Assistant City Manager Mary Jacobs talks to the Community about the Monument Fire from City of Sierra Vista AZ on Vimeo.
For the second year in a row, ELGL will be co-hosting an event at the ICMA Conference. This year we’re bringing a couple of pianos and booking a much larger room. More than 500 local government professionals from all areas of local government will attend. Registration will continue until we reach maximum capacity. We recommend registering as soon as possible. Let’s get prepared for the ELGL and ICMA “Mixing in Perfect Harmony” event by hearing from our guests.
Mary Jacobs
Assistant City Manager – City of Sierra Vista, AZ
Connect: LinkedIn
If you could pick any three bands (dead or alive) as the opening act for the Dueling Pianos event, which would you choose?
Elton John and Billy Joel
When I learned the ICMA Conference was being held in Seattle, I thought….
Awesome! Coffee, Coffee, Coffee!!
I knew local government was the career for me when….. a resident thanked me for a great snow removal response after a big storm!
Our #13Percent Initiative focuses on increasing diversity in the local government workforce. Give us your perspective — does local government have an issue? what, specifically, can we do to increase diversity in the workforce?
In many areas of local government, diversity is not an issue. But three that need some significant attention are Police, Fire and senior management. Targeted recruitment and mentoring programs are a great way to get interest from young people in all of these professions. Paid internships for both high school and college students can get these young folks attached to a particular department or function, often resulting in a path to future jobs. With regard to the top jobs in local government, more women and people of color need to actually apply first. There are lots of potential barriers, some which can be overcome, others that can’t (like family situations).
The Seahawks lost the Super Bowl by passing instead of running from the 1-yard line. Give us your best tip(s) for rebounding from difficult situations.
Whether recovering from a difficult personal or professional situation or event, the most important thing is to always focus on the good that came out of it. What did you learn? How will/has it made you a better/stronger person? Looking and moving forward, rather than focusing on what occurred, is essential. What happened in the past happened. Nothing you do can change it. But we are who we are because of the breadth of experiences we have, both good and bad.
Supplemental Reading
Time Out for Mentoring with Mary Jacobs
ICMA at the White House