfield
Located near James River Freeway & National Avenue (South of Medical Mile)
$129/night
Details provided after registration. 

Registration after March 28

AASD Member + Trial Members
Day 1 (Library Summit) Only: $55
Day 2 (Mid-America Summit) Only: $50
Library + Mid-America Summit: $75

Non-Member Stakeholders
Day 1 (Library Summit) Only: $62.50
Day 2 (Mid-America Summit) Only: $143
Library + Mid-America Summit: $225

Professional Networkers Supporting the Summit

Promotional Opportunities for AASD’s Professional Members are available!

  • Vending tables and presenter introductions
  • State Caucus Coffee & Networking Sponsorship
  • Program/agenda placements