The Advanced Academy Dates are September 10-11, 2026

Location:  Wyndham Garden Hotel - Otsego, MN 

Cost to Attend: $325.00

Schedule:  

Thursday, September 10 Kick off the Academy by joining McKaia Dykema and Matt Nelles from the League of Minnesota Cities. This interactive session will dive into advanced applications of artificial intelligence from technical, ethical, and legal perspectives. Participants will explore real-world implications for municipalities and engage in small-group collaborations to discuss scenarios, challenges, and best practices for responsible AI use in local government operations.  

Leveraging Your Relationships to Improve Outcomes, 11:00 am - 5:15 pm join Lisa Hinz and Jody Horntvedt, UMN Extension Educators.  The focus of this series of workshops is on building your skills to more effectively interact with people by drawing on emotional intelligence to strengthen trusting relationships, influence processes, and build more collaborative partnerships to improve outcomes.

• Part 1: Using Power and Influence
• Part 2: Strengthening Emotional Intelligence
• Part 3: Building Trust

Friday, September 11, Kathy Quick, Professor at the State Specialist in Leadership and Civil Engagement, will lead an engaging session focused on Engaging Constructively with Conflict and Incivility in Resident Interactions.   The focus of this session is on equipping local government professionals with skills to respond constructively to conflict and incivility in staff-resident interactions or in community meetings. 

More details and session topics will be shared when registration officially opens. This Advanced Academy is ideal for clerks looking to expand their leadership capacity, stay ahead of emerging trends, and connect with peers in a collaborative learning environment.

General Program Description:

The Advanced Academy provides graduates of the Minnesota Municipal Clerks Institute (MMCI) an opportunity to focus on an in-depth topic of importance to the profession. Clerks who have completed the requirements for the MCMC and/or CMC designation may use this IIMC-approved program to earn 6 points toward their Minnesota Master Municipal Clerk (MMMC) from the MCFOA and/or Master Municipal Clerk (MMC) designation from the IIMC.

Academy MCFOA Board Policy

The Advanced Academy consists of a 1 ½ day, 12 hour curriculum of programming.  ALL CURRICULUM HOURS ARE MANDATORY. There is a strict adherence to punctuality in each session and no cell phone calls or texting are allowed in the classroom (devices are allowed for session materials only). Attendance will be tracked. In rare instances related to emergencies, excused absences are allowed if approved by the Institute Director. These excused absences will require a “makeup assignment” that is provided by the Institute Director (who will collaborate with the instructor prior to the end of the programming). PARTICIPANTS WHO FAIL TO COMPLY WITH ATTENDANCE AND PUNCTUALITY REQUIREMENTS WILL NOT RECEIVE A CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION.

Those who apply for a MCAA Grant will receive an email after the MCFOA May Board Meeting of your award.