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
Gabe Reaume (Connect: LinkedIn) is the Environmental Manager for the City of Sugar Land, TX. Previously, he served as the Deputy Treasury Manager and Budget & Management in Sugar Land. His local government career began as an intern with the City of Denton, TX. Gabe has an MPA from the University of North Texas.
Q & A
(Complete the sentence) Today is…… beginning with hot coffee with cream.
Your hometown? What is it best known for?
Ionia, Michigan. Home of the Ionia Free Fair and (5) state prisons!
Describe the state of local government in your area.
I work for a very diverse, growing suburb (Sugar Land) southwest of Houston. The City of Houston has a strong mayor form of government, but most of the suburbs are Council-Manager governments. Houston is a vibrant and growing area. You can take a drive anywhere in the region and there’s construction and development nearly everywhere.
What topics or practitioners would you like to see ELGL profile?
I really like “war stories” about difficult professional circumstances.…It seems like you can learn more from the times when things didn’t go as planned than when everything is sunshine, puppies, and happiness.
(Complete these phrases) Best thing about the….
- 80’s was……. A teacher telling my mother I was not “college material”.
- 90’s was…… getting a driver’s license!
- 00’s was…… moving to the great state of Texas.
- Last year was… growing closer to the beautiful woman who is now my wife.
- Today is….Sugar Land’s Public Works Department Thanksgiving potluck. I’m ready to do battle and also ready to admit that there might not be a lot of work done by me this afternoon.
If you could interview any three people (dead or alive), who would it be?
- My grandfather, who died tragically several years before I was born.
- My grandmother, who passed away in 2008. We would have a lot of catching up to do.
- Pope John Paul II.
(Complete this sentence) I feel old when I…….. I realized I will never be a “tweeter”. And I think I’m okay with that.
What are the best things about the internet?
A wealth of information is available at your fingertips. I guess if you lump social media in with the internet, it’s a great tool in keeping up with friends and family across the world.
Parent(s) can be influential in career choices of their kids. What was the career path of your parent(s)?
I am from a family of farmers, so agriculture has always been a part of my life. My dad was a prison chaplain most of the time I was at home. He also was the pastor of a rural church. My mother is a psychiatric social worker and retired from the prison system.
(Complete the sentence) ELGL is…… going to be fun to be a part of.
Where do you hear about ELGL?
I think I first heard about the group at a conference, and then again from a co-worker.
Give us two ideas for attracting and retaining talented individuals to the public sector.
- Career education and outreach in middle and high schools.
- To put a spin on a famous quote from St. Francis of Assisi, “Be a professional public servant all the time and when necessary, use words”
What’s one question that we should ask the next person who completes this profile?
Why public service?
(Complete the sentence) Tomorrow is…….time to get back on track with healthy eating!
Supplemental Reading
- Sugar Land solid waste, recycling program bags state award
- On Campus with University of North Texas MPA Program
- TCMA Region 6 | Texas City Management Association
Allow Myself Archives
- 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