Advanced Communication Skills

Communication is key to maintaining meaningful relationships with the public and your colleagues. Learn or refresh the skills you need to successfully communicate with others. After completing this course, you will be more effective in one-on-one conversations, at leading meetings, developing and making formal presentations, and in relationships with the media. This course counts toward the Public Works Management Institute certificate.

• Public works supervisors who wish to sharpen their skills
• Supervisors and managers who are new to the field of public works
• Public works employees who wish to prepare for advancement
• Public works engineers who are new to supervision and management
• Public works professionals engaged in the APWA Donald C. Stone Center leadership and management career path

Approaches to Persuasive Communication

• Getting their attention
• Clarity of purpose
• Clear call to action
• Using the message box
• Making abstracts visible / real Developing confidence in speaking Planning the presentation

Dave Hutton

Dave Hutton is a Senior Project Manager with SEH, Inc. For the last 20 years he has been a consultant engineer primarily serving Minnesota municipalities, working on City project delivery for a variety of street, utility, and trenchless projects. Before joining SEH Dave served as Public Works Director/City Engineer for the cities of Savage and Shakopee Minnesota and Assistant City Engineer for West Bend, Wisconsin. He has over 40 years of civil engineering experience and is a registered Professional Engineer in Minnesota, Wisconsin and North Dakota. He is past president of the Minnesota Chapter of APWA and very active in their Education and Training Committee. Dave has been an instructor in the Minnesota Public Works Certificate program since 2012.

Benjamin Jordan

Benjamin J. Jordan, PE is a program director with Interdisciplinary Professional Programs in the transportation sector. He has over 35 years of experience in civil engineering and public works. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and a Master of Public Affairs degree with a Certificate in Public Management from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois.