Auburn Hires New Administrative Services Director
Welcome to the new and (somewhat) improved version of our member introductions. If you are puzzled by the column name, take a minute to watch the above scene from Austin Powers.
Background Check
Instead of the usual background information that we provide about our new members, we think you’ll find out everything you need to know about Dylan in this letter – Knoxville Letter. That is how you gracefully transition jobs. Well done, Dylan!
Q & A
(Complete the sentence) Today is……a new day to make a difference.
Your hometown? What is it best known for?
I consider my hometown as Ogden, Utah. I’d say we’re well known for our culture of outdoor recreation. Although whenever I tell someone I’m from Utah, the inevitable question “Oh, are you a Mormon?” arises!
Describe the state of local government in your area.
I would say that local governments in California were really hit hard during the recession. Many cities have reduced their workforce by sizable numbers. In Auburn, staff was reduced 26%…that’s total positions! Most employees also had to accept large pay reductions just for the City to get by. Even though a recovery is happening now, we’re dealing with repercussions of unfunded pension obligations. For anyone who loves a dynamic job where every day presents a new challenge…California local government is the place to be!
What topics or practitioners would you like to see ELGL profile?
- Collective bargaining wins (“wins” would be highly subjective and I’m interested to see what people consider “wins”)
- Small town response to crisis
- School and City collaboration
Practitioners
- Harold Stewart (City Manager of Knoxville, IA)
- Tim Rundel (City Manager of Auburn, CA)
(Complete these phrases) Best thing about the….
80’s was……. Def Leppard
90’s was…… Family Matters…If I finished homework, I could watch (and undoubtedly imitate) Steve Urkel all day long!
00’s was….. Really the time when I made several important decisions about my future. Early college, marriage, living abroad, career profession, etc. I really accomplished a lot during this pivotal decade.
Last year was….. Exciting. I said “goodbye” to a wonderful community in Knoxville, Iowa, and moved to California for my current position.
Today is….About one week before the Christmas/New Year’s holidays…that means an incredible amount of downtime and anyone who schedules a large group meeting should be punished. I’ve also overeaten on holiday snacks for nearly 30 consecutive days!
If you could interview three people (dead or alive), who would it be?
Alexander the Great – the man was passionate/ambitious and his footprint was incredibly vast.
George Washington – I would love to speak with him the night before he transitioned the Continental Army back to Congress.
My grandpa, Mel – he was electrocuted and died before I was born. He was even better looking than the Marlboro Man!
Magnus Walker – The man’s appearance is wild and given 5 minutes, you’re convinced he’s a genius!
(Complete this sentence) I feel old when I……..look at wedding pictures from 6 years ago (of course, my lovely wife looks younger each day!) 😉
What are the best things about the internet?
The internet continues connecting us [people] more to the world while also making us less personable. I am a troll and can watch friends/family raise their children, graduate, start businesses on the internet without ever actually speaking to them! That’s kind of cool and really sad….
Parent(s) can be influential in career choices of their kids. What was the career path of your parent(s)?
My father is an air traffic controller. My mother is a stay-at-home mom but she provided the most energy/work towards turning our home into a foster home. Growing up, we had somewhere around 75 foster kids live with us. I think that’s how I developed a passion for community service. In the end, I’ve always had two parents who backed their children 100% in whatever they wanted to do.
(Complete the sentence) ELGL is……an exciting forum to learn from some unique, amazing people with similar passions.
Where do you hear about ELGL?
I enjoy reading the ELGL profiles about some of my mentors, peers, and friends including Susan Sherman (Olathe, KS), Ben Bryant (Tualatin, OR) and Gabriel Engeland (Gilbert, AZ).
Give us two ideas for attracting and retaining talented individuals to the public sector.
Flexible schedules and transferrable deferred compensation plans. For example in Iowa, city managers can elect to opt out of the state pension system and apply employer/employee retirement contributions to a def. comp plan of his/her choice…that’s cool!
What question should we ask the next person who completes this profile?
If you were given one “Do-Over” in life, what would you have done differently and why?
(Complete the sentence) Tomorrow is……. A bigger, better bus will always come along.
Supplemental Reading
- Feik accepts job in California
- Dylan Feik – Knoxville, IA
- KS: Michael Wilkes, City of Olathe, City Manager
- Let’s Talk Knoxville – Assistant City Manager Dylan Feik
Allow Myself Archives
- Gabe Reaume, City of Sugar Land, TX
- Karl Knapp – Budget Director, Cary (NC)
- Arnold Perez, Brownsville, TX
- Ashlyn Salzman, WSU-Vancouver
- Tim Wolff, Lake Isabella, MI Village Manager
- Adrienne Burke, Fernandina Beach, FL
- Julie Eckenrode, Town of Carrboro, NC
- Cathy Wilson, Town of Carrboro, NC
- Brandi Leos, Clackamas County
- Christian Williams, City of Goodyear, AZ
- Justyn Miller, Boone County, IL
- Liza Druck, City of Cincinnati, OH
- Sarah Bledsoe, City of Beacon, NY