The following membership application has been received.  If no current member comes forth with a reason why this applicant should not be approved as a member, he will be invoiced for dues. Blake Giragos, District IV, Bachelor of Arts, University of Florida, Student Member.

University of South Florida’s online Master of Public Administration degree is designed to prepare individuals for successful leadership roles and management careers in the public sector. The program is for experienced individuals employed in public service and/or nonprofit positions who may wish to pursue the Master of Public Administration to broaden their educational backgrounds and prepare [...]

How long have you been a FCCMA member? 16 years Are you an ICMA member and if so, how long? No Please describe your areas of formal/advanced education. MPA FROM BRENAU UNIVERSITY What got you interested in public service? After spending 20 years in the military, wanted to continue working in government arena. What is [...]

ICMA will celebrate its 100th anniversary at the 2014 Conference in Charlotte. To celebrate its 100th year, ICMA has created a website to celebrate the past, present, and future of the organization and the local government profession. One of President Blackburn’s goals for this program year is to promote professional local government management. One way [...]

Tuesday, June 25, 2013 9:30 am – 3 pm Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida 411 Mercy Drive, Orlando, FL 32805-1019 The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) invite all financial institutions and community based organizations in North and [...]

The workshop will be held on Thursday, August 8, 2013 from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm at the Rosen Centre Hotel, 9840 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819. Lunch is not included. Values: In today’s public sector milieu, resources are limited, thus warranting the need for organizations/departments to collaborate in an effort to accomplish their stated [...]

The Florida City and County Management Association would like to thank the following exhibitors for their participation in the 2013 Annual Conference at the Orlando Hilton.    The Association appreciates the many years of support from our exhibitors and your part in making it a good experience for all of the members. AAA – The Auto [...]

It was great seeing so many members at the conference last month!  I was honored to be asked to speak at the Career Development Lunch on the subject of seizing opportunities rather than dreading them.  Afterward, I very flattered to be asked to share the outline and talking points I used for the presentation.  Please [...]

FCCMA would like to thank the following companies who sponsored events at the Annual Conference:   Signature Sponsor Public Risk Insurance Agency Diamond Sponsors AshBritt, Inc. ♦ Bright House Networks ♦ Crowne Consulting Group Florida Municipal Insurance Trust ♦ Government Services Group, Inc.  ICMA-RC Johnson Controls, Inc. ♦ Musco Sports Lighting ♦ North Star Destination Strategies Safeguard Properties ♦ [...]

The Florida League of Cities is pleased to announce the start of the League’s legislative policy process for 2013 – 2014. The policy committees develop the Leagues legislative priorities and help League staff understand the real world implications of proposed legislation. In an effort to get more cities involved, the League is requesting that each [...]

FCCMA would like to thank the following members for their commitment to the Association. 5 Years Donald R. Cochran Craig M. Coffey Angela S. Crist James R. Dean Michelle delValle Amy W. Elliott Dr. Mary Ann Feldheim Kenneth Fields Maureen Freaney Charles Larry Hilton Kathleen S. Margoles Dolly Miller Faith G. Miller William P. Mitchell Bruce [...]

As everyone knows, FCCMA members love a good competition. This year’s Friday night social was designed around a competition among the eight districts. The evening began with an icebreaker. The attendees were each given a paper with squares filled with various questions. The competitors needed to find someone who had completed the activity on the [...]

Congratulations to the following people who received awards and scholarships at the annual awards luncheon held at the annual conference. President’s Award Rep. Fred Costello Howard D. Tipton If You Care, You Do! Scott Andrews Kurt Bressner Michael J. Roberto Award for Career Development Pamela Brangaccio Award for Career Excellence Jim Landon Assistant for Excellence [...]

As part of a structured review of the ICMA Code of Ethics, a web chat was held on May 14 for members to provide input on the relevancy of Tenet 7 to the profession, and to identify the types of political activity that undermine public confidence in professional administrators. Nearly 150 members joined the web [...]

ICMA opens the hotel registration at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time, on June 3rd for the annual conference being held in Boston.  The hotel rooms close pretty quickly so you will want to go the website and reserve your rooms early. From what staff has heard most Florida people plan to stay at either the [...]

The following membership applications have been received.  If no current member comes forth with a reason why these applicants should not be approved as members, they will be invoiced for dues. Rafael G. Casals, District V, Town Manager, Town of Cutler Bay, Full Member; Danny D. Jones, District IV, Deputy City Manager, City of Riviera Beach, [...]

The annual State of the Association is linked here http://fccma.org/state-of-the-association/ for member review.  This annual summary of the Association’s programs, projects and fiscal status are provided in lieu of an annual report, which used to be mailed to each member.  This report also substitutes for committee reports at the annual business meeting, which will be held [...]

Are you ready for a night of fun and excitement? We need YOU! Each district will need a volunteer to compete in the various district games. The evening will begin with an icebreaker. You can work individually or in a group. The first group to turn in a completed sheet will win. Then the district [...]

Past President William Whitson has recently issued a challenge to all FCCMA Members asking that they consider making a donation to the Center for Florida Local Government Excellence. He stated: “There is no doubt that times in Florida are tough and resources are sometimes in short supply; but the leadership and innovation in our state [...]

As you know, next week is the annual conference for FCCMA, which is celebrating its 67th year.  For associations, these annual conferences are usually more than just the keynote presentations, workshops and networking – it is also the setting for the annual business meeting.  With twin goals of transparency and effective communication, the Association posts [...]

Top appointed local government officials take home a median annual base salary of about $103,000, but their pay varies widely across jurisdictions. That’s according to a recently published survey of city managers, county administrators and other chief appointed officials in nearly 3,000 localities, conducted last year by the International City/County Management Association. As to be [...]

The following membership applications have been received.  If no current member comes forth with a reason why these applicants should not be approved as members, he/she will be invoiced for dues. Courtney Barker, District III, City Manager, City of Satellite Beach, Full Member; Jeanette Genovese, District IV, Master’s of Public Administration, Barry University, Student Member; Dan [...]

Brandon Wagner, Director of Intragovernmental and Legislative Affairs, Hillsborough County would like your help. He is researching the idea of pay for performance at the local government level. He wants to know which local governments have implemented such a system or if any local governments have considered the concept, but have elected not to pursue [...]

The Florida Public Human Resources Association Conference will be held July 29 to July 31, 2013 in St. Augustine at the World Golf Village Resort.  The theme is “Pioneering the New HR Frontier.” For the conference schedule and registration please visit the website: www.fphra.org.

Bob Slavin from Slavin Management Consulants has offered to meet one-on-one with attendees by appointment. He will review your resume and offer helpful ways you may improve it based on what councils are requiring in this day and time. He will have appointment hours Friday, May 24 from 9:00 am – 5:00 p.m. To request [...]

It’s never too early to start planning your retirement. Every year FCCMA invites professional financial planners from ICMA-RC to offer personal financial review and planning appointments. You don’t have to be a member of ICMA-RC to participate. ICMA-RC offers this review and planning to all FCCMA members. Chris Ervin and Hortensia Perez have appointments available [...]

Strategic Government Resources, a local government research firm, is offering FCCMA members and their organizations an opportunity to access a personalized Advanced Leadership Assessment at no cost and no strings attached. To take the assessment, go to gov.iopt.com  and complete the assessment.  It will take less than five minutes and the results will be among the [...]

The FLC Center for Municipal Research and Innovation is currently collecting the 2013 CityStats Survey. Every municipality’s participation is vital to producing accurate data. Without updated information from every city and town in Florida, the League is unable to provide helpful resources and research to elected officials and city staff throughout the year. If your [...]

Resume Review: Are you curious to know if your resume has what it takes to get an interview?  Colin Baenziger, Baenziger and Associates; Renee Narlock, Bob Murray and Associates; and Jim Mercer, Mercer Group, professional recruiters, have offered their time at conference to meet one-on-one with attendees, by appointment.  They will review your resume and [...]

Do you want to become more involved and be part of the decision-making? Then sign up today and be a part of a FCCMA committee. The committee descriptions and sign-up forms are located on the website. Go to: http://fccma.org/member-committees/ for a list of the Program Year 2013/2014 committees. To view the committee tasks and to [...]

The Center for Florida Local Government Excellence will present A Salute to the Center, hosted by FCCMA, at the Annual Conference on May 22 from 7:45 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at the Hilton Orlando. Come out and support your center by attending the “Poor Man’s Supper.” All money raised will go to support the Center’s [...]

If you are attending the conference and are planning to stay at the conference hotel, you need to register for the conference now. Paid registration is required to receive your housing information. The hotel cut-off date is April 26. The early registration cutoff date is May 6. You can still register onsite but the registration [...]

The Town of Davie requested that all FCCMA members be given a copy of their recently adopted resolution regarding Congress’ pending action upon tax-exempt municipal bonds.  To view the resolution, please click here.

As part of its ongoing commitment to attracting women into the field of local government management and helping develop those women who already work in the field, ICMA is offering scholarships to women to attend the ICMA 99th Annual Conference. Applications are being accepted through Monday, May 20th.   Full information on ICMA’s conference assistance scholarship program may [...]

I recently met with a local government intern (which school isn’t important, just please know that it isn’t someone seeking a public administration degree) who had several good questions about cities and counties across the U.S. and in Florida.  After the first two questions I’d backed up so many times to explain what I had [...]

The Florida Redevelopment Agency is proud to offer the Redevelopment Academy, a certification program designed to promote a prerequisite level of knowledge and professionalism in the field of redevelopment. Click on the link below for application and registration information. The courses are open to anyone interested in learning more about redevelopment practice in Florida. Depending [...]

To Be Elected at Annual Business Meeting May 24, 2013 Hilton, Orlando President Russ Blackburn, City Manager, Gainesville President-Elect Jill Silverboard, Assistant City Manager, Clearwater Secretary/Treasurer** Michael Pleus, City Manager, DeLand Past President Joyce Shanahan, City Manager, Ormond Beach District I Director Lee Garner, City Manager, Chattahoochee District II Director** Sally Sherman, Deputy County Administrator, [...]

FCCMA congratulates St. Lucie County for receiving the Sunny Award. The Sunny Award is given by the Editors of Sunshine Review to honor the most transparent government websites in the nations.  These outstanding websites have scored an “A+” transparency grade on Sunshine Review’s Transparency Checklist. St. Lucie County was one of 247 recipients out of [...]

The North Florida Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration is currently accepting nominations for its 2013 Public Service Awards of Excellence. These awards will be given in three categories honoring individuals for their outstanding achievements. The 2013 Public Service Awards of Excellence will be presented to three individuals currently serving in the public or [...]

Are you a credentialed manager or candidate and need to keep track of your professional development hours? This conference will address most ICMA Practice Groups. Below is a list of the sessions at the annual conference and the ICMA Practice Area covered at each session. This list is provided prior to the conference so that [...]

Mentors are essential in every profession, but even more so in local government. The relationship between mentor and protégé can take on many different forms and can bridge decades. Both the mentor and protégé skill sets are beneficial in professional development, as it takes a special individual to listen attentively and provide constructive advice. This [...]

Michael Cernech, Tamarac City Manager and FCCMA District V Director, has been selected by ICMA as the 2013 recipient of The Ferguson Group scholarship to the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executives in State & Local Government Program. He will attend the program this summer. This program provides an opportunity for senior-level city and county managers [...]

Have you helped a Member-in-Transition (MIT) or do you know a FCCMA member who has helped a MIT? FCCMA established a policy in 1993 to help full members in the Association who have separated from their local government. FCCMA members are encouraged to hire MITs for special projects and/or interim positions whenever possible. In 2003, [...]

April 11, 2013 | 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. EST | Registration Deadline: April 8, 2013 Cost: $50 FACC members/$75 nonmembers Transparency – it’s not just records, sunshine laws, financial reporting or the latest craze. A lack of information can create a perception that something is being hidden and erode trust in government. One way [...]

The Florida League of Cities will hold regional training on risk management and disaster planning at the following locations over the next few weeks.  Please click on the link, or call Serena West at (407) 367-3435 if you wish to attend.  There is no charge for the training. Sarasota – Contact Serena West at swest@flcities.com [...]

The FCCMA Annual Conference will be held May 22-25, 2013 at the Hilton Orlando in Orlando, FL. The conference will open with the opening general session – For the Love of Cities. Author Peter Kageyama looks at what makes cities lovable, what motivates citizens to do extraordinary things for their places and how some cities use [...]

The ICMA Conference will be held September 22-25, 2013 in Boston, MA. Registration and housing will open June 3 at 12:00 noon. Most of the keynote and featured speakers have been confirmed. The lineup represents a variety of values and messages.  At all times ICMA’s goal of “Best Conference ever” was kept in mind!! Sunday [...]

It is that time of year again to review your current directory information and make any necessary changes.  The forms were sent last week along with conference information.  If you would like a picture included in your directory list, please send a digital picture with a minimum 300 dpi. The forms and pictures are due [...]

President-Elect Blackburn is putting together his committees for next year. This year, signups for committees will be different. The chairs and tasks for each committee will be posted on the website and you will go to the page of the committee on which you would like to serve and click on Join a FCCMA Committee. [...]

This article was originally published in the May 2011 Manager newsletter to recognize Dick Simmons’ 60 years of service to FCCMA. By Ann Toney-Deal Setting the Stage In 1823, Florida’s territorial Governor, Andrew Jackson, assigned two men to ride their horses, one from Pensacola and the other from St. Augustine, and where they met would [...]

The following membership applications have been received.  If no current member comes forth with a reason why these applicants should not be approved as members, he/she will be invoiced for dues. Lori S. Bonino, District IV, Assistant Town Manager, Town of Jupiter, Full Member; Zeriah K. Folston, District VII, Budget Analyst, Alachua County, Affiliate Member; Michelle Tipton, [...]

Richard “Dick” Simmons, past president and range rider emeritus, died on Tuesday, March 19, 2013. Many members will recall Dick’s cowboy hat, which he always wore to conferences and meetings as a Range Rider. Dick joined FCCMA in 1951 and was an active member until the day he died. Dick started his public service career [...]

This last session will provide an Economic Review of Florida and its Southeast Region, including trends (employment, population, economic recovery and the housing markets); review of the various industries impacting our economy; and impact of the growth of the Latin American/Caribbean markets.  We will discuss innovative methods to leverage capital – both debt and equity [...]

Most of Florida’s cities and counties have been through six to seven years of cuts, furloughs, lay-offs and more. The mood toward local government from the state has not been positive. Government is not beloved across the country; in fact, opinions of government in general are at an all-time low. Now you tell me I’m [...]

Are you ready for a night of fun and excitement? Get your competitive juices flowing and support your district in our FCCMA District Games. The eight districts will compete in events of skill, smarts, and song. This year’s festivities will include “Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader,” Karaoke, Corn Hole, Putt-Putt, “Majority Rules”, and [...]

As the daughter of migrant workers with eleven siblings and limited support, Sally Sherman, Flagler County’s deputy administrator, learned early from life’s trials. Working through her struggles provided her with the power she needed to grow her faith to a new level. She learned to trust God patiently and to leave her trials behind as she pressed forward towards [...]

The onsite training session that was to be held on Friday in Pinellas Park has been cancelled due to lack of registrations. FCCMA would like to thank Norton Bonaparte for his willingness to share his story at two previous trainings.

The following membership application has been received.  If no current member comes forth with a reason why this applicant should not be approved as a member, he/she will be invoiced for dues. Bolton Parners, Inc., District IV, Contact: Jeffrey DeLisle, Senior Consultant, Corporate Member.

This year, FCCMA has teamed up with Orlando Convention Aid to help you make the most of your time in Orlando. Available discounts include restaurants, golf, attractions, nightlife, shopping and much more. Each listing offers detailed information and discount coupons that can be printed. They can also make your dinner reservation, book your group dinner [...]

Lee Feldman, City Manager of Fort Lauderdale and ICMA SE Regional Vice President reported at the February Board Meeting that ICMA is pushing volunteerism and asking the state associations to get their members more engaged in things rather than being passive members.   The next generation is very critical to ICMA.  ICMA is hoping that Florida [...]

The Village of Golf has a TOO large (size and volume) postal machine that we cannot trade out.  We are 1/3 of the way into our lease and our Pitney Bowes’ rep said they would be willing to allow the lease to go to another jurisdiction and have them take it over.  It is in [...]

Come to the Friday Night Social at the Annual Conference and see what the conference planning committee has put together for this year’s event. Last year, the districts competed in Jeopardy and Bruce Haddock won for District 7. This year the districts will compete in several different games for points. The district that wins the [...]

Below are the three steps to ICMA credentialing. They are:  Confirm that you are eligible. See icma.org/credentialedmgr or contact credentialing@icma.org Complete the Applied Knowledge Assessment at webassessor.com/aka Complete the credentialing application at icma.org/credentialing. For those of you who are credentialed managers and have questions about course tracking, here is a suggestion on how to track [...]

There are only two more onsite training sessions being held this program year. The first session will be held March 22, from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Eastern Time at the EOCC Training Facility in Palm Beach Gardens. The topic for the session is “Treasure Coast Leading Practices.” Representatives from West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, [...]

It is far harder to sail through uncertain, rough waters than to walk on dry ground – that is the tough reality for today’s council-manager relationships. You may be swimming in political waters, but you need to sail by the compass of professionalism and servant leadership. Every day you need skills that are part psychologist, [...]

Every organization has its own unique set of challenges when it comes to getting the job done. Is your organization operating at peak efficiency? Are you utilizing all of the resources available to you to the full extent. This thought provoking session will focus on outsourcing and will feature three leaders that have proven track [...]

ICMA University is offering career support and encouragement to help young professionals through the tough management challenges ahead by providing low cost- high return professional development opportunities.  This is a special opportunity for young professionals to build leadership skills while benefiting from peer-to-peer interaction during an ICMA University workshop session, networking, and a session on managing finances [...]

“‘Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.” — Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) It is no secret that gratefulness is correlated with life satisfaction and happiness. Countless research findings, particularly in the rapidly emerging field of Positive Psychology, have shown that gratefulness and life satisfaction go hand in hand.  Those who tend to be [...]

Then you need to attend this free one-day session at the FCCMA Annual Conference! This pre-conference session will be held Wednesday, May 22, 2013 from 8:00 a.m. – 3:45 p.m., at the Hilton Orlando, 6001 Destination Parkway, Orlando, FL. The theme this year is “Hitting the Refresh Button.” Session topics include: “The 3 R’s of [...]

The deadline is approaching to submit nominations for the FCCMA awards. All submittals must be electronic, not larger than 1mb and received by Carol Russell at crussell@flcities.com by 5:00 p.m. on February 25, 2013. Late entries will not be considered. A confirmation email will be sent after the award is received. The 2013 Award Categories [...]

Two items to share this week from your director:  a very successful meeting was held with members of the FCCMA Legislative Committee and a selected group of House, Senate and joint legislative committee staff directors and their analysts.  We met in Tallahassee on January 29 and had 9 committees represented.  This is the fourth time [...]

On January 30 at the Vero Beach Country Club the Indian River County Chamber of Commerce presented Jason Nunemaker the 2012 Carolyn K. Eggert Economic Development Award. This award was established in 1999 and recognizes an individual who has helped to create and maintain quality, year-round jobs for Indian River County citizens and who has [...]

By Robert E. Lee and Andrew M. Thompson When Jon Lewis was FCCMA President, The Center for Florida Local Government Excellence was asked to undertake research on public verses private sector compensation in Florida. Below is a link to the research paper that Bob and Andrew completed that was recently published in the Journal of [...]

Please share with your law enforcement staff, if applicable: A new law that went into effect January 1 requires non-U.S. residents who drive in Florida to carry an international driving permit. This law was passed during the 2012 legislative session. The intent of the law was to make sure that law enforcement would not be [...]

Over 90 FCCMA members and sponsors participated in the FCCMA 2013 Winter Institute. Felicia Logan, ICMA Director of Leadership Development facilitated the day-and-a-half event. She closed Friday’s session by bringing the conversations full circle and guided attendees in developing a personal action plan of “take aways.” The picture is from the coaching session on Friday. [...]

The deadline to apply for the Raymond C. Sittig Conference Scholarship has been extended to 5:00 p.m., February 18, 2013. All FCCMA members are eligible to apply. Please go to http://fccma.org/scholarships-2/ to download the application. The applicant will need to attach an essay of approximately 500 words expressing your beliefs on the importance of Home [...]

The Florida Benchmarking Consortium’s Annual Spring Conference will be held April 25-26, 2013 at the City of Winter Park Community Center. The theme for this year’s conference is “Engaging Internal and External Customers Through Metrics.” This conference will take a look at creating buy-in for internal customer and soliciting advocates for your programs and services [...]

The FCCMA Annual Conference Announcement was emailed on Monday. If you did not receive your announcement, please contact Lynn Lovallo at (850) 701-3635 or llovallo@flcities.com.

On February 1, the City of Satellite Beach dedicated an oceanfront park which is named after Mike Crotty. Mike Crotty served as Satellite Beach city manager for over 25 years.  Mike has been an FCCMA member since 1985. Congratulations Mike!

The B. Harold Farmer Scholarship was initiated in 1992 in honor and memory of B. Harold Farmer, who served as a mentor for many Florida city and county managers. Mr. Farmer worked in municipal government as a city manager for about 25 years and helped establish the Florida Innovations Group. This scholarship honors Mr. Farmer’s [...]

Make Your Plans to Attend the ICMA Southeast Regional Summit The ICMA Southeast Regional Summit is designed to bring together ICMA members, state association members and leaders, and other local government professionals, for professional development and information sharing. Individuals from all eleven states in the region are encouraged to attend.    This year’s theme, ICMA: GREAT [...]

The 2013 Annual Conference Exhibitors and Sponsor Kit is now available. If you are interested in participating at the annual conference as a vendor or a sponsor, the kit is now posted on the FCCMA website at http://fccma.org/annual-conference/. If you have any questions, please contact Beth Rawlins at beth@bethrawlins.com or (727) 797-9333.

The deadline to apply for the Raymond C. Sittig conference scholarship is Monday, February 4. This new scholarship is open to all FCCMA members. The scholarship recipient will receive a complimentary conference registration and a complimentary sleeping room at the conference hotel for the length of this event. To apply for this scholarship, please go [...]

On February 21, 2013, from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm, join the Florida City and County Management Association for an informational webinar on the critical challenge of local government pension reform. In this session, local government leaders from the cities of Palm Beach, Naples and Largo will discuss their own pension reform experiences.  Attendees will [...]

Each year, the Credentialing Advisory Board keeps a list of exceptional annual reports so that they can recognize a small group of members in the ICMA e-newsletter, Leadership Matters. This year, two FCCMA members are two of the eleven ICMA Credentialed Managers who are being recognized in the article (out of nearly 1,300). Betty Baker, [...]

Per FCCMA by-laws, FCCMA dues billed October 1, 2012 are due no later than February 1, 2013. If you have not paid your dues, please note that after February 1, 2013 the database will be updated and all members whose dues have not been paid will be removed from the database. If you have any [...]

The following membership applications have been received.  If no current member comes forth with a reason why these applicants should not be approved as members, he/she will be invoiced for dues. Micah E.S. Badana, District VII, Management Analyst, Town of Belleair, Affiliate Member; Michael A. McNees, District III, City Manager, City of Melbourne, Full Member; Ellen Vause, [...]

“Every city and county manager and department head faces daily challenges and every so often a mini crisis that tests their wits and experience. However, some local government managers, when they least expect it, are confronted with a “major crisis” that brings international attention to their agency and the manager is thrust into the middle [...]

It’s that time of year again when the scholarship and awards applications are due. Are you a student in public administration or related degree at a Florida-based university? If you will be enrolled in either Summer 2013 or Fall 2013 then you may be eligible for the B. Harold Farmer Scholarship. The recipient will receive [...]

The FCCMA Legislative Committee will meet in Tallahassee at the end of the month with selected staff directors of House and Senate committees.  We will be building relationships and offering ourselves as resources for local government issues.  This is the fourth year the committee has worked to make a presence within the state’s legislative committee [...]

Richard Black, former range rider, passed away on December 21, 2012. He has been a FCCMA member over 15 years. He served as a range rider from 1994-2001. He was born on December 22, 1919 in Butler, PA. He began his public career in 1948 and served until 1980 in several cities in six states. [...]

There are two more onsite training sessions being held around the state. The first session will be held in Gulf Breeze on January 18 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm, Central Time. The topic is “Respect and Civility in Local Government: Tips and Ideas for a Local Government Employee.” The last onsite training session will [...]

Don Lusk who is a former FCCMA member, passed away on Friday, December 28, 2012. Mr. Lusk served in several municipal governments during his tenure as a member. He got his start in Pinellas Park and served in Redington Shores as his last position. He served on the FCCMA Board of Directors in 1986/1987 while [...]

We are two weeks into a new year – so a belated Happy New Year to all members!  It is a busy start here in Tallahassee, as I am sure it is for you.  The FCCMA begins this year with a very active training calendar through the Center for Florida Local Government Excellence (CFLGE) – [...]

How long have you been a FCCMA member? 21 years (Since 1991) Are you an ICMA member and if so, how long?  Yes, 21 years (Since 1991) Please describe your areas of formal/advanced education. BA/Public Administration – UCF 1987; MPA – USF 1988 What got you interested in public service?  I was elected as an [...]

Overview For nearly 50 years, ICMA, the International City/County Management Association, has recognized those communities that have established a position of professional management (e.g., a city, town, township, borough, village, or /county manager administrator position) and meet a set of specific criteria regarding that position’s qualifications and appointment; policy formation, budget preparation, appointing authority; and [...]

There are three onsite training sessions being held around the state. The first training session will be held in Doral on January 11 from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. The topic is “Bridging the Gap in Council-Manager Relations.” Lee Feldman, Fort Lauderdale City Manager; Jorge Gonzalez, Former Miami Beach City Manager and Eric Soroka, Aventura [...]

In the wake of the shooting that took place last week at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut, Norton Bonaparte shared with his employees the link to a video called “RUN. HIDE. FIGHT. Surviving an Active Shooter Event”.  The video is about six (6) minutes long and was produced as a means to assist employees to prepare [...]

Life, Well Run is a campaign to raise awareness of and appreciation for the value professional local government managers bring to building communities we’re proud to call home. Professional managers are key to making local government services more effective, ethical, and efficient in 27 percent of counties across America, and in more than 59 percent [...]

Don’t miss the webinar “Legislative Update – Preparing for the Next Legislative Session” on January 17 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern. Representatives from the Florida League of Cities and the Florida Association of Counties will report on what to expect in the 2013 legislative session and what you can do to help. Click [...]

The following membership applications have been received.  If no current member comes forth with a reason why these applicants should not be approved as members, he/she will be invoiced for dues. Terry E. Goswick Jr., District VII, Master’s of Public Administration, University of South Florida, Student Member; Lisa Hendrickson, District VII, Assistant Human Resources Administrator, Affiliate [...]

The Florida City and County Management Association is pleased to announce the 2013 Awards Program. All awards will be selected by the FCCMA Awards Committee and will be presented at the annual conference in May. For a brochure and application form, go to http://fccma.org/fccma-awards/. The application deadline is 5:00 p.m., February 25, 2013. For more [...]

The FCCMA is pleased to announce a new scholarship beginning in 2013 in honor of Raymond C. Sittig, long-time executive director of the Florida League of Cities and champion of Home Rule powers.  Mr. Sittig began his career in city management and was always supportive of the Association; in fact, Ray agreed to be the [...]

As December brings this year to a close, it is a good time to pause and reflect on some of the Association’s biggest moments of the year.  I think the defeat of Amendment #4 tops the “most thankful” list for me, followed closely by an end to the election season overall!  Seeing that Florida’s voters [...]

Picot B. Floyd Public Service Leadership Treasure Island City Manager Reid Silverboard received the 2012 Picot B. Floyd Public Service Leadership Award. Reid has 30 plus years of public service with the past five years as City Manager of Treasure Island. His nominators spoke highly of him: “ . . . he has the ability [...]

Canvassing has begun in order to fill positions on the Board of Directors.  Letters were sent to eligible full members on November 27. There is one at-large director position and the secretary/treasurer position opening in May.   All nominations must be self-nominations.  To nominate oneself, a letter expressing interest should be sent to the Nominating Committee, [...]

The National Association of County Administrators (NACA) encourages professional development for county administrators and provides information and resources to its members to improve the management of county government. The members of NACA are county administrators from counties across the country, and many are members of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) or the National Association [...]

Life, Well Run released on December 4th,  the second of the six Illinois videos, titled “Why Should You Care?”, which focuses on the value professional managers bring to their communities and demonstrates why residents should care if their community is professionally managed. Read the press release at http://lifewellrun.org/media/ and see the video at http://www.youtube.com/user/LifeWellRun.

The second dues notices have been sent. If you have not received your dues notice, please call Carol Russell at (850) 222-9684 or email her at crussell@flcities.com for another copy. All dues must be paid by February 1, 2013 to keep your membership current. Any members whose dues are not paid by February 1 will [...]

The FCCMA Winter Institute has been scheduled for February 7-8, 2013 in Lake Mary, Florida, at the Lake Mary Westin.  Many of you know how prestigious this training event has become—it is regarded by many members as the best training offered. Attendance for the Winter Institute is limited to allow for the attendee interaction required [...]

The following membership applications have been received.  If no current member comes forth with a reason why these applicants should not be approved as a member, he/she will be invoiced for dues. Jeffrey A. Bremer, District IV, Assistant City Manager, City of Port St. Lucie, Full Member; Mark Cunningham, District VII, Assistant County Administrator, Sarasota County, [...]

Are you an ICMA Credentialed Manager? Used to be? Wanna be? Not eligible yet? Join this session to discuss your likes, dislikes, ideas for the future, and what ICMA should do for members who are not yet eligible. ICMA will hold a webinar on January 24, 2013 at 1:00 Eastern time to discuss the credentialing [...]

The Florida Institute of Government at the Florida State University is proud to announce that its highly acclaimed and popular Supervisor to Leader training program is being offered as a webinar series for the first time this December.      Normally a three-day long program taught in a seminar setting, the Institute has adapted the [...]

Last month I didn’t know that this month would bring such sorrow; sometimes a few weeks change everything.  Longtime Florida League of Cities’ Director Emeritus Ray Sittig died Monday, November 12th at the age of 83.  Many of you might not know that it was Ray’s generosity that led FCCMA to place the Association’s administration [...]

The Florida City and County Management Association will hold its second symposium in Sarasota. The topic is “The Challenge of Providing Services for the Next Five Years.” The symposium will be held in conjunction with the Florida Association of Counties’ Legislative Conference on November 30, 2012 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm at the Sarasota Hyatt. You [...]

The Florida League of Cities’ Center for Municipal Research and Innovation will hold a symposium on Wednesday, November 14 from 8:30 am – 12:00 pm at the Hyatt Regency Orlando International Airport (Regency DE). The title of the symposium is “Water Issues and Innovations.” Speakers will discuss: Water in Central Florida: Strategies and Initiatives at [...]

Don’t miss the webinar “Simplified Strategic Planning – What All Agencies Can Do” on November 15 from 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern. This will cover ICMA Practice Area 13: Strategic Planning. Over the last five years, local governments have seen reduced revenues, cuts in personnel, frozen wages, unfunded mandates, and plenty of uncertainty about expectations [...]

The following membership applications have been received.  If no current member comes forth with a reason why this applicant should not be approved as a member, they will be invoiced for dues. Cheryl S. Atkins, District II, Grants Coordinator, City of Deltona, Affiliate Member; Heather Bacus, District VI, Director of Human Resources, Charlotte County, Affiliate [...]

Since 2001, the City of Gainesville has worked to accentuate its local economic competitive advantage which is the growth and development of innovative economy industry. This is due to: 1) the community’s profile that emphasizes the role of intellectual and social capital in community economic development with the University of Florida and Santa Fe College [...]

How long have you been a FCCMA member? 32 Years. Are you an ICMA member and if so, how long? Yes, for 38 Years. Please describe your areas of formal/advanced education. B.A. in History from LeMoyne College in Syracuse, N.Y. MPA Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University Graduate of the Senior [...]

Happy New Fiscal Year!  This calendar year is rapidly passing, which usually leaves me feeling a bit sad, but a new fiscal year can bring some smiles…new goals, new ideas – and a recommitment to our local governments.  Having just returned from the ICMA Conference in Phoenix, there are two items to share with you [...]

The FCCMA Professional Development Committee has planned the fall symposium, “The Challenge of Providing Services for the Next Five Years.”  You have a choice of attending the symposium on November 8 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Port Orange Lakeside Pavilion or on November 30 at the Sarasota Hyatt. The November 30 symposium [...]

Every city and county manager and department head faces daily challenges and every so often a mini crisis that tests their wits and experience. However, some local government managers, when they least expect it, are confronted with a “major crisis” that brings international attention to their agency and the manager is thrust into the middle [...]

The following membership applications have been received.  If no current member comes forth with a reason why this applicant should not be approved as a member, they will be invoiced for dues. Steven Alexander, District V, Former City Manager, Subscriber Member; John Bailey, District I, Master’s of Public Administration, Florida State University, Student Member; Jerry [...]

Judith (Judie) Ann Zimomra City Manager, City of Sanibel District VI Director How long have you been a FCCMA member? Since starting Florida employment in 2001; 11 years ago. Are you an ICMA member and if so, how long? 30+ years. Please describe your areas of formal/advanced education. BA Kent State University MPA – Finance [...]

The following membership application has been received.  If no current member comes forth with a reason why this applicant should not be approved as a member, the applicant will be invoiced for dues.  Walter Barry, District VII, Retired, Life Member; Michael Beedie, District I, City Manager, City of Fort Walton Beach, Full Member; Sheri Coven, District [...]