The FCCMA Nominating Committee met last Friday to interview candidates for Secretary-Treasurer and At-Large Director. Nine candidates, two for Secretary-Treasurer and seven for two At-Large positions, were interviewed throughout the day. I was blown away by the quality of the candidates interviewed and know that FCCMA will be in good hands in the future. Here are my takeaways from the meeting:
- Competition is a good thing – people care about the organization and want to make it better. I would be concerned if there weren’t enough candidates for the job. The sheer number of candidates shows that we’re doing something right, and that people realize the value of FCCMA. Several candidates expressed gratitude for all that the Association had done for them and had self-nominated because they wanted to give back.
- Self-nominating is tough. It takes a lot of guts to throw your hat in the ring and say, “I want that position.” Leaders are not deterred by the potential for losing and, when it does happen, recognize that it provides an opportunity to improve. I hope that each of the candidates that were not selected continue to stay involved with the Association and consider running again the future and, know how much they are appreciated for what they have and continue to do for FCCMA.
- Leadership, professional development, and networking are areas that FCCMA should continue to prioritize going forward.
- Our members value the ICMA Code of Ethics and take it very seriously.
- The “Silver Tsunami” is real and we must prepare the next generation now so that they’ll be ready to take over when you retire. FCCMA can help with that. Have you encouraged your staff to get involved with FCCMA? Do you hire an intern? What are you doing to encourage young folks to enter the profession?
- We, as an Association, must look at how we communicate with our members recognizing that people consume information differently, especially across generations.
- Educating the public on the difference that professional management makes it vitally important to preserve the council-manager form of government.
- Even though I think we do a pretty good job, there’s always room for improvement. Several of the candidates brought up new ideas that are worth considering in the future.
I’d like to end by thanking the members of the Nominating Committee for taking time away from their busy schedules to serve the Association. Thank you for your commitment to FCCMA.
Here’s your 2017-18 slate of candidates as prepared by the Nominating Committee. The membership will vote on the state at our Annual Business Meeting in June.
Program Year 2017-2018 Slate of Officers and Directors
President
Jim Hanson, Town Manager, Orange Park
President-Elect
Michael Cernech, City Manager, Tamarac
Secretary/Treasurer
Shannon Lewis, Assistant City Manager, Melbourne
At-Large Director
Mark Cunningham, Assistant County Administrator, Sarasota County
Vacancy to be appointed by the Board
Continuing Board Members
Past President
Robert (Bobby) Green, City Manager, Auburndale (District 8)
District I Director
Michael Beedie, City Manager, Fort Walton Beach
District II Director
Danielle Judd, City Manager, Green Cove Springs
District III Director
Suzanne Sherman, Assistant City Manager, Satellite Beach
District IV Director
Lori LaVerriere, City Manager, Boynton Beach
District V Director
Jorge Gonzalez, Village Manager, Bal Harbour Village
District VI Director
Charles Chapman, County Administrator, Hendry County
District VII Director
Matthew Campbell, Town Manager, Kenneth City
District VIII Director
James Gleason, City Manager, Mascotte
At-Large Directors
Ryan Leavengood, City Manager, Lake Alfred
