2026 Maryland Government Training Academy

Speakers: Bill Early and Remi Omisore

Description: Gain clear, actionable awareness of key shifts shaping state and local governments — allowing you to anticipate change and lead decisively.

Learning objective: Describe emerging trends affecting state and local governments.

Speaker: Heather Plitt

Description: A focused overview of recent GASB standards and what state and local governments need to know to prepare for updated financial reporting models, disclosures, and implementation timelines.

Learning objective: Recall key GASB standards and how to apply their reporting and disclosure requirements to current implementation efforts.

Speaker: Folashade Abiola-Banjac

Description: This session offers practical insights to help participants recognize fraud risks early and promote stronger accountability within their organizations.

Learning objective: Identify the common signs, patterns, and types of fraud, waste, and abuse occurring within state and local governments.

Speakers: Christian Fuellgraf, Betsey Macey (TBC), Euna Rep

Description: Grants can fund critical public services and community outcomes — but only when compliance, documentation, and reporting are built into day-to-day operations. In this interactive fireside chat, we’ll share practical leading practices across the grants lifecycle — from award setup to closeout. Expect real-world examples, common pitfalls to avoid, and tips to strengthen internal controls, improve oversight, streamline workflows, and stay audit ready.

Learning objectives: After this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify key grants compliance risk areas across pre-award through closeout
• Describe internal control and documentation practices that support consistent reporting, timely drawdowns, and audit readiness
• List ways to improve grants workflows and coordination between program, finance, and compliance teams — while leveraging technology appropriately

Speakers: Jenny Wise and Cheri Amoss

Description: Great teams don’t happen by accident. This session explores the everyday forces that make a team “click” — trust, clarity, and accountability — and how leaders can create the conditions for people to do their best work. You’ll leave with simple rituals and tools to apply immediately to your teams to help them collaborate better, perform with consistency, and translate purpose into results.

Learning objective: Describe the qualities of a healthy team and why culture is important in teams.

Speakers: Client panel

Description: Hear directly from state and local government budget leaders as they share what works (and what doesn’t) across the annual budget cycle — from setting priorities and building alignment to communicating tough choices. Panelists will discuss practical tools, strategies, and tradeoffs used to deliver transparent, decision-ready budgets, including tips to strengthen budget documents and align them with best practices recognized by the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program.

Learning objectives: After this session, participants will be able to:

• Identify practical approaches to building a budget that aligns resources to priorities while managing constraints and competing demands
• Describe strategies to improve budget transparency and communication for governing bodies, residents, and other stakeholders
• List actionable tips to strengthen budget document organization, narrative, and data presentation in support of GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award criteria
• Recognize common budgeting tradeoffs — and questions to ask — when balancing service levels, long-term sustainability, and one-time resources