In last week's interview about radical mental health transparency, Todd Hopwood broadly discussed the 10 questions he asks himself each day. In this follow up episode, we breakdown those 10 questions, how you should assess them, and how to calculate your score so that you can better track your mental health and mood. Here are the 10 questions: How motivated am I today? What are my perceived energy levels? Are simple tasks easy or difficult? How well have I slept lately? How's my...

Todd Hopwood shocked me when he explained his radical approach to mental health transparency. We discuss a system he has implemented which is designed to help him when he is struggling and needs help the most. Frankly, it is not an approach that I would personally be comfortable practicing in my workplace. However, there is no question that his courage, leadership, and modeling of this behavior promotes greater awareness of mental health issues in the workplace and it most definitely gives...

Seth Winterhalter has some thoughts on work-life balance, leaders needing chaos to thrive, and the let down that achievers can feel once they accomplish major goals. An executive coach and owner of HaltingWinter Municipal Solutions, Seth seeks to help city and county managers escape burnout, set boundaries, and experience breakthroughs in work-life balance. He recently rebranded his podcast to focus on local government executives and content. He has started rolling out interviews with city...

In my first installment of my new "Side Hustle Sunday" series, I discuss the power of leveraging real estate to create wealth with Noel Bernal. Noel started his real estate investment journey in his early 20's before he became a public sector executive. He, along with his wife, have increased their real estate holdings over time and expanded into larger real estate transactions through syndication deals. We both preach the importance of city and county managers adding additional income...

Confident. Certain. Poised. Prepared. Jorge Garcia, a first-time city manager in Pismo Beach, California, embodies all of these adjectives. He has spent many years readying himself for this moment -- his first assignment as a chief executive officer for a municipal corporation. He is only one year into his tenure, but as you listen to this interview, you will come away with the impression that he's sat in "the chair" for a decade plus! Jorge is the next generation of public sector leadership...

Our friend, Daniel Rosemond, visits the show to provide an update on his legal case against the City of Hallandale Beach. In February, he had a major set back and we talk about battling through this ordeal that has now stretched out more than 8 years. We also talk about his work with East to West Development and share some exciting news about his book, "Death of the Public Servant." Daniel was featured in a 3-part interview series last year: Episode 10: Death of the Public Servant, Episode...

Nick Loper is a legend in the side hustle and internet marketing space. He is the host of the Side Hustle Show podcast and runs the Side Hustle Nation website. I get excited when talking about internet marketing, start-ups, passive income, and entrepreneurship. And I hope many of you do, too, as I would like to explore this topic in more earnest in the future. Being a city or county manager is very risky. Governing bodies are churning and burning through public sector executives who are...

Clarendon City Administrator Brian Barboza literally started at the bottom and worked his way to "the chair." When he was a young man, recently graduated from high school, Hereford City Manager Rick Hanna took an interest and gave him an application to become an employee in the streets department. Barboza worked for the city while going to college with plans to becoming a police officer. A fateful conversation with Hanna who pitched Barboza on the idea of becoming a city manager would forever...

City Manager Brooks Williams brings a passionate but demanding philosophical approach to local government. He joins the program to talk about the importance of innovation and efficiency, accountability, employee development, and building strong relationships with your elected officials as he leads the City of Ferris, Texas. Brooks recently published "Rising to Serve," which I can only describe as his personal love letter to public service and city management. The foreward was penned by the...

As I predicted, the ICMA finally capitulated and settled the anti-defamation lawsuit brought forth by Michigan city manager James Freed. As part of the agreement where financial details were not releaed, the ICMA agreed to retract the censure by removing it from their website.  The settlement was announced via a joint statement on ICMA letterhead. However, I have received overwhelmingly negative responses from the city managers in my network regarding the language of that statement.  In this...

Things are heating up in the battle between Port Huron City Manager James Freed and the ICMA over the last two weeks. The two-year saga began in June 2022 when the ICMA publicly censured Freed and stripped him of his credential. Freed countered with a lawsuit alleging the ICMA engaged in a conspiracy to defame him. On September 5, 2024, Freed sent out an email along with a 21-page court filing. See link in the show notes. On Friday the 6th, the ICMA issued its first public statement on the...

Audree Guzman refused to become a statistic and has courageously battled through childhood sexual molestation and domestic abuse as a young woman. We discuss her battles along with other struggles encompassing eating disordes and mental health issues. This is very powerful episode but listener discretion is strongly advised. SHOW NOTES: Here is the LinkedIn page for Audree Guzman For more information about James Freed's anti-defamation lawsuit against the ICMA, I have created a reference page...

Audree Guzman was hired into her first city administrator gig at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. Less than a year later, she would be forced to deal with another historic event that rocked her community.  In this episode, Audree and I discuss the trials and tribulations she faced down in her first city administrator gig in small town Kansas. We also discuss the impact a mentor had on her and what impact, if any, her being a Latina in a predominantly white state has had on her...

In Part 2 of my interview with Sam Toles of CiviSocial, we discuss keyboard warriors and social media terrorists. I offer up my distinction between the two and urge elected officials to exercise more discernment when evaluating online attacks. We discuss the outsized impact of the minority, whether they are truly engaged and participating in the process, and how spineless elected officials can send demoralizing signals and messages to their staff. Sam also shares a secret tip he uses to...

Sam Toles is a social media expert having worked for large entertainment companies like Bleacher Report, MGM, and Warner Music, as well as Vimeo. He was also served as an elected councilmember for the California community of Cathedral City. He is passionate about social media and the public sector, but believes that most communities across the country are doing social media wrong. That is why he launched his new firm, CiviSocial. In this two part series we are going to discuss why communities...

Patton Township Manager Amy Farkas is passionate about recruiting more women and minorities into the profession of city and county management. In this episode, we talk about the importance of "telling a better story" to attract these candidates. We also discuss her unique approach to dealing with the stresses of the job through her hobby and what benefits she has been able to transfer over into her professional life as a result.   SHOW NOTES: Amy Farkas' LinkedIn page SUBMIT JOB POSTING: Do...

In the third and final installment of my interview series with Castle Pines City Manager Michael Penny, he shares his views on the recruitment and performance review processes and puts forth the idea that the American Association of Municipal Executives can assist city and county managers by influencing how these events are structured. Penny argues that candidates currently have little say in the recruitment process and do not have a seat at the table under the current paradigm. And he...

Why did the ICMA create the credentialed manager program and does it measure competency? We discuss these issues and more in part 2 of my interview series with Castle Pines, Colorado city manager Michael Penny. Penny, who is a founding member of the American Association of Municipal Executives, has also been a member of the ICMA since 1995.  He has been actively involved with the ICMA credentialing process since 2013 and currently serves as the chairman of the ICMA Credentialing Advisory...

Castle Pines city manager Michael Penny isn't your ordinary ICMA member. He currently serves as the chairman of the ICMA's Credentialing Advisory Board (CAB) and has been a member of the organization since 1995. So, why did he join the American Association of Municipal Executives as a founding member and how does he see both organizations co-existing? Penny has also been on both sides of the ICMA executive board election process. He has run for a seat and been denied the nomination and he has...

For a variety of reasons listed in this podcast, the sign up deadline to become a founding member of the American Association of Municipal Executives has been extended. You have until midnight central on Thursday, July 25th to take action and join this historic, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This is the last call -- so sign up here today. We have the following membership plans: Executive Suite CEO/CAOs Executive Suite ACM/DCMs Aspiring Executives Retired City Managers...

A confidential source sent me an audio recording of ICMA West Coast Regional Director Pat Martel discussing the American Association of Municipal Executives. This discussion took place two weeks ago at the Oregon City/Count Management Association conference.. In this audio clip, Martel states that the ICMA is very much aware of the AAME, that it supports the AAME mission, and that it is perfectly acceptable for ICMA members to join AAME and other organizations. In this episode, I talk about...

Last week the big news story was the announcement by the ICMA that CEO Marc Ott was retiring to spend more time with family. We also learned that Port Huron City Manager James Freed was given a trial date for his defamation lawsuit against the ICMA. Coincidence? These two stories are inextricably linked and are the topic of this week's podcast episode. SHOW NOTES: In this podcast I mentioned that Caribou, Maine City Manager Penny Thompson is a founding member of the American Association of...

Marilyn Rivers had a stellar career and an impeccable reputation having served for nearly 20 years as the Director of Risk and Safety for the New York city of Saratoga Springs. About 18-months away from this 20-year mark where she would be eligible for her pension, a newly elected commissioner set his sights on her to settle an "old score" from fifteen years ago. Rivers wanted to do this podcast because she never had a chance to defend herself, her record, or address the toxic behavior of...

ICMA CEO Marc Ott has presided over an organization that is dysfunctional, lacks accountability, and produces mediocre work product.  His permissive and absentee approach to managing employees allowed ethics staffers to prosecute a personal and political vendetta against Port Huron City Manager James Freed -- a stain that will be forever left upon his legacy. Combined with an international development emphasis that has lacked focus and failed to deliver results, it has been Ott's shepherding...