I wanted to share some of the links, photos, and slides from the Massachusetts Municipal Association two day annual meeting I attended at the Menino Convention Center on January 23 and 24.

Go to the link just below to see the major part of the program, which contains links to PDF’s of materials on various topics.

• Fiscal and Economic Outlook
This workshop will cover important current issues affecting state and municipal fiscal conditions, with a focus on fiscal 2026 and beyond. Panelists will provide updates on the status of state tax collections and the state’s economic outlook for fiscal 2027.
Panelists
Doug Howgate is the president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
Matthew Gorzkowicz is secretary of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance.
Geoffrey Snyder is the commissioner of the Department of Revenue.
Moderator
Sean Cronin is the senior deputy commissioner at the Division of Local Services.
• Fiscal and Economic Outlook – Dept. of Revenue presentation (490K PDF)
• Fiscal and Economic Outlook – Mass. Taxpayers Foundation presentation (460K PDF)
• Fiscal and Economic Outlook – Executive Office for Administration and Finance presentation (440K PDF)

• Collaborative Planning: Bringing Community Initiatives to Life
This workshop will cover how to bring successful community-wide events to your municipality, regardless of your budget or size. Panelists are organizers from three distinct Massachusetts initiatives: the Berkshire Busk street festival, the successful Farmer’s Market in Melrose, and the Falmouth Road Race. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of each initiative and how to adapt something similar for their community’s size and needs, emphasizing the municipal collaboration required for their success.
Panelists
Mike Faulkner serves as the Public Safety Liaison for the Falmouth Road Race, a role he has held since 2018, overseeing safety, security, and emergency preparedness planning for race week and race day operations. He works with local, state, and federal public safety and municipal partners and maintains a strong community-facing role, collaborating with residents, neighborhood associations, local businesses, and civic stakeholders to align public safety needs with community access and communication. On race day, Mike operates from the Unified Command Center, supporting multi-agency coordination and real-time decision making. In addition to his work in Falmouth, he supports race operations and emergency management for events produced by DMSE Sports, including the Boston Marathon, the Head of the Charles Regatta, the Lululemon 10K Series, and the Beach to Beacon.

Carli Scolforo is the general manager of Berkshire Busk!, the flagship project of Community Busk Inc. For the past five years, she has overseen programming, marketing and fundraising while serving as the voice of the festival’s social media presence. Through her work with Community Busk, Scolforo has expanded her reach into helping other municipalities draw their communities back downtown by harnessing the power of street performance. Her work helped the city of Lewiston, Maine, achieve its first busking festival. She has presented the work of the festival both online and through speaking engagements with the MMA and the Connecticut Chapter of Main Street USA. Scolforo began her career as a music journalist, with bylines in digital outlets including Paste and Spindle magazines, as well as regional publications such as The Berkshire Eagle and Berkshires Week. Upon returning to her hometown of Pittsfield, she co-founded 413Buzz, a media and marketing agency dedicated to supporting local businesses and amplifying community staples. A Berkshire native, Scolforo channeled her love of music and theatre into live event production, and she joined Berkshire Busk! for its flagship season. Experiencing the joy, energy and sense of belonging that street performance brought to her community sparked a passion for creative placemaking and cemented her belief in the power of cultural events to transform public spaces and foster community pride. Scolforo continues to freelance for regional publications, provides marketing support to local organizations, and serves on the steering committee of the Downtown Great Barrington Cultural District, where she helps support the local arts and business ecosystem.

Stephanie Zabel serves as executive director of the Melrose Farmers’ Market, where she guides programs that expand food access, uplift local farmers and small businesses, and engage the broader community. With a background encompassing environmental education, ethnobotany, and community event leadership, she has more than 15 years of experience connecting people with plants, food and the local landscape. Zabel also founded and directs Herbstalk, a regional herbal conference, and brings extensive experience in organizing mission-driven public events. Her work centers on fostering resilient food systems and vibrant community connections.
Moderator
Marc Craig is human services director in Foxborough and a community events leader who designs and delivers dynamic, people-centered programs that bring residents together. With extensive experience opening community centers and coordinating large-scale townwide initiatives, he creates welcoming, memorable events that strengthen connection and civic pride.
• Collaborative Planning: Bringing Community Initiatives to Life presentation (6M PDF)

This is Timothy Shriver, who presented on THE DIGNITY INDEX which is about lowering the political rhetoric.