The 2026 CALPELRA Annual Training Conference will take place November 17–20 in Monterey, California, bringing together public sector leaders, labor relations professionals, human resources specialists, and attorneys from across the state.
For more than 50 years, the California Public Employers Labor Relations Association (CALPELRA) has provided an interactive forum for public sector professionals to share knowledge, explore emerging workplace issues, and develop practical skills. This year’s conference will feature more than 80 sessions focused on the challenges and opportunities facing public agencies, with educational programming covering labor relations, human resources, employment law, and professional development.
The conference offers valuable learning and networking opportunities for professionals across public agencies, including those working in employee relations, risk management, recruitment, benefits, and other human resources-related areas.
Van Dermyden Makus attorneys will join fellow industry professionals to share their experience and insights on workplace investigations and employment-related issues.
Don’t Miss Our Sessions!
You’re Missing What’s Hiding In Plain Sight: Digital Evidence Skills For Investigators
Wednesday, November 18th, 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Mark Gabel, Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation
Carl Larson, Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation
In today’s workplace, virtually every investigation touches on some form of digital evidence — emails, text messages, photographs, documents, video footage, and system records. But most HR and labor relations professionals have never been trained on how to access the information hidden inside these files, how to verify their authenticity, or how to use them strategically in an investigation. This is especially true in the public sector, where agencies generate and retain far more types of digital records than most private employers, creating both unique opportunities and unique risks for investigators.
In this session, you’ll learn practical, immediately usable skills for working with digital evidence in investigations. From real-world investigations involving public safety personnel, elected officials, and agency employees, you’ll learn about the hidden information in everyday files: how to access and interpret metadata in photographs, Word documents, emails, and other common file types, including timestamps, authorship, device information, editing history, and location data, and what this information can reveal about the origin and reliability of a piece of evidence. You’ll learn about cross-referencing and corroboration: how to verify the accuracy of digital evidence by comparing it against independent sources, including public sector–specific records such as badge access logs, GPS data from fleet vehicles, dispatch and radio logs, body camera upload records, and electronic public meeting records.
You’ll also learn how to detect gaps, omissions, and signs of manipulation in evidence, including an introduction to recognizing AI-generated content. We’ll share practice pointers for using digital evidence strategically: practical tips for preserving digital evidence early through litigation holds and data freezes, choosing the right personnel to collect and handle evidence, reading credibility signals in the format and manner in which evidence is produced, and using digital evidence in interviews to test the accuracy of a witness’s account without prematurely revealing what you know.
You’ll leave this session with a practical checklist you can use the next time you encounter digital evidence in an investigation, to determine whether it is authentic, uncover what it can tell you beyond its face value, and use it more effectively to find the truth.
Managing Complaints Made Against Elected Officials
Thursday, November 19th, 10:15 AM - 11:45 AM
David Nefouse, City of Tracy
Matt Rose, Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation
Allegations involving elected officials present unique challenges. Unlike traditional employee investigations, elected officials are not subject to typicaldisciplinary structures, yet agencies still carry a legal and ethical obligation to investigate. This session unpacks those complexities and will equip you with the tools to navigate these situations with clarity, neutrality, and confidence. Beginning with an overview of the distinctive legal, operational, and reputational risks associated with these investigations, including heightened public scrutiny, media attention, and the potential impact on the effective functioning of government, you’ll gain a clear understanding of the role of attorney-client privilege, confidentiality constraints, and closed session considerations that often shape how these matters are handled.
Next you’ll learn how to appropriately assess and respond to incoming complaints, select an impartial and qualified investigator, and determine what “prompt, thorough, and impartial” means in practice. The session highlights key decision points such as scoping the investigation, implementing interim measures, preserving evidence, and balancing timeliness with thoroughness. Using a detailed hypothetical scenario, the session brings these concepts to life, guiding you through evidence gathering (including public records, communications, and witness interviews), evaluating credibility, and applying consistent standards to reach well-reasoned findings.
You’ll next learn about one of the most challenging aspects of these cases: what happens after the investigation. We’ll explore realistic and legally appropriate remedial options in situations where traditional discipline is not available, such as censure, limitations on interactions, training, and setting clear expectations. You’ll learn about best practices for report preparation, confidentiality considerations, and communicating outcomes in a way that maintains transparency while managing legal risk.
And finally, you’ll learn about critical aftercare responsibilities, including monitoring for retaliation, ensuring consistency across investigations, and reinforcing organizational trust through thoughtful follow-up and communication. You’ll leave this session with practical, actionable strategies and a structured framework you can immediately apply, enabling you to conduct fair, defensible investigations and strengthen public confidence in your agency’s leadership and accountability processes.
Under Fire: Attacks On Workplace Investigations And How To Defend Against Them
Thursday, November 19th, 1:15 PM - 2:15 PM
Mark Gabel, Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation
Carl Larson, Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation
Many workplace investigations, no matter how well done, will be attacked. Attacks come from a range of sources, from representatives and attorneys challenging the legitimacy of an investigation before it starts, to a party disputing the findings in a lawsuit. In this session, you’ll learn what you can do before, during, and after an investigation to prepare for and defend against these attacks. You’ll learn where these attacks come from, the most likely angles of attack, and practical tips for responding to them.
Using scenarios based on actual investigations and real-life challenges, we’ll explore some of the most common attacks on investigations and investigators, including: How the parties (and their counsel) attack investigations at the outset by attempting to control the process; how the parties (and their counsel) attack the investigative process during the investigation by trying to dictate the scope, timelines or witnesses; and how the parties (and their counsel) attack completed investigations by revising or adding allegations, demanding that findings be reconsidered, or claiming bias. We’ll also explore political and executive interference, as well as what happens when investigations are challenged in litigation, including how depositions and trial testimony about investigations work, what opposing counsel looks for when attacking an investigation, and what makes investigations hold up under scrutiny. You’ll learn practical considerations for maintaining the independence and integrity of investigations in light of these challenges.
Investigating The Write Way: How A Strategic Writing Process Can Drive An Effective Workplace Investigation
Thursday, November 19th, 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Nikki Hall, Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation
Leo Moniz, Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation
For workplace investigators, report writing can feel like a separate project bolted onto the end of an investigation. But a good writing process and a good investigative process are not separate things — they reinforce each other at every stage. In this session, you’ll learn how a strategic approach to report writing can drive a better investigation from start to finish. You’ll learn how to frame precise scope questions that focus everything that follows; craft complaint summaries that direct evidence gathering; write as you go — with an assist from AI tools where appropriate — to produce stronger reports in less time; use well-structured witness summaries to reveal gaps and point the investigation forward; and build an evidentiary discussion that allows the analysis to write itself. Through practical examples drawn from real-world investigations, you’ll leave this session with techniques you can apply to your very next investigation.
