--- title: "California Special Districts Association: Community Builder" id: "30193" type: "post" slug: "california-special-districts-association-community-builder" published_at: "2015-09-17T20:15:02+00:00" modified_at: "2026-03-16T14:40:26+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/09/17/california-special-districts-association-community-builder/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2015/09/17/california-special-districts-association-community-builder.md" excerpt: "The California Special Districts Association’s 2015 Annual Conference is set to begin in Monterey, California, early next week." taxonomy_category: - "Meetings / Events" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "community effort" - "conferences" - "Meetings" - "Networking" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » California Special Districts Association: Community Builder ## The 2015 Annual Conference of the California Special Districts Association is set to begin in Monterey, California, early next week. More than 600 special-district professionals and industry leaders—including fire chiefs, HR managers, support staff, and board trustees—will learn and network over three days to gain insights and solutions that they can bring back to the communities they work for. **Association:** California Special Districts Association **Conference:** 2015 Annual Conference **Venue:** Monterey Marriott Hotel **Location:**Monterey, California Peter Sheahan, president and CEO of Change Labs, is the opening keynoter of the [2015 Annual Conference (opens in a new tab)](http://conference.csda.net/index.html) . He will discuss best practices from industries that have experienced significant change and examine key insights from those who benefited from change—compared to those who became victims to it. Other specials on the conference menu: **Budget-friendly tactics.**A number of breakout sessions will look at how special districts—which communities create to fill specific needs that municipal governments are not adequately addressing—can go about their usual business or experiment with new things without breaking bank. Topics include low-cost community engagement and media relations strategies. **A trip through “Ethicsland.”** Attendees can take a turn in the hot seat, try to stump their friends, or just watch the show as they practice applying rules concerning conflicts of interest, government transparency, and more. The session’s tagline: This is not your grandma’s ethics training! **Taste of the city.**On Wednesday evening, attendees can attend BBQ, Blues & Brews. They’ll sample local food and craft beer while enjoying the band Bleu, who will play a set list of vintage blues, gospel, and Americana music. This party also has a purpose: A silent auction will raise funds for scholarships for Special District Leadership Foundation programs. In addition, a special wine raffle will be held. The prize: a fully stocked, 35-bottle wine cellar valued at $1,000. Watch the meeting from afar on the usual social channels: [Twitter (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/specialdistrict) and [Facebook (opens in a new tab)](https://www.facebook.com/specialdistrict) . (iStock/Thinkstock) [Samantha Whitehorne](https://associationsnow.com/author/samantha-whitehorne/) Samantha Whitehorne is a former editorial director of Associations Now in Washington, DC. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/samantha-whitehorne/) Tags: [#community effort](https://associationsnow.com/tag/community-effort/) [#conferences](https://associationsnow.com/tag/conferences/) [#Meetings](https://associationsnow.com/tag/meetings/) [#Networking](https://associationsnow.com/tag/networking/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [VideoAshley Cobb Shares Her Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 12, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/12/ashley-cobb-shares-her-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoJenny Teeson, CHSE Shares Her Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 12, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/12/jenny-teeson-chse-shares-her-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoJanel Johnson Shares Her Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 11, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/11/janel-johnson-shares-her-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) - [VideoAshley Walton Shares Her Experience at the 2025 ASAE Annual Meeting & ExpositionAugust 11, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/08/11/ashley-walton-shares-her-experience-at-the-2025-asae-annual-meeting-exposition/) ## Comments **Comments are for ASAE members.** [Learn more about comments on this site.](https://associationsnow.com/comments/) [Log in](https://associationsnow.com/login?redirect_to=https%3A%2F%2Fassociationsnow.com%2F2015%2F09%2F17%2Fcalifornia-special-districts-association-community-builder%2F%23comments) to your member account or [join ASAE](https://my.asaecenter.org/select-a-membership-type/) !