For the Running for Local Office 2022 and 2023 Workshops and the 2023 Workbook, Click here.
Public Comment Training – July 24, 2023
Do you want to tell elected officials what is on your mind but don’t because:
- you don’t know how?
- you don’t think it will make a difference?
- you feel nervous or don’t like public speaking?
- you are too busy?
This training gives you the tools to help you feel confident sharing your viewpoint publicly with decision-makers in government and/or school boards. You will learn that engaging with your elected representatives is not difficult, and they appreciate hearing your point of view. Remember, without citizen engagement, democracy dies. Your elected officials work for you. Let them know what you think.
This program was developed by the LWVMC Government and Social Issues Action Teams. Special guest speakers include Misty Servia and Betsy Benac, who both served as Manatee County Commissioners.
Explore our Guide to Making Public Comments.
Land Use, Planning and Development Training – February 22, 2023
By Florida statute Manatee County is required to have a comprehensive plan that “shall provide the principles, guidelines, standards, and strategies for the orderly and balanced future economic, social, physical, environmental, and fiscal development of the area that reflects community commitments to implement the plan and its elements.”
Decisions are being made at every County Commissioner Land Use meeting that should comply with the comprehensive plan, but many of us find it hard to understand how development is planned, how decisions are made and how to find information about future land use development so that we can participate in the conversation and inform those decisions.
In this educational program former land use planners and Commissioners Betsy Benac and Misty Servia:
- defining the identities represented in the acronym LGBTQ+;
- differences in sexual orientation, biological sex, and gender identity; and
- how to become an ally and advocate for the youth and adults in our community (e.g., using pronouns and responding when someone comes out to you)
Implicit Bias Workshop with Dr. Lorie Fridell – March 31, 2021
This training is for everyone. Dr. Fridell’s workshop will help answer:
- What is implicit bias?
- How might it manifest in our lives?
- What are the skills we can use to reduce and manage bias?
Dr. Fridell is a Professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of South Florida and a nationally recognized expert on biased policing. Dr. Fridell can be reached at lfridell@usf.edu.
Recommended Books:
- The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives, by Shankar Vedantam
- Everyday Bias: Identifying and Navigating Unconscious Judgments in Our Daily Lives, by Howard Ross
- Biased: Uncovering the hidden prejudice that shapes what we see, think and do, by Jennifer Eberhardt PhD
- provide a background of land use law and regulations in Florida and relevant case law.
- discuss what a comprehensive plan is as well as topics such as the land development code, concurrency, etc.
- cover the public participation process and how to access documents and specific land use cases, rezones, etc.
- answer your questions about land use, planning and development.
There were many questions that we didn’t have time for during the Q&A period, and Commissioners Benac and Servia graciously offered to write up their answers, which are provided in this PDF (Q&A Responses to Remaining Questions during LWVMC Land Use Training_March 15 2023).
LGBTQ+ Inclusivity Training – November 18, 2021
Expand and build your understanding of sexuality, gender, identity, and expression. In this 2-hour, virtual training, Christine Grossman (she/hers), Outreach Coordinator for ALSO Youth, guides us through:
- defining the identities represented in the acronym LGBTQ+;
- differences in sexual orientation, biological sex, and gender identity; and
- how to become an ally and advocate for the youth and adults in our community (e.g., using pronouns and responding when someone comes out to you)
Implicit Bias Workshop with Dr. Lorie Fridell – March 31, 2021
This training is for everyone. Dr. Fridell’s workshop will help answer:
- What is implicit bias?
- How might it manifest in our lives?
- What are the skills we can use to reduce and manage bias?
Dr. Fridell is a Professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of South Florida and a nationally recognized expert on biased policing. Dr. Fridell can be reached at lfridell@usf.edu.
Recommended Books:
- The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives, by Shankar Vedantam
- Everyday Bias: Identifying and Navigating Unconscious Judgments in Our Daily Lives, by Howard Ross
- Biased: Uncovering the hidden prejudice that shapes what we see, think and do, by Jennifer Eberhardt PhD
