How long have you been an FCCMA member and why did you join?
I joined the FCCMA on May 5, 2022, shortly after starting my position with the City of Mascotte on February 1, 2022. Prior to that, I worked as a Township Manager in Michigan, where I was a member of the MME.
Are you an ICMA member? Why did you join, and how long have you been a member?
Yes, I am an ICMA member. I joined around March of 2022.
Please describe your areas of formal/advanced education.
I hold a degree in International Business Management, with an Associate in the Arts and Science. This past July, I also received my ICMA- CM credentials, and, in March, will be participating in a two-year course through FSU to obtain my CPM certification.
Why did you select a career in public service?
I started my schooling with the intent to go into a career in public administration and then switched to Finance and then to International Business Management. The economic and legal implementation of dealing and working internationally fascinated me. During my last year in the program, before obtaining my degree, I and two other students had the opportunity to sit in and be a part of the NAFTA talks and debates that were held in Grand Rapids Michigan. I worked in the private sector for a few years before realizing that my passion was in helping my community. I actually started out as an elected official, serving for almost fourteen years before I decided to take my schooling and degree and made the leap into management, realizing that I could serve my community more effectively in an official managerial capacity.
Have you always been in the public sector, or have you had experience in the private sector?
I worked in the private sector for about seven years. I started my career working for a Fortune 500 brokerage firm auditing/balancing their American Stocks and Option accounts. I then went on to work as an HR coordinator and assistant to the VP of a Fortune 500 rental company before realizing that community and family were more important than the hustle and bustle of corporate life and made the switch to government.
Please tell us about your current position and give a brief job description if you are not a City Administrator/Manager.
Currently, I am a City Manager and have served in this capacity for the past two years in Florida and seven years prior in Michigan. Before that, as I stated, I was an elected official in a small northern Michigan community. As the City Manager of a small Florida community, it is my job to oversee the day-to-day functions of the city however, being in a small community that had no parks and recreation positions or events that were taking place, I took it upon myself (with the ok from council) to start up a community event planning committee which now brings events to the residents of our town.
Please describe your typical day.
I don’t know if there is such a thing as a typical day when you are a City Manager, especially when you are in a small town that is growing so quickly. Since I have been here (2-years) our population has doubled so much of my day is filled with overseeing and working with staff on development projects. However, outside of that, my days are spent going through email, dealing with personnel issues, working on specialty projects, reviewing the budget and making sure items are in place and set for our council meetings.
What is your favorite part of the job?
My favorite part is when I get to interact with the community at events or on special projects and being able to have a say in what the future of a town may look like.
What is your least favorite part of the job?
Also, interacting with the community. Many residents don’t understand how government works. They have a dislike for government in general due to their views on federal and state matters. The public doesn’t understand that at the local level of government, we are held accountable for our actions and budgets. Residents can sometimes get very vocal about a matter that is passionate to them, not understanding that they may not be dealing with the appropriate government entity for their specific situation. At the local level, we try to help, but sometimes our hands are tied, and there is only so much we can do, and the public doesn’t always understand that.
If you are involved in any volunteer or leadership activities in your community, please share with us a bit about what you do and why it is important to you.
I get involved in about everything in our community. I had the pleasure of starting an event planning committee and a parks and recreation position. I help plan and volunteer for every event that takes place in our community. I have also volunteered for groups like Habitat for Humanity and several nonprofit food distribution organizations.
What is your most memorable experience on the job?
Celebrating Christmas with our Hometown Holiday Celebration. This was the first real event that staff and I took to the community. To see how well it all came together, and the excitement the community got out of it was amazing.
What are your hobbies/interests?
I love the water, so anything beach-related. I also love to sing, play golf and spend time with my family.
If you could give one piece of advice to people interested in a career in public service, what would it be?
Get involved with the community. The people are the heart of any city, and I feel it’s important they know you care about the city as much as they do. If I had to ask another seasoned manager a question, it would be, what caused you to seek a career in public service, and why did you choose the area of public service that you now reside in?
Who were your mentors, and how have you passed this information down to other aspiring public administrators?
I didn’t have a mentor until I entered the second decade of working in the public sector. By this time, I knew I wanted to be a city manager, and I was fortunate that the neighboring community had a manager who had been there for some time and really helped me see the value of organizations like the ICMA, MME (Michigan’s version of the FCCMA) and other local organizations. All of the management groups follow the same or similar ethics with emphasis on training and being the best version of yourself you can be and providing you with the tools to make it all happen. Russell Taylor in Thomas Township, Michigan, helped me see this and its organizations like the MME, ICMA and the FCCMA and the people in these organizations that have become my mentors as I continue my journey in my career.
What career would you pick if you were to pick another?
If I wasn’t working as a city manager, I would more than likely be either a finance director, accountant or event planner. I did consider career paths in all these areas and worked in these areas before I became a city manager. While I found satisfaction in the positions, they ultimately did not satisfy me in the way being a city manager does. My day is never the same, I’m always kept on my toes, and I know that I’m doing something worthwhile that makes a difference in others’ lives whether they see it or not.
Do you have a story you can share about how being a member of FCCMA has helped you or impacted you in a positive way?
Since joining the FCCMA, I volunteered pretty much right away to sit on the scholarship committee. For me being able to recognize those in our field who contribute to the industry and helping those wanting to get into the field obtain their dreams through providing them scholarship opportunities is priceless. While this is a very rewarding field to be in so many times as city managers, especially, we go without being recognized for all the time we give to our community and to be able to be a part of a group that helps recognize those already in the industry and help those wanting to get into the industry is very rewarding.
