The 16th Annual Midwest Regional Public Finance Conference will be held Thursday and Friday, Feb. 17-18, at the Wichita Marriott Hotel, 9100 Corporate Hills Drive.

The event is sponsored by Wichita State University's Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs, the Kansas Government Finance Officers Association and the American Society for Public Administration, Kansas Chapter.

The theme is "Leading Change: Financial Leadership in Challenging Times."

Participants can register by going to http://www.wichita.edu/conferences and clicking on the link for this year's conference.

Conference highlights include:

• Michael Pagano, dean, College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs, University of Illinois at Chicago, presenting on "Leadership and Government Fiscal Challenges."
• Gary Sherrer, chairman, Kansas Board of Regents, presenting on "Financial Leadership in Challenging Times."
• A public finance colloquium on the topic "Impact of the National Debt on State and Local Economies."

This year's conference will emphasize how strong leadership can help the public sector navigate economically challenging times.