Conference Attendance:

Each attendee must be registered by the time of the conference to obtain a Certificate of Attendance for credit towards CPRO certification. The session you select in your registration will be the session listed on your certificate of attendance. We cannot change this after the event, so please select your session and keep track of this for the conference.

Cancellation Policy:

If you need to cancel your registration, you may do so by emailing office@wa-pro.org no later than Tuesday, October 8th.

• Cancellations received by this date are eligible for a refund, minus a $10 processing fee.
• Alternatively, you may transfer your registration to another attendee at no additional cost, as long as the request is submitted by Monday, October 13th.

If you have any changes need to your registration (either breakout sessions or attendee changes), please submit via the form below by Monday, October 13th. Submissions received after this date may not be accommodated.

AGENDA

MATERIALS

• Case Law Update
  • • Case Summaries
• WAPRO 2025 Annual Business Meeting
• How to Charge Fees for Records Requests
• Revising Retention Schedules
• JLARC Public Records Reporting
• PRA Litigation – Each Case is Unique
• First Amendment Auditors a Multi-Agency Approach
• AI and Public Records Compliance: Tools, Limits, and Legal Risk Filters
  • • Check out this thought-provoking article

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS

CPRO Credits 

CMC/MMC Credits

• Wellness Beyond Training – 1hr. CMC ONLY
• Case Law/Legal Update – 1.75hrs. CMC ONLY
• How to Charge Fees for Records Requests – 1hr.

CONCURRENT#1 – 1hr.

• JLARC Public Records Reporting CMC ONLY
• PRA Litigation

CONCURRENT#2 – 1hr.

• First Amendment Auditors
• AI & Public Records

Total hours = 5.75 CMC and 3 MMC

Total points = 1.4 CMC education or 0.75 MMC advanced education hours with a completed learning assessment.

In order to receive a certificate of attendance, you must complete this survey after attending the conference. Deadline for submitting the survey is November 15. Your certificate of attendance will be emailed to you after this date.

CLE Credits

Approved for 6.75 credits, including up to 3.75 credits of Law and Legal , and 3 credit of Other (Professional Development, Personal Development and Mental Health, Office Management) education.  

At the conference, you will need to sign in for CLE credits prior to the opening session, and then at the end of Breakout Session 1, 2 and 3. 

SPEAKERS

Alexandra Copeland

Alexandra Copeland currently serves as the Labor & Policy Advisor for a major law enforcement agency in Washington state. She possesses a robust professional background that includes overseeing staffing, training, and compliance for teams focused on evidence management, records handling, reception, system  implementation, and various support services. With significant experience in the public sector and a Master’s degree in Public Administration, she has developed a thorough understanding of records and  information management, as well as team development, to drive organizational success.

Morgan Damerow

Morgan Damerow serves as a Consultant for the Office of the Attorney General’s (AGO) Local Government Consultation Program. The LGCP provides guidance to local governments on responding to public records requests, helping to develop resources, and identify technology options related to public records. Morgan frequently provides training to local governments and speaks to conference participants. In 2022 he was appointed to serve as the AGO’s Open Government Ombuds, expanding his work to include providing information and training on the Open Public Meetings Act, and the PRA to governing bodies and the general public. He joined the AGO in 2003 and is 1997 graduate from the University of Montana, School of Law.

Dara Dotson

Founder, Dara Dotson LLC & Global Workforce Resilience Advisory Board (GWRAB)

Dara Dotson is the founder of Dara Dotson LLC and the Global Workforce Resilience Advisory Board (GWRAB), a cross-sector initiative launched in March 2025 to address AI-driven labor disruption and operational instability. Her work focuses on implementation strategy, workforce risk analysis, and compliance-aligned modernization. She has developed readiness tools, legislative briefings, and AI adoption frameworks used across government, workforce, and small business environments.

GWRAB will hold its next quarterly meeting on September 29. To learn more or attend, contact Dara directly.

Tisha Gieser

Tisha Gieser is the City Clerk in Issaquah, a town of about 40,000 twenty miles east of Seattle in the foothills of the Cascades.  Prior to moving to Issaquah in 2015, Tisha lived in Alaska and worked as a Clerk for the Alaska State Legislature. Tisha received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Washington and is a Certified Municipal Clerk. Tisha loves her job, but had her most stressful day of work to date this year. It started with a records inspection from a first amendment auditor and ended with a long and intense City Council meeting to fill a vacancy. She survived and still loves being a Clerk.

Geneva Johnston

Geneva is JLARC’s data reporting analyst. She joined JLARC’s staff in September 2018 as a committee support assistant. Prior to working at JLARC, she worked as a legal assistant for a small family law firm in Olympia. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Arizona in 2013 and her Human Resources certification from Pima Community College in 2015.

Cheryl Lee

Cheryl “Peony” Lee is a transformation coach, educator, and speaker who bridges neuroscience, trauma-informed practices, and holistic wellness to support professionals in high-stress roles. She specializes in helping individuals and teams build emotional resilience, mental clarity, and sustainable practices for well-being – without requiring them to rehash painful experiences – and understands that resilience isn’t just about enduring –  it’s about transforming how we show up for ourselves and the communities we serve, and recognizing that tending to our inner world is the key to sustaining excellence in public service.

As a former public servant herself, she has a particular passion for working with those who carry the invisible weight of consistent exposure to emotionally-charged situations or environments. Her approach is both practical and restorative: offering tools to regulate the nervous system, process cumulative stress, and reconnect with purpose.

Her own journey through loss, healing, and profound transformation informs her belief that resilience begins within. When we shift our relationship to ourselves, our relationship to challenges changes, too.

David Lewis, PsyD, LMHC

David Lewis, PsyD, LMHC is a Clinical Psychologist and Affiliate Clinical Professor at the University of Washington, where he teaches across diverse departments including Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Adolescent Medicine, and the Schools of Law and Education.
With over two decades of experience, Dr. Lewis has trained more than 500 organizations on the neurobiological impacts of stress, trauma, and holistic well-being. His work integrates cutting-edge neuroscience—bridging psychology, brain science, and the human nervous system—into practical strategies for individual and organizational health.
Dr. Lewis serves as a consultant to the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, and Las Vegas Metro PD, guiding the development of neuroscience-informed practices and relational policing models. He is a regular contributor to media outlets such as Q13 Fox and KIRO News, where he shares insights from his work with initiatives like “Before the Badge” and “Innovative Relational Policing.”

Melissa McCain

Melissa McCain, MMC, CPRO, serves as the Public Disclosure Manager for a local municipality in Washington state. With extensive experience in public records management, she oversees compliance with the Public Records Act and leads initiatives to improve transparency and access to information. She brings a practical, solutions-focused approach to records requests, staff training, and policy development. She is passionate about building efficient systems that serve both the public and internal teams.

Ryan McCord

Ryan is JLARC’s Audit Director. Before joining JLARC’s staff in 2014, he served as a committee counsel in the U.S. Senate. Prior to that, Ryan worked for a nonprofit organization providing legal services to people with disabilities and for a multinational law firm. While in law school, he served as an extern with the Supreme Court of California. Ryan earned his B.A. in international studies with a focus on law, society and justice from University of Washington. He earned his law degree from University of California College of the Law San Francisco.

Cassidy Mueller

Cassidy Mueller (pronounced “Miller”) discovered a passion for the Clerking profession and all things public records shortly after starting her public sector career 9 years ago. As the Deputy City Clerk for City of Issaquah, she is living the dream of getting to work with records and data all day, every day. Cassidy’s other passions include making process and policy improvements, professional development for herself and others, and growing her 2 kids into future upstanding citizens.

Jeffrey S. Myers

Jeffrey S. Myers obtained his law degree from the University of Washington in 1986, after which he joined the Ecology Divisio n of the State Attorney General’s office until 1991 where he worked on hazardous waste and water quality issues. Jeff then worked in private practice in Seattle for several years, focusing on environmental cleanup issues and real property issues. In 1995, he became a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney with the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, where he advised on land use and growth management issues. Jeff joined this firm in 1998 where his practice is now focused primarily on open government, public records, including matters arising under the Public Records Act and Open Public Meetings Act. Jeff has conducted numerous presentations and seminars on public disclosure and land use issues. Jeff also represents governmental clients in environmental, land use and real property matters, serving as the general counsel to the Olympic Region Clean Air Agency.

Jennifer Steele

Jennifer Steele is Public Records Counsel for the Attorney General’s Office. As Public Records Counsel, Jennifer provides expertise to AAGs regarding client advice and litigation strategy. She advises and serves as a resource to the AGO on public records issues, provides trainings, and represents the AGO in PRA litigation involving the AGO. Jennifer has served in the AGO for over 14 years, during which she has consistently worked in the public records arena. Jennifer previously worked in the Consumer Protection and Licensing and Administrative Law divisions. Prior to joining the AGO Jennifer was a clerk at the Washington State Supreme Court. Jennifer attended Syracuse University where she was on the Women’s Varsity Rowing Team. She received her J.D. from Seattle University where, upon learning there was no rowing team, she became an editor for the Seattle Journal for Social Justice.

Dan Vessels Jr.

Dan Vessels Jr. serves as City Clerk for the City of Puyallup, leading legislative operations, agendas and minutes, records management, public disclosure, and community engagement. Before joining Puyallup in 2022, he spent over a decade with Pierce County Superior Court as a Judicial Assistant. Dan serves on the Washington Municipal Clerks Association Executive Committee (2025–2027) and is actively pursuing the IIMC Certified Municipal Clerk designation. He holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration and an M.S. in Administration of Justice and Security, and is committed to transparent, accessible, and law-compliant local government.

Rachel Wilson

An Air Force brat raised in Italy and Oklahoma; Rachel went to Bryn Mawr College near Philadelphia to tackle a Film Studies degree before moving to Los Angeles to attend UCLA’s Moving Image Archive Studies program. Rachel previously spent time at MGM helping to coordinate its unwieldy film collection and supported content creators for PicMonkey in Seattle. As a Records Consultant at the Washington State Archives, Rachel is combining her passions for organization and service to help Washington’s state & local agencies manage their records.