Virtual SUMA Summit (formerly known as SUMA Sector Meetings)
Date: February 13
Time: 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Location: Online via Zoom
Cost: $40 + GST and PST per person
Register for the 2025 Virtual SUMA Summit here.
Join us for SUMA's second biggest event of the year! SUMA member meetings are a great opportunity to get to know your peers, learn about successes and challenges experienced by other municipalities, and hear updates from SUMA and our partners. We kick off the beginning of each year with the Virtual SUMA Summit (formerly SUMA Sector Meetings) where all members are invited to discuss priorities for their sector, hear from SUMA, and participate in learning opportunities.
This meeting is also where elections for the towns and villages/resort villages caucus’ will take place.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT?
All attendees will spend the morning together to hear an update on SUMA and our advocacy work, updates from SUMA partners, and a keynote presentation. We are excited to welcome Doug Griffiths, Community Builder, as the keynote speaker for this event.
For the afternoon, we will break out into sectors – cities, towns, northern municipalities, and villages/resort villages – to share your successes during hometown proud, take in an education session specifically designed for your sector, and discuss sector relevant issues in an open forum.
Towns and villages/resort villages will also participate in caucus elections. We encourage you to join and run for a caucus position or cast your vote for your caucus representative.
AGENDA
KEYNOTE SPEAKER, DOUG GRIFFITHS
Doug Griffiths is a wildly popular community strategist and author of two best selling editions “13 Ways to Kill Your Community”. He has supported, guided and inspired hundreds of communities to create effective change. Whether through speaking and presentations, or through advising and consulting, he is dedicated to helping communities across North America find the own pathway to success. He grew up on a ranch outside a small town where he learned the value of hard work, critical thinking skills, and the value of community. That background led him into politics, but he insists he has since been through rehab and is fully recovered. His experience in politics gave him a deep understanding about how to move people and to get things done. He deliberately retired from politics in January 2015, after serving for 13 years, to return to his passion for community building. Griffiths has an Executive MBA, and Honors B.A Philosophy Degree, as well as his Bachelor Education, all from the University of Alberta where he has taught community and municipal leadership courses for elected officials and administration.
Doug’s inspiring keynote, “13 Ways to Kill Your Community” offers valuable lessons on what makes the difference between a prospering community and a failing one. Based on the bestselling book, 13 Ways to Kill Your Community, this presentation is sometimes startling and often revelatory. Doug’s passion shines through in this keynote. He makes every audience member feel as if he was speaking directly to them about their community. His anecdotes deliver both wit and wisdom to challenge audiences. He’ll have you inspired and confident in your role in creating a stronger community!
Learn more about Doug here.
CAUCUS ELECTIONS
Caucus election for towns and villages/resort villages will take place during the afternoon of the Virtual SUMA Summit. Caucus representation is replacing the former regional director positions on SUMA's Board of Directors. Moving to a caucus-based model moves the primary responsibility for advocacy to sectoral caucuses, elected by the sectoral representatives in each region. These caucuses are where most of the sector-specific advocacy will occur. If you are looking to expand your reach beyond your local council, or get more involved in SUMA, running for the town or village caucus representative for your region is a great opportunity to do just that!
Caucus representation differs slightly from caucus to caucus, with each city appointing one member to the cities caucus, the northern caucus appointing members based on geographical quadrants, and the towns and villages/resort villages caucuses electing one member from each of the existing SUMA geographical regions to each caucus.
We encourage you to join and run for a caucus position or cast your vote for your caucus representative. Learn more about SUMA's caucus elections here.
REGISTRATION
Registration is open to representatives from all SUMA member municipalities. The cost to attend is $40/person + GST and PST.
Register for the Virtual SUMA Summit here.
Each attendee will need to register themselves separately.
The Virtual SUMA Summit is sponsored by SaskWater.
