Wednesday: Training - 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

8 am - 8:45am
Implementing SHIP

Presenter:
Rob Dearduff, Florida Housing Finance Corporation

SHIP Issues including updates on the State Housing Initiatives Partnership Program; Annual Reporting; Monitoring and Compliance; AHAC Committees; 2011 -2012 Funding; and Training and Technical Assistance needs will be addressed by Rob Dearduff, as well as any other SHIP issues raised by Florida's SHIP Administrators.

9 am - 12pm
Securing SHIP

Presenters:
Trey Price, Florida Realtors
Jaimie Ross, Facilitator, Sadowski Coalition
Kent Spuhler, Florida Legal Services
Alyce Gowdy Wright, South Florida Jobs with Justice
Moderator:Suzanne Cabrera, Housing Leadership Council

The conference began with a Public Policy Plenary addressing the question of the future for Florida’s housing programs in the current political/economic environment. This training session drills down to provide the “how to” steps for legislative advocacy. SHIP Administrators are not expected or even encouraged to meet with legislators, but your partners in the community need your assistance to effectively state the case for SHIP funding. Effective legislative advocacy is best done in partnerships; the local business groups, nonprofits, civic and faith-based organizations, social service agencies and real estate professionals often need help from SHIP Administrators in the form of local data and success stories when they meet with local legislators.

The panel of experts will review the current Sadowski Education Effort and explain the SHIP Administrator and local advocates’ role in that effort. Agenda includes: the Florida legislative process; best practices for productive meetings with legislators; community organizing; how to access the tools you need; as well as answers to frequent concerns about lobbying and the legal parameters for local government employees and nonprofits.

Not just “talking heads:” Within this training, we will have small group participatory learning time (in a supportive and no pressure atmosphere) with the help of Sadowski legislative education experts, Susan Leigh, Rebecca Delarosa, and Andrea Baker Dean to ensure that everyone is engaged and leaves with an increased level of confidence to put what they’ve learned into action. The 2012 Legislative Session begins in January - so timing couldn’t be better.

Who Should Attend: SHIP Administrators, nonprofits, advocates, and anyone else who wants to get SHIP funded in 2012 and every year thereafter!