2011 Conference a Success

Santa Fe November 13-16, 2011: Annual Professional Development Conference A Success!

The wonderful La Fonda on the Plaza in the heart of Santa Fe was the site of “Administrative Adjudication: Keeping Focused in Challenging Times,” the 2011 NAHO annual Conference. Over 100 attendees enjoyed featured speakers New Mexico Attorney General Gary King, Chief Justice Charles Daniels, and Celia Foy Castillo, Chief Judge of the New Mexico Court of Appeals. The focus of the Conference was reflected in training classes that outlined the basics of evidence for hearing officials, the handling and admissibility of scientific, technical and electronic evidence, the fundamentals of due process and the conduct and control of hearings. Presenters from New Mexico shared their experiences on working with interpreters, conducting motor vehicle license hearings and outlined how the city of Albuquerque established an independent hearings office. Smaller roundtable discussions with attendees on the ever-changing technical world we all face culminated in a panel discussion on that topic, particularly the impact of social media. Finally, personal professional development classes featured sessions on examining our own judicial temperament and demeanor and the importance of taking care of ourselves as we pursue our sometimes stressful careers.