11 am – 6 pm

AWC Registration Kiosk open

12:30 – 3:30 pm

Joint Transportation Committee meeting
Each year, the Joint Transportation Committee (JTC) holds its June meeting in conjunction with AWC’s Annual Conference, to hear from city leaders and others about the region’s transportation needs, challenges, opportunities, and successes. Take this opportunity to attend the meeting, learn from the wide range of presentations, including from all four of the Quad Cities, and connect with the state’s legislative leaders in transportation. Find the full meeting agenda here.

The JTC is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that conducts transportation related studies and other activities to inform state and local government policymakers. It consists of the chairs, ranking members and other members of the House and Senate Transportation Committees, and non-partisan staff.

1 – 5 pm

Exhibitor move-in

1 – 4 pm

Pre-conference sessions

Attendance at pre-conference sessions is included in the full Annual Conference registration fee. After you have picked up your name badge at the Registration Kiosk proceed to the session room to check in. If the pre-conference hits capacity, those who registered online prior to the Annual Conference will be prioritized.

Collaborative leadership training with the Ruckelshaus Center | Register now!
This session, led by Dr. Julia Carboni of the William D. Ruckelshaus Center, will provide city elected officials and staff with an overview of the collaborative leadership skills needed to tackle real-world challenges. Learn how to move from hierarchical to collaborative leadership and frame discussions around interests instead of positions.

City elected officials earn an additional 3 credits toward the Certificate of Municipal Leadership in the leadership competency area.

Mayor as CEO: Mastering your role as the city's executive | Register now!
Designed exclusively for mayors in mayor-council governments, this session’s content will help you better navigate your role as the city's executive. Gather with other mayors for a deep dive on roles and responsibilities between the executive (mayor’s office) and legislative (council) branches, and explore challenges and opportunities for leading your city staff. Registration for this pre-conference session is limited to mayors in the mayor-council form of government.

City elected officials earn an additional 3 credits toward the Certificate of Municipal Leadership in the legal competency area.

Short Course on Local Planning | Register now!
This course, presented by the Department of Commerce, provides a practical overview of land use planning in Washington state to help you gain the knowledge and skills needed to excel in your role. Build a solid foundation in comprehensive planning and plan implementation under the Growth Management Act.

City elected officials earn an additional 3 credits toward the Certificate of Municipal Leadership in the land use competency area.

1 – 5 pm

Pre-conference mobile tour

Hanford Site: U.S. Department of Energy tour | Registration closed, and additional attendees not already on the waitlist will not be allowed on this tour
The U.S. Department of Energy is responsible for one of the largest nuclear cleanup efforts in the world, managing the legacy of five decades of nuclear weapons production. Come explore the 580-square-mile Hanford Site, which was the primary producer of plutonium for national defense for over 40 years. After significant risk-reduction work along the Columbia River, Hanford is now set to treat millions of gallons of radioactive and chemical waste from large underground tanks for disposal.

Registration for this mobile tour is limited to mayors and councilmembers who can meet the below requirements:

• Citizenship verification: All tour participants must present an eligible form of ID to validate citizenship, such as a Washington state enhanced driver license or U.S. passport (full list of eligible ID will be provided after registration). Participants must also provide valid photo identification on the day of the tour.
• Dress code: Participants will be required to wear appropriate attire for an industrial site including pants, footwear that fully encloses the foot, and expanded PPE to be provided, if necessary.
• Physical activity: The tour may involve walking short distances outdoors on dirt, gravel, and uneven surfaces, as well as ascending multiple flights of stairs in facilities, and moving in and out of a vehicle.

City elected officials earn an additional 3 credits toward the Certificate of Municipal Leadership in the community competency area.

3:30 – 4:15 pm

Making the most of Annual Conference
Kick off your 2025 Annual Conference experience with an early start session designed especially for first-time attendees and those interested in learning more about this year’s offerings.

4:30 – 5:30 pm

First-time attendee meet and greet
Gather for an informal meet and greet and reception before heading to the President’s Welcome Reception. Meet with other first-time Annual Conference attendees, members of the AWC Board of Directors, and AWC Past Presidents.

5:30 – 7 pm

President's Welcome Reception
Meet new colleagues from across the state and re-engage with old friends. Our members frequently remark that the networking at Annual Conference can’t be beat—so welcome all, and let the networking begin!

Light appetizers. Dinner on your own.

6:30 am – 6 pm

AWC Registration Kiosk open

7:30 am – 4 pm

Exhibit Hall open
Explore our vibrant Exhibit Hall and meet our diverse and knowledgeable exhibitors! Learn about their latest products, services, and exciting solutions.

7:30 – 8:30 am

Exhibit breakfast

8:30 – 9:30 am

Concurrent sessions

Adapting and planning for growth from different perspectives

AI for beginners: how to use it while being mindful of public records and security implications

Building a positive police culture

Finding your people: Exploring affinity groups at AWC

Funding models for fire service

Public records essentials

9:30 – 11:30 am

Mobile tour

Wastewater win: Tour of the Kennewick treatment plant’s biosolids upgrade project
When Kennewick’s leaders acted to address residents’ long-standing complaints about odors from the city’s wastewater treatment plant lagoons, they knew they could do better than traditional upgrades. Instead, they undertook a state-of-the-art expansion to replace the outdated lagoon systems with advanced wastewater biosolid treatment technology, harnessing the power of the sun to create a premium Class A marketable fertilizer product that the city plans to market for local sale as “KenneGro.” Join a walking tour of the new facility’s construction site, which was initiated in late 2024.

9:30 – 10 am

Coffee break with exhibitors

10 – 11:15 am

Concurrent sessions

Strategies to combat food insecurity

Small cities roundtable

Those most in need: Serving your vulnerable residents

Understand the energy grid of tomorrow

Unlocking the city financing toolbox for city leaders

Dialogue Hubs

11:15 – 11:45 am

Exhibit break

11:45 am – 1:30 pm

Opening general session, welcome, Parade of Flags, and city awards recognition

Keynote: Building tomorrow's communities – together: Where human-centered leadership meets intelligent technology
Digital innovator, chief executive, business writer, and globally recognized speaker Kate O’Neill shares her expertise on navigating digital transformation, the impacts of AI, and how to keep our human connection to our residents.

Doors open at 11:30 am, lunch service begins at 11:45 am, program begins promptly at noon.

1:30 – 2 pm

Exhibit break

1:45 – 4:30 pm

Mobile tour

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory mobile tour | Registration closed, and additional attendees will not be allowed on this tour
Founded in 1965, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is operated by Battelle and supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. PNNL draws on its distinguishing strengths in chemistry, Earth sciences, biology and data science to advance scientific knowledge and address challenges in energy resiliency and national security. Leadership from PNNL will provide a brief overview and a tour of the Grid Storage Launchpad and the Electricity Infrastructure Operations Center.

Registration for this mobile tour is limited to those who can meet the below requirements:

• All participants who are U.S. citizens or foreign nationals must have pre-registered.
• Citizenship verification: All tour participants who are U.S. citizens must present an eligible form of ID to validate citizenship, such as a Washington state enhanced driver license or U.S. passport (full list of eligible ID will be provided after registration).
• All participants must also provide valid photo identification on the day of the tour.
• Dress code: Close-toed, flat shoes are required.
• Physical activity: The tour will involve walking short distances both within and between facilities.

2 – 4:15 pm

Mobile tour

Planning for economic development and growth: Economic development in Kennewick’s Southridge and Ridgeline areas
Join our hosts from the City of Kennewick to explore successful economic development efforts in the city. The tour will visit multiple areas of the city that have seen significant economic development and growth, with a focus on the strategy the city used to spur that growth. Additionally, explore how the city responded to events and calibrated their economic development plans and approaches to respond to the market.

2 – 3 pm

Concurrent sessions

Engaging young leaders with mock council meetings

Exploring the needs of small, rural communities

Infrastructure funding opportunities and challenges

Look who’s talking: Social media, the First Amendment, and the Public Records Act

Strategies for countering gang crime

Dialogue Hubs

3 – 3:30 pm

Exhibit break

3:30 – 4:30 pm

Concurrent sessions

Downtown revitalization strategies and creating a sense of place

Finding and managing outside funding with limited staff resources

How to create a culture of belonging

Maximizing AI at city hall: Innovation, inclusion, and impact

Wrestling with tight budgets and considerations for budget cuts and revenues

Dialogue Hubs

4:40 – 5:30 pm

Roundtable sessions

Councilmembers

Mayors in council-manager cities

Mayors in mayor-council cities

Mayors pro tem/Deputy mayors/Council presidents

City managers

Clerks, department heads, and other city staff

New and newer councilmembers (joined council since fall 2023)

5:30 – 7 pm

Exhibit Reception
Gather in the Exhibit Hall to network with your colleagues and vendors.

Light appetizers, exhibitor prizes, and hosted bar. Dinner on your own.

6 am – 5:30 pm

AWC Registration Kiosk open

6:30 – 8 am

Wellness activity: AWC Fun Run and Walk
Lace up your sneakers and hit the sidewalks for this Annual Conference tradition!

7 – 10:45 am

Exhibit Hall open
This is your last chance to explore our vibrant Exhibit Hall and meet our fantastic exhibitors!

7:30 – 8:30 am

Exhibit breakfast

8:30 – 10:15 am

General session

Economic outlook
Chris Mefford, Community Attributes, Inc.
Gain insights about statewide, national, and global economic trends that could affect your residents, businesses, and budgets from economist and President & CEO of Community Attributes, Inc., Chris Mefford. Topics include labor market trends, statewide economic indicators, inflation, global trade, and more. This data-driven look at our economy, focusing on Washington state and city-specific analysis, will leave you better prepared to navigate our ever-evolving economic landscape. Known for his thoughtful approach to community and economic development, Mefford’s work has supported dozens of cities as well as other public and private sector clients by transforming complex data into actionable insights.

Building better policy through collaborative leadership
Dr. Julia Carboni, Ruckelshaus Center
In 2024, AWC created a new collaborative leadership training course called Washington Collaborative Elected Leaders Institute (WA-CELI). WA-CELI is an immersive training program where small teams of city elected officials collaborate to develop their leadership skills and practice tackling real-world challenges. Hear from Dr. Julia Carboni of the Ruckelshaus Center and members of the first WA-CELI cohort as they reflect on what they learned and how they have applied their skills to engage differing viewpoints to build better policy. WA-CELI was created through AWC’s Center for Quality Communities, in partnership with the William D. Ruckelshaus Center and the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy & Governance.

10:15 – 10:45 am

Exhibit break

10:45 – 11:45 am

Concurrent sessions

Ask MRSC

Preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Strategic planning for infrastructure

Updates from the other Washington

What’s new at the CJT? It's more than you think!

Wildfire resiliency plan for fire preparedness

Dialogue Hubs

11:45 am – Noon

Break

11:45 am – 1:15 pm

AWC Center for Quality Communities fundraising lunch
Join us as we honor this year’s scholarship recipients and continue our efforts to raise funds that nurture young community members to take on new leadership roles.

1:15 – 1:30 pm

Break

1:30 – 3:30 pm

Mobile tour

Mobile tour of the Criminal Justice Training Commission’s Regional Training Center in Pasco
Hop on our ride for a short trip over to Criminal Justice Training Commission's Pasco Southeast Regional Campus. You’ll get to see where the action happens after you hire new recruits in law enforcement for their state-facilitated BLEA training. This new regional center was recently established in 2023 and helps ensure that recruits from Southeastern Washington can train at a facility closer to their home.

1:30 – 2:30 pm

Concurrent sessions

Building resilient cities: Navigating cybersecurity threats and understanding essential resources

Cities 101 for the community

Life in the middle: Ensuring strong relationships with council and staff (For city managers)

Navigating modern council meetings: civility, compliance, and crisis management

Tax Increment Financing: Who is doing it and how it works

Dialogue Hubs

2:30 – 2:45 pm

Break

2:45 – 3:45 pm

Concurrent sessions

Advocacy bootcamp

Exploring the landscape for belonging and inclusion programs

How mayor and clerk partner together to get things done

Protecting your critical communications infrastructure

The price of popularity: Tourism economies in Washington

Dialogue Hubs

3:45 – 4 pm

Break

4 – 5:45 pm

AWC Annual Meeting
Enjoy an ice cream break and participate in your association’s Annual Meeting. The agenda includes items such as the election of AWC’s Officers and Board of Directors. If you are a voting delegate, please plan to attend in person or online to cast your vote.

5:45 – 7:30 pm

Evening Reception at REACH Museum
Join us at AWC’s private reception for appetizers, hosted beer and wine, and live music.

Buses begin departing the convention center at 5:30 pm and will run continuously during the reception. The last bus will leave the museum at 7:50 pm.

Dinner on your own. Guests are welcome to attend for an additional fee.

8:30 – 10 pm

Late-night trivia

7– 10:30 am

AWC Registration Kiosk open

7:30 – 8:30 am

Networking breakfast

8:30 – 10:30 am

Concurrent sessions

Disaster preparedness and leading through a natural disaster

Leveling up your communication skills

Jurassic Parliament: Using motions to get out of a pickle

Showing up with courage and energy!

10:30 am

Adjourn, safe travels!