Lake Isabella manager gets national planning award
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
Tim Wolff (LinkedIn andTwitter) was hired as the Village’s third Village Manager in January of 2004. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Alma College and a Master Citizen Planner accreditation from Michigan State University Extension. Prior to coming to Lake Isabella he served in the Village of Breckenridge as an elected Councilman for four years. During his time in Breckenridge, he served as Chairman of the following committees of the Village; Department of Public Works & Water, Finance, Cemetery and Parliamentary Procedure. His private sector background includes managing The Ridge Golf Course, and substitute teaching.
Tim is also active locally as a member of the Mount Pleasant City Planning Commission, and he also is a member of the County Board of Public Works and the County Ag-Land Preservation Board. Professionally he is a member of the Michigan Association of Planning, International City/County Management Association, and the Michigan Municipal League where he serves as a member of the League’s Legislative and Urban Affair’s Committee and has also served as the regional chairman for the Municipal League. He is also a Deacon of Trinity Baptist Church in Alma.
The Details
(Complete the sentence) Today is…….Big Bang Theory night… AKA Monday.
Your hometown? What is it best known for?
Hometown of Breckenridge, MI is now known for the large wind farm developed around the community. Before this project, we weren’t known for much aside from a cancer cluster in the 1970s. I know, lucky us!
Describe the state of local government in your area.
Despite lots of challenges, things in our little region of the state are actually pretty good. There are good relationships between most organizations, units working together, and making things happen.
What topics or practitioners would you like to see ELGL profile?
Career track advice/insights, real world case studies/examples of projects that have worked.
(Complete these phrases) Best thing about the….
- 80’s was… Detroit Tigers ’84 World Series win, ’89 Michigan Basketball National Championship, and the Detroit Pistons ’89 NBA Championship.
- 90’s was… ’97 Michigan Football National Championship, and the last time I remember that gas was under a $1 per gallon.
- 00’s was… I got married and we had our first child.
- Last year was… authored a new Master Plan for our community that won the Small Town and Rural Planning Division of the APA national plan of the year. (Note: The plan focused on building a sustainable future for the community and was authored with significant community input through a citizen engagement website.)
- Today is… had dinner and did grocery shopping with my girls. It is the little things in life that matter, after being at the office all day getting to spend any time with them is always a blessing.
If you could interview any three people (dead or alive), who would it be?
- MLK
- Edgar Allan Poe
- Pope Francis
(Complete this sentence) I feel old when I….. my kids ask me “what’s that?” It usually is something like a rotary phone, VHS tape, or the sweet mix tape I still have in my vehicle.
What are the best things about the internet?
I’m going to go with the “P” word that everyone thinks of when this question gets asked… Pinterest. No seriously, I love Pinterest. Besides Pinterest, fantasy sports, streaming music, Netflix, and the ability to have more information in the palm of your hand than the world knew just a few generations ago.
Parent(s) can be influential in career choices of their kids. What was the career path of your parent(s)?
My dad was a career Navy man, served 22 years. After he retired he took up a second career in the auto industry. My mother was a nurse, also retired. She worked for the V.A. and transitioned into an administrative role at the hospital for the final years of her career.
(Complete the sentence) ELGL is… an exciting new way to bring young professionals together via a medium that allows people from across the nation to connect.
Where do you hear about ELGL? 
Honestly, I think I saw it on a resume that somebody submitted for a job.
Give us two ideas for attracting and retaining talented individuals to the public sector.
Facilities and purpose. Making public spaces and even public offices attractive and stimulating is a very overlooked and undervalued part of finding and keeping talent. More so, especially in terms of public service, is purpose. People in this line of work need to know and see that what they do has a meaningful impact on the lives of people around them.
What’s one question that we should ask the next person who completes this profile?
When did you start drinking coffee, and how many cups a day do you drink now?
(Complete the sentence) Tomorrow is… new day, make the most of it.
Supplemental Reading
- Wind farms are a towering rural issue in Michigan
- Smartphone Delivery: How US cities are reaching out to citizens
- Using Smartphone Apps to Connect With Your Community
- Michigan Municipal League honors Lake Isabella village manager
The Archives
- 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
- Jared Wiener, Portland Development Commission
- Nathan Mehmed, West Michigan Regional Planning Commissio