Training Opportunities
Training opportunities covering a variety of topics important to Ohio townships.
Upcoming Training Opportunities
Click on the buttons inside the tabbed menu to view:
September Trainings
September 14, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
How to Compete for Projects, Increase Revenue, and Prevent Annexation
Track: Trustee
Speaker: John Albers; Albers & Albers
Description: Townships face increasing pressure to compete for economic development projects. This webinar will provide practical economic development tools and a proven framework for building a winning template that helps townships attract investment, strengthen developer partnerships, increase revenue, and reduce the risk of annexation. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to position their township as the preferred choice for future projects.
Price: $20 member / $30 non-member
September 15, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Private Roads & Subdivision Standards: Navigating Township and County Authority in Growing Communities
Track: Zoning Inspectors Group
Speaker: Austin Musser & Carly Sherman, Bricker Graydon Wyatt LLP
Description: As residential growth expands into unincorporated areas, townships are increasingly facing challenges related to private roads, subdivision standards, infrastructure maintenance, and overlapping regulatory authority. This session will explore how township zoning authority intersects with county subdivision regulations, common conflicts that arise during development review, and practical strategies for protecting long-term community interests.
Price: $20 member / $30 non-member
September 16, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Cemetery Management 101
Track: General Township
Speaker: Tom Spring, Spring Law, LLC
Description: Managing a township cemetery comes with unique operational, legal, and financial responsibilities that many officials are not fully prepared to navigate. This session will provide a practical overview of cemetery management fundamentals, including recordkeeping, maintenance standards, budgeting, policies, grave sales, and Ohio legal requirements. Attendees will gain actionable guidance and best practices to help ensure respectful operations, long-term sustainability, and proper stewardship of township cemetery assets.
Price: $20 member / $30 non-member
September 17, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Public Relations Strategies Your Township Should Implement
Track: OTAN
Speaker: Traci Stivers, Stivers Media
Description: Effective communication is essential for building public trust, improving community engagement, and strengthening your township’s reputation. This webinar will explore practical public relations strategies that townships can implement to better communicate with residents, manage public perception, respond to challenges, and promote township initiatives and successes. Attendees will learn actionable techniques for social media, public messaging, crisis communication, community outreach, and creating a more transparent and connected local government.
Price: $20 member / $30 non-member
September 18, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Financing Major Purchases
Track: Fiscal Officer
Speaker: Paul Rutter, Bricker Graydon Wyatt LLP
Description: This session will focus on strategies for financing significant capital outlays, including equipment purchases, new construction, and improvements to existing facilities. Topics will include short- and long-term debt, voted and unvoted options, tax anticipation notes, and lease-purchase financings. Debt limitations and exemptions will also be covered.
Price: $20 member / $30 non-member
*This session is pending approval for one hour of fiscal officer Fiscal Integrity Act (FIA) credit, as required by the Fiscal Integrity Act (R.C. §507.12). Additionally, this session is pending approval for credit for CPIM training, as required by R.C. §135.22.
October Trainings
October 9, 9:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.m.
2026 In-Person OTAN Forum
Track: OTAN
Description: Join administrators from the Ohio Township Administrators Network to learn and discuss important topics related to your unique challenges. Topics covered will include:
- Levy Planning Under Property Tax Reform
- Roundtable Discussion
- Economic Development Non-Disclosure
- Negotiating Development Agreements and Infrastructure Commitments
- Managing the Administrator–Trustee Relationship
The meeting will be held at the OTA office. Breakfast and lunch are provided with registration.
Price: $75 member / $100 non-member
October 16, 9:00 A.M. – 3:00 P.m.
2026 In-Person Zoning Forum
Track: Zoning Inspectors
Description: Join us for the 2026 in-person Zoning Inspectors Group Meeting held at the OTA office. Please find the tentative session topics below:
- Roundtable Discussion
- Mock Board of Zoning Appeals Hearing
- Technology Tools for Zoning Inspectors: Apps, Platforms & Field Productivity
- Building a Defensible Case: Evidence, Notices, and Documentation
- From Complaint to Closure: Managing a Zoning Enforcement Case
Lunch is included with your registration fee.
Price: $35 member / $50 non-member
October 19, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Village Dissolutions - Voluntary or Mandated
Track: Trustees
Speaker: Amy Blankenship & Rebecca Princehorn, Bricker Graydon Wyatt LLP
Description: : Small villages are under financial and statutory pressure to dissolve. What does that mean for the underlying township in terms of financial and practical implications?
Price: $20 member / $30 non-member
October 20, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Leveraging AI to Improve Procurement Efficiency
Track: General Township
Speaker: Pam Dempsey, Equalis Group
Description: : Artificial intelligence tools are quickly becoming part of everyday workflows across the public sector. This session provides a practical look at how AI can support early stage procurement tasks while maintaining transparency and compliance. Participants will see a live demonstration of how agencies can quickly develop the three core components of a solicitation including the scope description, evaluation criteria, and vendor questions. The goal is to give public sector teams a clear understanding of where AI can safely support their work and where human judgment remains essential.
Price: FREE
October 21, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Advising Townships During Legal Negotiations
Track: Law Directors
Speaker: David Riepenhoff, Fishel, Downey, Albrecht & Riepenhoff LLC
Description: Union negotiations present unique legal, financial, and operational challenges for townships and the attorneys who advise them. This session will provide township legal counsel with practical guidance on collective bargaining strategies, labor law considerations, contract negotiations, grievance issues, and maintaining productive relationships with union representatives while protecting township interests. Attendees will gain insight into preparing elected officials for negotiations, avoiding common legal pitfalls, and supporting effective long-term labor management practices.
Price: $50 member / $75 non-member
*This webinar is pending approval by the Supreme Court of Ohio Commission on Continuing Legal Education for 1.0 Hour(s) of General CLE Instruction.
October 22, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Closing the Books: A Township Fiscal Officer’s Year-End Checklist
Track: Fiscal Officer
Speaker: Auditor of State's Office
Description: A practical, step-by-step review of the work fiscal officers should complete before the end of the year. Topics will include resolving accounting and payroll errors, completing reconciliations, reviewing outstanding purchase orders and encumbrances, confirming appropriations and fund balances, preparing tax forms, organizing supporting records and getting ready for annual financial reporting and the next audit. Participants will receive a suggested year-end timeline and checklist.
Price: $20 member / $30 non-member
*This session is pending approval for one hour of fiscal officer Fiscal Integrity Act (FIA) credit, as required by the Fiscal Integrity Act (R.C. §507.12). Additionally, this session is pending approval for credit for CPIM training, as required by R.C. §135.22.
November Trainings
November 16, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
Track: Trustee
Speaker: Susan Willeke, Ohio Ethics Commission
Description: Conflicts of interest can undermine public trust, delay governance, and create significant legal and ethical challenges for township officials and staff. This session will provide practical guidance on identifying, avoiding, and properly managing conflicts of interest while maintaining transparency and accountability in public decision-making. Attendees will gain real-world strategies to protect their township, strengthen public confidence, and ensure compliance with ethical and governance standards.
Price: $20 member / $30 non-member
November 17, 10:30 - 11:30 A.M.
Agricultural Exemptions Under Ohio’s Current Zoning Law
Track: Zoning Inspectors Group
Speaker: TBD
Description: Agricultural exemptions continue to create difficult questions for township zoning officials. This session will review the current limits of township zoning authority and examine common gray areas involving agricultural buildings, farm markets, wineries, agritourism, events, accessory activities, and commercial uses connected to agricultural property. Scenario-based examples will help attendees determine when an activity is exempt, when zoning regulations may apply and what documentation should be collected before enforcement begins.
Price: $20 member / $30 non-member
November 18, 10:30 - 11:30 A.M.
Texts, Teams, and Social Media: Public Records and Open Meetings in Everyday Township Work
Track: General Township
Speaker: David Riepenhoff, Fishel, Downey, Albrecht & Riepenhoff LLC
Description: Township business increasingly takes place through text messages, group chats, personal phones, social media, collaboration platforms, and virtual meetings. This session will use practical examples to explain when digital communications become public records, how records should be retained, what officials should avoid discussing electronically, how serial communications can create open-meetings concerns, and what information must be documented in meeting notices and minutes.
Price: $20 member / $30 non-member
November 19, 10:30 - 11:30 A.M.
Purchasing Compliance from Requisition to Payment
Track: Fiscal Officer
Speaker: TBD
Description: Township purchasing involves much more than paying an invoice. This practical session will walk fiscal officers through the complete purchasing process—from the initial request and certification of available funds through purchase orders, contracting, receipt of goods, and final payment. Presenters will explain how to create a consistent, audit-ready process while avoiding common compliance mistakes and findings.
Price: $20 member / $30 non-member
*This session is pending approval for one hour of fiscal officer Fiscal Integrity Act (FIA) credit, as required by the Fiscal Integrity Act (R.C. §507.12). Additionally, this session is pending approval for credit for CPIM training, as required by R.C. §135.22.
Dates are subject to change. Please check this page closer to the event for the most updated information. For any questions, please contact Michael Zaky.
Webinar Archive
Click below to view a catalogue of past webinars available to view in our Resource Center.