SSC sponsoring Public Works Conference this week in Tinley Park

10/30/2009

SOUTH HOLLAND, IL – The Business & Career Institute of South Suburban College is holding an all-day Public Works Conference on Friday, November 6, 2009, at the Holiday Inn & Convention Center in Tinley Park. There will also be a special evening session on November 5th for public works directors and elected officials.

The Public Works Conference is part of an ongoing focus by the Business & Career Institute on topics related to public works excellence.

"This conference will cover new ground," says Nancy Burrows, coordinator of the conference. "It goes beyond our previous workshops. Every time I speak to our presenters, I'm impressed with their knowledge. Just the other day, Mark DeVries had an audience of 180 public works professionals at a presentation! And we have this expert here for the third time! We're very lucky."

The conference will spotlight winter preparation, with special emphasis on winter operations, sustainable winter services, new techniques in snow and ice management, sensible salting, environmental issues, and other challenges and concerns facing public works departments. In the afternoon, special breakout sessions will be held for public works management on leadership regional partnership opportunities, and other issues, while public works operators will attend breakout sessions on salting and calibration, achieving excellence, and hands-on calibration.

The college is pleased to welcome two nationally acclaimed speakers for this conference: Mark DeVries, Maintenance Superintendent for the McHenry County Illinois Division of Transportation and Bret Hodne, Public Works Director, West Des Moines, Iowa. Both are award winning experts in snow and ice treatments and have recently returned from Argentina, where they traveled the country speaking on winter maintenance procedures and environmentally friendly materials. This will be Mr. DeVries' third time speaking at an SSC public works conference.

The Public Works Conference will open Thursday with a special "Icebreaker"session from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. for public works directors and elected officials to provide updates and hold a discussion on regional concerns for Winter '09/10. The conference will follow on Friday from 7:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. Sponsors include The Gasaway Company, Monroe Truck, Geo Melt, and Central Salt.

For more information, or to register, please call South Suburban College at 708-596-2000 x2556. The Holiday Inn Hotel & Convention Center is located at 18501 S. Harlem Avenue, Tinley Park, IL.

Documents

• Press Release