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The 2026 MAGC Annual Conference is SOLD OUT! To join the waitlist, please fill out this form. We will notify you if space becomes available.
Join us for the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators (MAGC) 2026 Annual Conference, where more than 300 government communicators will come together for a day of learning, networking, and professional development. Our Annual Conference Planning Committee has been hard at work crafting an exceptional lineup of speakers covering relevant and timely topics. Keynote and breakout session speakers will be announced soon!
Registration & Fees
The 2026 MAGC Annual Conference is SOLD OUT! To join the waitlist, please fill out this form. We will notify you if space becomes available.
Early Bird Registration Rates (ends September 11)Regular Registration Rates (September 12 through October 16)
*Save on your conference registration fee by joining MAGC! For just $85 per year, MAGC membership unlocks a $50 discount on your Annual Conference registration fee, plus free access to webinars and education sessions, discounts on Northern Lights contest entries and ceremony registration, and other benefits. Learn more and sign up here.
Hotel Room Block
Join us for the Minnesota Association of Government Communicators (MAGC) 2026 Annual Conference, where more than 300 government communicators will come together for a day of learning, networking, and professional development. Our Annual Conference Planning Committee has been hard at work crafting an exceptional lineup of speakers covering relevant and timely topics. Keynote and breakout session speakers will be announced soon!
Registration & Fees
The 2026 MAGC Annual Conference is SOLD OUT! To join the waitlist, please fill out this form. We will notify you if space becomes available.
MAGC Member - $155Non-Member* - $205
MAGC Member - $180Non-Member* - $230
*Save on your conference registration fee by joining MAGC! For just $85 per year, MAGC membership unlocks a $50 discount on your Annual Conference registration fee, plus free access to webinars and education sessions, discounts on Northern Lights contest entries and ceremony registration, and other benefits. Learn more and sign up here.
Hotel Room Block
MAGC has reserved a room block for the night of October 20 at the Fairfield Inn & Suites located next to the Heritage Center. You can book a room within the block using this link. The last day to book a room within the block is October 5, 2026.
Conference Schedule
Tuesday, October 20
7:00PM-9:00PM
PRE-CONFERENCE SOCIAL AT FORGOTTEN STAR BREWING
Conference attendees and sponsors are invited to join us on Tuesday, October 20 for a pre-conference social at Forgotten Star Brewing. Stop by anytime between 7pm and 9pm, say hi, and grab a drink and a bite to eat.
Wednesday, October 21
8:00AM
REGISTRATION, BREAKFAST, AND VENDOR FAIR
8:30AM
ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
9:00AM
CONFERENCE WELCOME
9:10AM-10:00AM
OPENING KEYNOTE
The First 48 Hours: Controlling Communications Chaos During a Manhunt
In the early morning hours of June 14, 2025, DPS got the call: Someone had shot elected officials and their families in their homes. The shooter was still on the loose. Add to this that Metro Transit, the largest transit agency in the region, was set to open a brand new bus rapid transit line and there was a No Kings rally scheduled at the state Capitol grounds. The following 48 hours would bring together law enforcement from across the Twin Cities metro area in one of the largest manhunts in the state. It also would bring together communicators from state, local, city, and county agencies to give public safety updates and answer inquiries from local, national, and international media. Our keynote speakers will discuss how it all came together during the search, the lessons they learned, and how the relationships built in those 48 hours still serve us today.
Howie Padilla
Communications Director, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Howie Padilla has more than two decades of communications experience in the Twin Cities metro area working on both sides of the media and public relations table. He has been with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety since 2022.
As a reporter for the Star Tribune, Howie covered public safety issues in the Twin Cities and throughout the state, including a school shooting on the Red Lake Reservation, law enforcement safety issues, and criminal trials. In 2007, he left the Star Tribune to help Saint Paul Public Schools with media relations work. Since then, he has built a public relations career at the St. Paul Police Department, Metro Transit, and the City of Minneapolis. He has helped guide communications in a variety of events and investigations including Super Bowl LII, the investigation of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, officer-involved shooting events, and everyday acts of kindness and heroism.
His passion for public safety and for joining a communications team that tells the stories of those that serve the more than 5.5 million people in the state are what drew him to the Department of Public Safety.
Communications Director, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Howie Padilla has more than two decades of communications experience in the Twin Cities metro area working on both sides of the media and public relations table. He has been with the Minnesota Department of Public Safety since 2022.
As a reporter for the Star Tribune, Howie covered public safety issues in the Twin Cities and throughout the state, including a school shooting on the Red Lake Reservation, law enforcement safety issues, and criminal trials. In 2007, he left the Star Tribune to help Saint Paul Public Schools with media relations work. Since then, he has built a public relations career at the St. Paul Police Department, Metro Transit, and the City of Minneapolis. He has helped guide communications in a variety of events and investigations including Super Bowl LII, the investigation of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, officer-involved shooting events, and everyday acts of kindness and heroism.
His passion for public safety and for joining a communications team that tells the stories of those that serve the more than 5.5 million people in the state are what drew him to the Department of Public Safety.
Jen Longaecker
During the June 14 lawmaker shootings, Jen helped lead communications in the state's Joint Information Center, coordinating multi-agency messaging and managing intense national media attention. She has also deployed as a public information officer to a wildfire and a tornado. She began her career as an award-winning crime and courts reporter, working at several Minnesota and Wisconsin newspapers.
Media Relations & Public Affairs Director, Minnesota Commerce Department
Former Deputy Communications Director, Minnesota Department of Public Safety
Jen Longaecker is a crisis and strategic communications leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning journalism, 911 dispatch, and public safety and government communications. She spent nine years as a public information officer and social media manager at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety before serving as its deputy communications director from 2022 to 2026, where she helped lead enterprise crisis communications and advised senior leaders during high-profile incidents.
During the June 14 lawmaker shootings, Jen helped lead communications in the state's Joint Information Center, coordinating multi-agency messaging and managing intense national media attention. She has also deployed as a public information officer to a wildfire and a tornado. She began her career as an award-winning crime and courts reporter, working at several Minnesota and Wisconsin newspapers.
Risikat Adesaogun
Director of Communications, Minnesota IT Services
Former Communications Manager, City of Brooklyn Park
Risikat Adesaogun is a Brooklyn Park, Minnesota native and strategic communications leader with a career dedicated to strengthening public trust and making complex systems more accessible to everyday people. She began her career supporting immigrant and underserved communities through nonprofit and public service work. After earning her Master's degree in Strategic Communication Management, she transitioned into public sector communications. At the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), Adesaogun advanced environmental justice initiatives and contributed to the agency's first Environmental Justice Framework.
Risikat went on to serve as Press Secretary and Deputy Communications Director for Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, working to communication about protection of voting rights while strengthening public trust in elections during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and through the aftermath of the January 6, 2021 insurrection. She later served as Communications Director for Secretary Simon's successful 2022 re-election campaign.
Risikat went on to serve as Press Secretary and Deputy Communications Director for Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, working to communication about protection of voting rights while strengthening public trust in elections during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and through the aftermath of the January 6, 2021 insurrection. She later served as Communications Director for Secretary Simon's successful 2022 re-election campaign.
10:00AM
VENDOR FAIR & SNACK
10:15AM-11:00AM
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Session 1A: Digital Accessibility for All
Join Ashley Bednar and Sam Verdick from the City of Woodbury for a session on digital accessibility in local government. Attendees will gain an understanding of the Department of Justice (DOJ)'s updated ADA Title II digital accessibility requirements and what the extended 2027 compliance deadline means for local governments. The session will highlight how the City of Woodbury built a cross-department accessibility project management team, selected and implemented accessibility tools, and developed processes to support long-term compliance.
Participants will also learn practical strategies for improving accessibility across websites, documents, and social media, along with key considerations related to staff training and citywide awareness. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas, lessons learned, and tools they can apply within their own organizations, including a downloadable accessibility checklist!
Participants will also learn practical strategies for improving accessibility across websites, documents, and social media, along with key considerations related to staff training and citywide awareness. Attendees will leave with actionable ideas, lessons learned, and tools they can apply within their own organizations, including a downloadable accessibility checklist!
Ashley Bednar
Community Relations Specialist, City of Woodbury
Ashley Bednar is a Community Relations Specialist for the City of Woodbury, where she specializes in internal communication and engagement. Ashley won the MAGC New Communications Professional Award in 2025 and this is her first time presenting at MAGC!
Community Relations Specialist, City of Woodbury
Ashley Bednar is a Community Relations Specialist for the City of Woodbury, where she specializes in internal communication and engagement. Ashley won the MAGC New Communications Professional Award in 2025 and this is her first time presenting at MAGC!
Sam Verdick
Community Relations Technician, City of Woodbury
Sam Verdick is a Community Relations Technician for the City of Woodbury, where he specializes in graphic design and social media management. Sam has been a MAGC member for 2 years and previously presented at the MAGC Fall Conference as part of a panel discussion on practical applications of AI in government communications.
Session 1B: "Yes...And": The Essential Role of Local Government Communicators
Being a government communicator often feels like starring in a traveling improv troupe -- armed with the eternal rule of "yes...and," plus a junk drawer's worth of responsibilities you didn't know you signed up for. From building a new team to wrangling the occasional "Hey, I have an idea..." from elected officials, we do it all, and it's exhausting in the most rewarding way.
Join this breakout session to explore how Carver County's communications team embraces its role as the jack of all trades glue in local government, builds strong cross-department and cross-city partnerships, and proves why our work isn't just essential: it pays off in real, measurable ways for the communities we serve. Attendees will leave with a fresh, affirming look at the role government communicators play as "everything-everywhere" problem-solvers. They'll learn practical strategies for managing the constant pivoting, juggling, and unexpected asks that come with being the office's unofficial junk drawer. Expect humor, honesty, and takeaways you can apply the moment you're back at your desk.
Join this breakout session to explore how Carver County's communications team embraces its role as the jack of all trades glue in local government, builds strong cross-department and cross-city partnerships, and proves why our work isn't just essential: it pays off in real, measurable ways for the communities we serve. Attendees will leave with a fresh, affirming look at the role government communicators play as "everything-everywhere" problem-solvers. They'll learn practical strategies for managing the constant pivoting, juggling, and unexpected asks that come with being the office's unofficial junk drawer. Expect humor, honesty, and takeaways you can apply the moment you're back at your desk.
Ari Lyskett
Chief Communications Officer, Carver County
Ari Lyksett is the Chief Communications Officer for Carver County. Lyksett has over a decade of experience in communications, serving non-profits and government agencies throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. She has worked in similar roles, more recently, at the City of Chanhassen, the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, and Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities
She earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She has a passion for teaching all things government communications, serving as the digital media specialist for the Youth in Government Program.
Chief Communications Officer, Carver County
Ari Lyksett is the Chief Communications Officer for Carver County. Lyksett has over a decade of experience in communications, serving non-profits and government agencies throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin. She has worked in similar roles, more recently, at the City of Chanhassen, the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority, and Big Brothers Big Sisters Twin Cities
She earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. She has a passion for teaching all things government communications, serving as the digital media specialist for the Youth in Government Program.
11:00AM
VENDOR FAIR
11:15AM-12:00PM
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Session 2A: Roundtable Networking & Discussions
You asked, and we answered! Join fellow government communicators for 45 minutes of structured networking and roundtable discussions on relevant, timely issues and themes. Meet new friends, learn from colleagues, and share your experiences. You will spend 15 minutes at a table and then rotate to another topic of your choice.
Roundtable Topics
AI for Government Communicators
Internal Communications
Building Trust with Plain Language
Community Engagement
Teams of One or Small Teams
Do More - With Small Budgets
Working with Leadership and Elected Officials
Roundtable Topics
AI for Government Communicators
Internal Communications
Building Trust with Plain Language
Community Engagement
Teams of One or Small Teams
Do More - With Small Budgets
Working with Leadership and Elected Officials
Session 2B: 30 in 30: Comms On-A-Stick
Our annual 30 in 30 returns, this time with the Minnesota State Fair's Marketing team serving up bite‑sized insights from Minnesota's biggest pop‑up city.
12:00PM
LUNCH
1:10PM
VENDOR FAIR
1:30PM-2:15PM
BREAKOUT SESSIONS
Session 3A: Your Friendly Neighborhood Influencer: Humanizing Government Through Social Media
Social media is an ever-evolving back hole of information where it can be hard to stand out. Social media is a platform that connects all of us, and we need to take advantage of that! Become a friendly neighborhood influencer -- literally. During this breakout sessions, attendees will learn how to balance their voice on social media, navigate the new age of being online, and make government communications fun for the content creators and the content consumers. Learn how to take advantage of the creative aspects of social media, and brainstorm opportunities to step outside the box in content creation as much as possible. This session is designed for organizations that have a current social media presence, but are wondering how to expand on that presence and find a unique voice that allows them to continue getting information across while incorporating humor and following trends.
Anna Pearson
Communications Specialist - Social Media, City of Shoreview
Anna Pearson has worked for the City of Shoreview for a year and a half, but has been on social media content teams for over 5 years. With degrees in psychology and journalism, she's always had a passion for storytelling, and is fortunate to be in a position where that storytelling now sometimes includes dressing up as Paul Revere and running around the city for content.
Communications Specialist - Social Media, City of Shoreview
Anna Pearson has worked for the City of Shoreview for a year and a half, but has been on social media content teams for over 5 years. With degrees in psychology and journalism, she's always had a passion for storytelling, and is fortunate to be in a position where that storytelling now sometimes includes dressing up as Paul Revere and running around the city for content.
Josie Hayes
Communications Specialist, City of Shoreview
Josie Hayes has worked in government communications since 2018, specializing in digital media. She's often found capturing drone footage over the City of Shoreview or editing a project with noise-cancelling headphones on. With a background in film and theater, the drive to create and tell people's stories has always been her goal, now with a side of connecting her local community.
Session 3B: Building Trust in an Age of Skepticism
Local governments are being asked to do more than ever with limited time, staff and resources. At the same time, public expectations have changed. Residents want transparency, timely information and meaningful engagement, while even routine decisions can quickly draw scrutiny or spark broader community conversations.
Trust is no longer a given. It must be earned, reinforced and sometimes rebuilt during major projects, policy decisions and periods of change.
This session explores how government communicators can work alongside staff and elected leaders to maintain credibility and strengthen public trust during those moments. Drawing on real-world experience supporting local governments through major projects and difficult community conversations, we'll discuss how to communicate early, support leaders under pressure, respond when issues escalate and build trust before it is tested. Participants will leave with practical strategies they can apply immediately: how to focus limited time and resources on the communication efforts that matter most, respond with clarity and credibility when issues arise, and build the relationships that help sustain trust over time.
Trust is no longer a given. It must be earned, reinforced and sometimes rebuilt during major projects, policy decisions and periods of change.
This session explores how government communicators can work alongside staff and elected leaders to maintain credibility and strengthen public trust during those moments. Drawing on real-world experience supporting local governments through major projects and difficult community conversations, we'll discuss how to communicate early, support leaders under pressure, respond when issues escalate and build trust before it is tested. Participants will leave with practical strategies they can apply immediately: how to focus limited time and resources on the communication efforts that matter most, respond with clarity and credibility when issues arise, and build the relationships that help sustain trust over time.
Todd Stone
Managing Director & Chief of Staff, Rapp Strategies, Inc.
Todd is a former newsroom leader with more than 20 years of experience at major news organizations, including the Star Tribune and Houston Chronicle. Today, he advises local governments on major public projects, community engagement and high-profile public issues. He has supported communications for dozens of successful referendums and public initiatives across Minnesota.
Managing Director & Chief of Staff, Rapp Strategies, Inc.
Todd is a former newsroom leader with more than 20 years of experience at major news organizations, including the Star Tribune and Houston Chronicle. Today, he advises local governments on major public projects, community engagement and high-profile public issues. He has supported communications for dozens of successful referendums and public initiatives across Minnesota.
Marisa Morris
Account Executive, Rapp Strategies, Inc.
Marisa's work in public affairs is informed by her background in government relations, public policy, and higher education. She is an experienced researcher and communicator, with a talent for simplifying complex concepts.
Account Executive, Rapp Strategies, Inc.
Marisa's work in public affairs is informed by her background in government relations, public policy, and higher education. She is an experienced researcher and communicator, with a talent for simplifying complex concepts.
Julia Schafer
Account Supervisor, Rapp Strategies, Inc.
Julia Schafer is a strategic communications professional with experience supporting local governments, utilities and major public infrastructure initiatives across Minnesota. She specializes in stakeholder engagement, media relations and public communications, helping organizations explain complex issues, navigate sensitive conversations and build trust through clear, community-focused communication.
Account Supervisor, Rapp Strategies, Inc.
Julia Schafer is a strategic communications professional with experience supporting local governments, utilities and major public infrastructure initiatives across Minnesota. She specializes in stakeholder engagement, media relations and public communications, helping organizations explain complex issues, navigate sensitive conversations and build trust through clear, community-focused communication.
2:30PM-3:30PM
CLOSING KEYNOTE
Seize Your R.E.S.T.
Government communicators are expected to be calm in a crisis, clear in complexity, responsive when priorities change, and ready with the right message when everyone needs an answer. You translate complicated information into communication people can understand and trust. You navigate competing priorities, tight timelines, public scrutiny, challenging conversations, organizational change, and an information cycle that rarely stops.
The challenge isn't that you don't know how to work hard. It's that few professionals have been given a strategy for restoring the energy, attention, and emotional capacity that demanding work requires.
In Seize Your R.E.S.T., positive psychology practitioner and workplace well-being expert Jasmine Brett Stringer introduces a practical, research-backed framework for sustaining yourself while continuing to serve others well.
Through R.E.S.T. (Recovery, Emotional Agility, Support, and Time), participants will learn how to move beyond simply pushing through and develop practices that help them remain clear, connected, and effective, even when the work feels relentless.
Participants will leave knowing how to:
- Recover intentionally with practical strategies for restoring energy and attention during demanding communication cycles
- Practice emotional agility to navigate criticism, uncertainty, changing priorities, and difficult conversations without being consumed by them
- Strengthen support systems and cultivate the relationships that make challenging work more sustainable
- Reclaim time and attention by creating boundaries, identifying what truly requires urgency, and making more intentional choices about where their energy goes
Jasmine Brett Stringer, MAPP
Keynote Speaker & Well-Being Strategist
Jasmine Brett Stringer is a keynote speaker, award-winning author, television personality, and Founder & CEO of Carpe Diem with Jasmine, where she helps individuals and organizations build workplace well-being and emotional agility. A 2026 Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Women in Business Honoree, she blends the science of positive psychology with lived experience and business insight to help people flourish at work and in life.
Before founding her company, Jasmine spent nearly twenty years in corporate America, working with leading consumer package goods companies, giving her firsthand insight into the pressures her corporate audiences face every day. She holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a business degree from American University's Kogod School of Business and is the author of Seize Your Life.
Jasmine has partnered with organizations including the Federal Reserve Bank, Airbnb, General Mills, Cargill, and the American Heart Association, and was named the National Speakers Association Minnesota Chapter's 2024 Member of the Year.
Based in Minneapolis, she splits her time between city life and her family's farm, where she lives with her husband and their dog, Charlie.
Keynote Speaker & Well-Being Strategist
Jasmine Brett Stringer is a keynote speaker, award-winning author, television personality, and Founder & CEO of Carpe Diem with Jasmine, where she helps individuals and organizations build workplace well-being and emotional agility. A 2026 Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Women in Business Honoree, she blends the science of positive psychology with lived experience and business insight to help people flourish at work and in life.
Before founding her company, Jasmine spent nearly twenty years in corporate America, working with leading consumer package goods companies, giving her firsthand insight into the pressures her corporate audiences face every day. She holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania and a business degree from American University's Kogod School of Business and is the author of Seize Your Life.
Jasmine has partnered with organizations including the Federal Reserve Bank, Airbnb, General Mills, Cargill, and the American Heart Association, and was named the National Speakers Association Minnesota Chapter's 2024 Member of the Year.
Based in Minneapolis, she splits her time between city life and her family's farm, where she lives with her husband and their dog, Charlie.
3:30PM
CLOSING REMARKS
3:45PM-5:15PM
HAPPY HOUR & VENDOR FAIR
Thank you to our 2026 MAGC Annual Conference Sponsors!
2026 Grand Sponsor
We're a group of certified digital accessibility experts living with disabilities. We specialist in ADA/WCAG/Section 508 compliance with a unique combination of manual accessibility audits and disability-focused UX testing. We are a National Organization for Disability Leading Disability Employer and a DisabilityIN certified Disability Owned Business Enterprise. Our goal is to make your team legally compliant and "accessibility independent" while meeting the needs of real people living with disabilities.
2026 Keynote Sponsors
2026 Nametag Sponsor
2026 Gold Sponsors
2026 Silver Sponsors
