EXECUTIVE PROFILE

Government management, strategic planning, performance management, process improvement, finance, media relations, and communications leader with 30 years experience in high-performing municipal governments. Strong record of successfully delivering large, complex and politically sensitive projects and creating productive and robust relationships between government and constituents. Developed a strategic planning system that was a key factor in Coral Springs being the first local government to be awarded the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.

Strengths include leadership, creativity, flexibility, ethics, and interpersonal communications.

Areas of expertise include:
  • Citizen engagement and community relations
  • Administrative policies and procedures
  • Redistricting and charter review
  • Organizational analysis and development
  • Lean process tools and quality management
  • Strategic planning
  • Budget management
  • Financial policy development
  • Financial monitoring and forecasting
  • Intergovernmental and Legislative relations
  • Performance measurement and management
  • Shared services and consolidation
  • Program evaluation
  • Economic development and redevelopment
  • Customer relationship management
  • Public relations and issue management
  • Media relations
  • Social media
  • Crisis and emergency communications
  • Performing and visual arts management

Clients I've consulted for include The Alliance for Innovation; Amberley Village, OH; Aurora, CO; Baldwin County Sheriff's Office, AL; Bedford, TX; Bernalillo County, NM; Bladensburg, MD; Blue Ash, OH; Boone County, KY; Bowie, MD; Boynton Beach, FL; Brighton, CO; Brookeville, OH; Brunswick, OH; Burlington, VT; Capitol Region Council of Governments, CT; Cass County, MI; Cedar Rapids, IA; Center for State and Local Government; Charles Town WV; Charlotte, NC; Chatham County, GA; Chubbuck, ID; Cincinnati, OH; Clayton, OH; Clearwater, FL; Columbus, GA; Covington, KY; Dallas, TX; Dallas County, TX; Davie, FL; Dayton, OH; Deer Park, OH; Deerfield Beach, FL; DeKalb County, GA; Delaware County, OH; DuPage County Forest Preserve, IL; Durham, NC; Fairfield, OH; Florence, KY; Foley, AL; Forest Park, OH; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Green Township, OH; Greenville, PA; Gulf Shores, AL; Hamilton County, OH; Hampton Roads Partnership, VA; Harris County, TX; Hebron, OH; Horseheads, NY; Huron, OH; Huron County Public Health, OH; Independence, MO; Indian Hill, OH; Ingham County, MI; Jefferson County, CO; Kansas City, MO; Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, MO; Kent County, MI; Kenton County Governance Committee, KY; Lake County, IL; Lake Worth Beach, FL; Lakeland, FL; Lantana, FL; Largo, FL; Little Elm, TX; Little Miami Fire & Rescue District, OH; Loudoun County, VA; Loveland, OH; Loxahatchee Groves, FL; Mansfield Downtown Partnership, CT; Maple Bluff, WI; Margate, FL; Maryland-National Capitol Park and Planning Commission, MD; McKenzie Valley Environmental Impact Board; NT Melbourne, FL; Miami, FL; Miami-Dade County, FL; Miami Valley Communications Council, OH; Milford, OH; Missouri City, TX; Monroe, OH; Montgomery, OH; Morgantown, WV; New Bedford, MA; New Concord, OH; New Orleans, LA; Newport, RI; Norfolk, VA; North Miami Beach, FL; Oakland Park, FL; Orange Beach, AL; Orange County, NC; Oxford, OH; Painesville, OH; Palm Beach County, FL; Parkland, FL; Pinellas County, FL; Port Chester, NY; Port Moody, BC; Port Orange, FL; Port St. Lucie, FL; Raleigh, NC; Ranson, WV; Region 2000 Local Government Council, VA; Regional Economic Area Partnership, KS; Richmond Metropolitan Authority, VA; Rochester, MN; Saint Paul, MN; Sanford, FL; Sarasota County, FL; Scarsdale, NY; Sedgwick County, KS; Silverton, OH; Silverton-Deer Park Joint Fire District, OH; Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio; South Miami, FL; Spartanburg, SC; Springdale, OH; St. Louis Park, MN; Stephenville, TX; Sycamore School District, OH; Tamarac, FL; Tavares, FL; Tyler, TX; West Palm Beach, FL; Wichita, KS; Worthington, OH; and Yellow Springs, OH.

POSITION HISTORY

Assistant County Administrator, Pinellas County, Florida, 09/2020-present
Interim Economic Development Director, Pinellas County, Florida, 04/2021-09/2021
Vice President of Planning & Performance Solutions, Envisio Solutions, Vancouver, British Columbia, 10/2019-08/2020
Vice President of Customer Success, Envisio Solutions, Richmond, British Columbia, 09/2018-10/2019
Regional Vice President, Management Partners, Cincinnati, Ohio, 05/2012-08/2018
Special Advisor, Management Partners, San Jose, California, 03/2012-05/2012
Assistant City Manager, City of Reno, Nevada, 08/2011-02/2012
Interim City Manager, City of Reno, Nevada, 03/2011-06/2011
Interim Executive Director, Reno Redevelopment Agency, Reno, Nevada, 03/2011-06/2011
Director of the Office of Management & Budget, City of Reno, Nevada, 06/2010-08/2011
Director of Community Relations, City of Reno, Nevada, 01/2008-06/2010
Director of Communications & Marketing, City of Coral Springs, Florida, 11/2005-01/2008
Budget & Strategic Planning Manager, City of Coral Springs, Florida, 10/1998-11/2005
Senior Budget Analyst, City of Coral Springs , Florida, 07/1996-10/1998
Museum Director, Coral Springs Museum of Art, 10/1995-07/1996
Director of Event Services, Professional Facilities Management, 10/1994-10/1995
Acting General Manager, Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 04/1994-10/1994
Business & Information Systems Manager, Coral Springs Center for the Arts, 05/1991-04/1994
Box Office Manager, Omni Auditorium, Broward Community College, 10/1989-05/1991
Sound Engineer/Stage Hand/Gaffer's Assistant, Freelance/Self-employed, 06/1982-05/1991
Tactical Communications System Operator/Mechanic, US Army, 3rd Infantry Division, 12/1984-12/1986
Mechanical Designer, Motorola, Inc., 05/1984-09/1984

EDUCATION

Diversity & Inclusion Certificate, Cornell University, 2022
Senior Executives in State & Local Government Program, Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government, 2011
Leadership Development Program, Center for Creative Leadership, 2007
Advanced Government Finance Institute, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 2005
Certificate in Strategic Management, Florida Institute of Government, 2000
Certified Public Pension Trustee, Florida Public Pension Trustees Association, 2006 - 2008
Incident Command System, Federal Emergency Management Administration (ICS-100, ICS-200, ICS-271, ICS-300, ICS-400, ICS-700, ICS-702, ICS-775, and ICS-800), 2006 - 2010
Board of Examiners Training, Florida Sterling Council, 2000
Graduate Certificate in Screenwriting, University of California - Los Angeles, 2000
Leadership Coral Springs, Coral Springs Chamber of Commerce, 1993
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, Florida International University, 1995
Bachelor of Arts in English, Florida International University, 1991
Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts, Broward College, 1988

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

International City/County Management Association (2000+), participant in ICMA CoachConnect (2020-present), member of Digital Strategies Advisory Board (2013-present), Conference Planning Committee (2013), Library Advisory Committee (2013-2014), Center for Performance Measurement (2000-2010), Performance Measurement-Human Resources (2000-2010), E-Government Task Force (2001-2003), conference speaker (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2021), Expert Bar resume reviewer (2013, 2015), Expert Bar social media (2014)
Government Finance Officers Association (1998-2005, 2010+), advisor to/member of the Committee on Governmental Budgeting and Fiscal Policy (2015-present), member of Resliency Task Force (2014-2015), Distinguished Budget Presentation Award reviewer, conference speaker on Long-Term Financial Planning (2010) and Financial Leadership (2016), webinar speaker (2011, 2015), contributor to Government Finance Review magazine (2012, 2015, 2017)
Alliance for Innovation (2012+), Conference Evaluation Committee (2014), conference speaker (2017, 2019)
Engaging Local Government Leaders (2017+), active in CivicPRIDE (2017+), guest on GovLove podcast (2018), webinar speaker (2019), 2019 Haverford Award recipient (#3), host of Strategic Planning Virtual Hangout (2020), mentor for the Engagement Cohort (2020), mentor to the Surveying for Equity cohort (2021), 2020 Traeger Award recipient (#25), 2020 Haverford Award recipient (#20), contributor to member blog (2019), 360° Review Interview (2015)
National Association of Counties (2020+), member of the Arts and Culture Commission (2021-2022), member of the Resilient Counties Advisory Board (2021-2022), member of the Large Urban Counties Caucus (2021+), member of Florida Association of Counties
Florida City/County Management Association (2014+), +), At-Large Board Member (2022+), Fiscal and Administrative Policy Committee (2021-2022), conference resume reviewer (2017, 2018, 2019), webinar panelist (2014), event sponsor (multiple years)
Government Social Media (2021+), advisor
Communities of Excellence (2020-2021), examiner
American Society for Quality (2000-2005, 2013-2017)
Ohio City/County Management Association (2012-2018), conference speaker (2015, 2016)
Virginia Local Government Managers Association (2013-2015)
City-County Communications Management Association (2005-2012, 2015+), co-chair of 20th anniversary 2008 Annual Conference, conference speaker (2008, 2019), webinar speaker (2018, 2019)
Public Relations Society of America (2005-2011), Sierra Nevada Chapter Board Member (2008-2010), Sierra Nevada Chapter co-Vice President of Programming (2008-2010)
Florida Government Communications Association (2005-2008), conference speaker
City of Coral Springs Firefighters Pension Board (2004-2008), Trustee
Florida Public Pension Trustees Association (2004-2008)
Broward County Cultural Division (2004-2005), grants panelist
Florida Humanities Council (2001-2005), Board Member, Chair of Communications Committee
Florida Institute of Government Advisory Board (2001-2005), Board Member
Florida Sterling Council (2000-2001), Examiner
Florida Government Finance Officers Association (1998-2005), conference speaker (2003)

Past affiliations include Urban Land Institute, American Marketing Association, Western Industrial Nevada, Advertising Association of Northern Nevada, American Institute of the Graphical Arts, American Association of Museums, International Association of Auditorium Managers (Publications Committee), Box Office Management International (Survey Committee Chair, Annual Conference staff, conference speaker)
PRESENTATIONS/PUBLICATIONS
  • “Grab some garlic and a wooden stake: Conquering the time vampires”; Government Social Media, GSMCON2022, Dallas, Texas; March 29, 2022.
  • “Keeping the Trust After Earning The Seat”; 3CMA Webinar Series, January 27, 2022.
  • “First Time Administrators: Evaluating Your Community’s Fiscal Health”; International City/County Management Association 108th Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon; October 5, 2021.
  • “To Lead is to Disappoint”; City Hall Stories Podcast, episode 8; July 19, 2021.
  • “Total Quality Management Practices”; The FCCMA Podcast; June 30, 2021.
  • “Productive Places in a Post-Pandemic Era: A Roadmap for Cities and Counties”; Envisio blog; June 10, 2020.
  • “Adapting Your Strategic Plan for an Agile School District”; Enivisio Innovation Spotlight webinar with the Cree School Board, QC; May 28, 2020.
  • “Scoping Your Planning and Performance Management Software RFP”; Envisio blog; May 3, 2020.
  • “Strategic Planning Virtual Hangout”; Engaging Local Government Leaders online event; February 6, 2020.
  • “Using the What Works Cities Certification to Jump-Start Your Performance Journey”; Envisio blog; January 22, 2020.
  • “Strategic Plan in Action – How to Build a High Performing Culture”; Envisio Innovation Spotlight webinar with the City of Rowlett, TX; January 14, 2020.
  • “Input to Action - The End-to-End Strategy for Engaging Your Community and Delivering Results”; Minnesota Strategy Summit; December 9, 2019.
  • “The Secret to 100% Employee Engagement in Your Strategic Plan”; Envisio Innovation Spotlight webinar with Port Moody, BC; November 5, 2019.
  • “Building Trust through Strategy and Performance Communications”; 3CMA Annual Conference; September 5, 2019.
  • “Accelerating City Hall Performance with Strategic Plan Reporting”; Envisio Innovation Spotlight Webinar with the Village of Lemont, Illinois on September 17, 2019.
  • “Measuring the Effectiveness of Local Government Communications”; 3CMA blog; August 2, 2019.
  • “You Can’t Do It All: How to Create a Strategic Action Plan”; Envisio blog; July 18, 2019.
  • “Strategic Planning & Strategy Execution Best Practices”; Texas City Leaders Summit; June 19, 2019.
  • “Three key elements to effective strategy deployment: How Maplewood drives strategy to the front line”; Alliance for Innovation Local Government Solutions Journal; June 13, 2019.
  • “Strategy and Performance - Leading Through Change”; Envisio User Group; June 19, 2019.
  • “The vital few: how to identify your key performance measures”; Envisio blog; May 13, 2019.
  • “Transforming City Budgets to Fuel Strategic Outcomes”; Envisio Learn from the Experts Webinar; May 7, 2019.
  • “Modern Practices for Government Performance Management”; Alliance for Innovation; webinar; April 2, 2019.
  • “The Power of Performance Measures: Better Data, Better Decisions” ; Transforming Local Government Annual Conference; April 10, 2019.
  • “Input to Action - Deliver a Strategic Plan That Everyone Loves”; Illinois City Leaders Group; March 7, 2019.
  • “Ice Breakers & Strategic Planning”; ELGL Blog; February 5, 2019.
  • “A Bold Strategy to Smart City Planning”; Envisio Customer Spotlight Webinar Series; February 5, 2019.
  • “Does Your Budget Support Your Strategy? Three Things You May Be Missing”; Alliance for Innovation Local Government Solutions Journal; December 6, 2018.
  • “Three Key Elements to Accomplish Complex City Plans”; Envisio Customer Spotlight Webinar Series; December 4, 2018.
  • “Four Ways to Fast Track Your City's Strategic Plan”; Envisio Customer Spotlight Webinar Series; October 31, 2018.
  • “Six Benefits of a Good Management Reporting System”; Envisio Blog; October 24, 2018.
  • “Benchmarking for Success”; Alliance for Innovation Regional Summit, Salinas, California; October 4, 2018.
  • “Building Trust through Strategic Planning”; GovLove Podcast; October 2, 2018.
  • “How to Develop a Strategic Plan for Your Community”; Envisio Blog; October 1, 2018.
  • “Local Government Strategic Planning”; Alliance for Innovation; webinar, September 20, 2018.
  • “So You Have a New Strategic Plan - Now What?”; Alliance for Innovation; webinar; June 20, 2018.
  • “Learn from the Experts: A Holistic Approach to Creating a Performance Measurement Program”; Envisio Solutions, Inc.; webinar; January 31, 2018.
  • “Lessons from the Experts: Building a Local Government Benchmarking Network”; Envisio Solutions, Inc.; webinar; November 27, 2017.
  • “Taming the Beast: Advanced Topics in Social Media”; City-County Communications & Marketing Association; webinar; June 29, 2017.
  • “Sustainability through Succession Planning”; Alliance for Innovation; regional workshop in Clearwater, Florida; May 2, 2017.
  • “Local Government Gets Lean (Six Sigma)”; Alliance for Innovation; Transforming Local Government Annual Conference, Tulsa, Oklahoma; April 20, 2017.
  • “Finding Your Leadership Mojo”; Government Finance Review; February 2017; Vol. 33, No. 1; pp. 46-49.
  • “Social Media: Telling the Story of Local Government”; International City/County Management Association 102nd Annual Conference, Kansas City, Missouri; September 27, 2016.
  • “Financial Leadership”; Government Finance Officers Association 110th Annual Conference, Toronto, Canada; May 21, 2016.
  • “Performance Leadership--Linking Vision to Results”; keynote address, Florida Benchmarking Consortium Annual Conference, Oveido, Florida; April 22, 2016.
  • “Communications Audits”; North Carolina City County Communicators Association Conference, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, April 14, 2016.
  • “Continuing to Grow While Leading the Organization”; Ohio City/County Management Association Winter Conference, Columbus, Ohio; February 25, 2016.
  • “Experimenting with Innovation”; Government Finance Review; April 2015; Vol. 31, No. 2; pp. 46-49.
  • “The Resilient Government”; Government Finance Officers Association 109th Annual Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; June 3, 2015. (co-presented with Mike Bailey).
  • “Reaching Financial Resiliency”; Government Finance Officers Association; webinar; March 25, 2015 (co-presented with Joe Casey and Mike Bailey).
  • “What Recruiters Look for in City/County Manager Candidates”; Ohio City/County Management Association Winter Conference, Columbus, Ohio; March 27, 2015.
  • “Back to Basics: Performance Measures in Local Government”; Center for Florida Local Government Excellence and Florida City/County Management Association, webinar panelist, October 2, 2014.
  • “I Want You: Recon Secured by Executive Recruiters”; International City/County Management Association 100th Annual Conference, Charlotte, North Carolina; September 15, 2014.
  • “The Inside Scoop from Executive Recruiters”; International City/County Management Association 99th Annual Conference, Boston, Massachusetts; September 24, 2013.
  • “Trends in Local Government Finance”; Greater Cincinnati Finance Officers Association, luncheon, December 11, 2012.
  • “Getting Past the Quick Fix: On the Road to Financial Resiliency”; Government Finance Review; October 2012; Vol. 28, No. 5; pp. 32-36.
  • “Financial Recovery: A 12-Step Process for Regaining Financial Health”; Government Finance Officers Association; webinar; September 21, 2011 (co-presented with David Millican and Shayne Kavanagh).
  • “Managing Perceptions”; Government Finance Review; December 2010; Vol. 26, No. 6; pp. 57-59.
  • “Advanced Tools for Finance Officers: Long-Term Financial Planning”; Government Finance Officers Association Regional Training Conference, Reno, Nevada, March 22-23, 2010 (co-presented with Shayne Kavanagh).
  • “Leveraging Baldrige for Performance Excellence”; City-County Communications & Marketing Association 20th Annual Conference, Incline Village, Nevada, October 24, 2008.
  • “Measuring Your Television Programming Effectiveness”; Florida Government Communicators Association, Miami; November 2006.
  • “Coral Springs' Performance Measurement System”; American Quality & Productivity Center; webinar; August 2005.
  • “Performance Management Systems”; FGFOA Annual Conference, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; June 2003.
  • Images of America: Coral Springs; Arcadia Press, May 2003. Co-written with Wendy Wangberg.
  • Editor for authors Reid Ewing and Michael King; Flexible Design for New Jersey's Main Streets, New Jersey Department of Transportation and the Vorhees Transportation Policy Institute at Rutgers University, 2002.
  • “Sterling Criteria”; Stranahan Innovation Zone; August 2000.
  • “Sterling Criteria”; Broward Public Schools Strategic Planning Summit; August 2000.
  • “Strategic Planning and Process Management”; Sterling Award Open House; October 23, 1997.
  • “Facility Use Agreements--What Should You Include?”; Facility Manager, Volume 11, Number 4, July-August 1995; pp. 28-31, 50.
  • “Developing a Program for Operational Safety”; Facility Manager, Volume 11, Number 3, May-June 1995; pp. 24-26.
AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS
  • 2020 Traeger Award (#25)
  • 2020 Haverford Award (#20)
  • 2020 Ready to Rocket Award
  • 2020 GovTech International (top 10)
  • 2019 Haverford Award (#3)
  • 2011 3CMA Communicator of the Year
  • 2011 ICMA Credentialed Manager
  • 2011 3CMA Award of Excellence - Social Media
  • 2009 3CMA Silver Circle Award - Education/Training Video
  • 2009 Truckee Meadows Tomorrow Silver Star - Community Relations
  • 2009 Hermes Creative Award - Event Program
  • 2008 3CMA Savvy Award - Website
  • 2008 3CMA Savvy Award - Resident Guide
  • 2008 3CMA Savvy Award - Recurring Event
  • 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (City)
  • 2007 3CMA Savvy Award - Magazine
  • 2007 3CMA Silver Circle Award - Promotional Video
  • 2006 3CMA Savvy Award - Annual Report
  • 2006 3CMA Savvy Award - Promotional Video
  • 2006 3CMA Silver Circle Award - Recurring Event
  • 2006 3CMA Award of Excellence - Community Issue
  • 2006 NATOA Government Programming Award 3rd Place - PSA
  • 2006 NATOA Government Programming Award Honorable Mention - Public Affairs
  • 2004 - 2005 ICMA Center for Performance Measurement Gold Award
  • 2005 South Florida Manufacturing Association Team Showcase First Place - "CSI Team"
  • 2004 Florida City of Excellence Award (City)
  • 2003 Florida Governor's Sterling Award for Organizational Excellence (City)
  • 2001 Florida Government Communications Association Crystal Award
  • 2000 South Florida Manufacturing Association Team Showcase First Place - "False Alarm Team"
  • 1999 Coral Springs Award for Excellence in Empowerment
  • 1997 Florida Governor's Sterling Award for Organizational Excellence (City)
  • 1997 South Florida Manufacturing Association Team Showcase First Place - "Time=Life" EMS Team
  • 1996 - 2005 GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation Award
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
  • In a 2007 Center for Creative Leadership Benchmarks 360-degree review, the greatest strengths identified by superiors, peers, and direct reports included being a quick study, resourcefulness, straightforwardness and composure, doing whatever it takes, and leading employees. In a second 360-degree designed to identify leadership competencies, highest scores were for ethics, leading change, embracing flexibility, and leveraging differences. The lowest score for any of the 11 competencies was 4.48 on a five point Likert scale.
  • The ICMA Management Practices Applied Knowledge Assessment in 2011 showed an overall score of 91% (as compared to the ICMA median of 84%) and identified scores significantly higher than the median (15 points or more) in the following core content areas: staff effectiveness; initiative, risk taking, creativity and innovation; technological literacy; budgeting; financial analysis; human resources management; strategic planning; and media relations.
  • Team creativity climate assessment in 2007 showed very high scores from direct reports for supervisory encouragement, work group supports, and freedom.

    • I've also Volunteered to serve numerous committees and organizations, such as:
    • Washoe Counts 2010, a local complete count committee for the 2010 national census;
    • National Public Radio's StoryCorps project in 2010;
    • University of Nevada-Reno Integrated Marketing Communications Masters Program Advisory Panel;
    • The Intel International Science & Engineering Fair 2009 PR Committee;
    • Florida Institute of Government (4 years);
    • Board member and Communications Committee chairman of the Florida Humanities Council (4 years);
    • Past president of the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Art Contemporaries board;
    • Grants panelist for the Broward County Division of Cultural Affairs;
    • Board member for the Daily Bread Foodbank Celebrity Doodle Auction;
    • Staff support to the Coral Springs Art in Public Places Program;
    • The Museum of Coral Springs History advisory committee;
    • Staff liaison to the board of the Coral Springs Museum of Art board of directors;
    • Member of the Coral Springs Special Events Funding Committee;
    • Coral Springs Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration Committee (9 years);
    • Steering committee for Childcare Connection's Kid's Fest; and
    • Docent for the Ft. Lauderdale Historical Society.
    RESULTS & EXPERIENCE
    Management Consulting


  • Provide oversight and direction to the Administrative Services Department (including Fleet, Facilities, Real Estate, Building & Construction, Risk and Purchasing), Office of Management & Budget (including Grants and Strategic Performance Management divisions), Communications Department, St. Pete–Clearwater International Airport, St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Pinellas County Economic Development.
  • Design and deliver action planning and performance management workshops for local government customers of Envisio Solutions. Coach chief administrative officers, department directors, and other staff on strategic planning, performance management, and other topics.
  • Managed all activities of the eastern practice for Management Partners, Inc. Supervised professional consultants and management analysts, provided business development and client relations, and coordinated all projects in the region. Managed 202 projects for 124 different clients.
  • Conducted strategic planning projects, including board facilitation, for Bladensburg, MD; Davie, FL; Deerfield Beach, FL; Delray Beach, FL; Green Township, OH; Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, MO/KS; Loxahatchee Groves, FL; Margate, FL; Montgomery, OH; Newport, RI; Parkland, FL; Port Chester, NY; Rochester, MN; West Palm Beach, FL; and Worthington, OH.
  • Facilitated and provided staff support to the Kenton County Governance Committee, an appointed committee that made recommendations to petition changes to Kentucky state law that would improve service delivery and oversight, reduce overlapping taxing authorities and increase efficiency.
  • Assessed the Charlotte, NC Fire Department’s management system and disciplinary process, with an emphasis on identifying opportunities to improve oversight, accountability, communication, and performance.
  • Facilitated meetings and provided research and analysis for the Lake County Commission on Government Reform and Accountability, an appointed commission charged with providing the County board with recommendations for a transparent and fair redistricting process, determining how to elect the County Chair, assessing the current board size of 21 members, and identifying and evaluating various other governance reform proposals. The commission made significant recommendations for changes in redistricting processes. Facilitated a series of board sub-committee explorations of the recommendations to develop a work plan to implement them.
  • Conducted operational analysis of the New Orleans Fire Department, identifying recommendations for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of department operations and organization. Developed an oversight management guide for the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority that provided 62 recommendations for improving the RTA Board’s oversight of contractors.
  • Conducted an analysis of all Bernalillo County, NM service delivery processes to identify opportunities to improve efficiency and effectiveness in preparation for the development of a new county administration building. Provided 64 recommendations designed to improve external and internal customer service, overall workflow, and the use of technology throughout the organization.
  • Led an organizational review of the City of Cedar Rapids, IA Parks and Recreation Department.
  • Conducted an analysis of the budget, operations, organizational structure, and management systems of Harris County, TX Precinct 1 to identify opportunities to increase efficiency and effectiveness in all precinct operating departments, including administration, policy and programs, human resources, finance, communications, development and infrastructure, construction, parks, community engagement, and community programs.
  • Performed a Public Works Organization Structure Analysis for Raleigh, NC, that incorporated feedback from over 500 staff members by way of individual interviews, focus group participation, and an online survey.
  • Directed a budget review and developed a long-range financial plan for Orange County, NC, which had recently lost significant revenues from legislative changes by the State. The model included proposed revenue enhancements, expenditure controls, service delivery changes and service level reductions to successfully rebalance the budget.
  • Reviewed Sarasota County, FL’s public utilities department, including water, wastewater, stormwater, and sanitation. Provided 54 recommendations for improving department operations and assisted with implementation.
  • Conducted a financial risk assessment, management review and organizational culture analysis of the Independence Power and Light Department (IPL), for Independence, MO.
  • Performed a multi-phase assessment of Dallas County, TX fleet operations in preparation for moving to a newly constructed facility. Provided 33 recommendations designed to help the County improve the functionality and effectiveness of the Automotive Service Center and assisted with implementation.
  • Managed an analysis and assessment of hiring processes for the Miami, FL Police Department
  • Coordinated a joint project between the Baldwin County, AL Sheriff’s Office and the police departments in Foley, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach to determine the feasibility of combining municipal jails into a regional detention center.
  • Created a plan for the deconsolidation of the Spartanburg, SC Police and Fire Departments.
  • Participated in a Library Services Study for the Miami-Dade Public Library System to identify the benefits that could be provided to the Cities of Hialeah, North Miami, and North Miami Beach and the Village of Miami Shores by the County library system and identified operational and organizational changes resulting in more efficient service delivery.
    • Leadership, Finance, & Organizational Development


  • Unanimously appointed as interim city manager for a full-service city. Provided leadership to a redevelopment agency with two districts, a new AAA baseball stadium, numerous catalyst projects, and properties.
  • Prepared, presented and adopted $170 million Fiscal Year 2011-2012 General Fund budget that began to provide steps toward financial stability for the first time since the recession began in 2008, by adding $3.8 million to stabilization reserves, investing $4.0 million in capital projects, and shoring up fund balances across all fund types.
  • Negotiated agreement with International Association of Firefighters Local 731 after 15-month impasse before going to binding interest arbitration, that met the City's goal of 7.5% reduction in salaries with related benefits, including no salary increases for the next two years. Negotiated contract with Fire administrative union that had been at impasse for 12 months before going to factfinding by an arbitrator. Closed two-year contracts with three Police bargaining units and a professional group with various concessions.
  • Successfully avoided State takeover of City finances when process was initiated in February 2011. The City of Reno met 11 of 23 conditions defining "severe fiscal emergency" under Nevada Revised Statutes, and was called before Senate Revenue Committee, Assembly Taxation Committee, and the Committee on Local Government Finance. Developed corrective action plan to remedy all issues. Negotiated with Department of Taxation.
  • Planning and management of a $634 million debt portfolio experiencing severe revenue losses.
  • Organized Northern Nevada Economic Development Coalition's "ReCharge Nevada" event that brought together more than 200 stakeholders to kick-off regional economic development effort.
  • Acted as Emergency Operations Center Director and management liaison during November 2011 Caughlin Fire (2,000 acres, 9,500 evacuated) and January 2012 Washoe Drive Fire (3,200 acres, 10,000 evacuated).
  • Designed budgetary response to major revenue losses, including a 30% drop in sales tax related revenues and a 16% drop in ad valorem property taxes. Implemented budget reductions totaling $27 million. Staff reductions totaled 32% over two years, from 1,648 to 1,123.
  • Managed professional staff engaged in Community Development Block Grant program, federal grants program, homelessness initiative and Community Assistance Center, neighborhood stabilization program, low income housing, American Recovery & Reinvestment Act programs, and federal legislative priorities.
  • Managed the preparation and execution of an annual operating budget of up to $135 million and a capital budget of $15 million for a large municipality (population 132,000), maintaining or lowering ad valorem tax rates each year, from 1998 through 2005. In fact, Coral Springs has the lowest ad valorem tax rates for full-service cities in Broward County, Florida.
  • Key developer and author of biennial Strategic Plan, annual Environmental Scan, and Business Plan, as well as text for the Annual Report, Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, and numerous other financial and planning documents. Researched and wrote white papers, proposals, program analyses, grant applications, and award applications.
  • Organizational representative to Shared Services Elected Officials Committee, collaborating with other agencies on shared service projects, agreements, and reports. Lead author on mandated (AB 494) shared services report to Nevada State Legislature.
  • City liaison to the Reno Services Priorities Task Force, chartered by Council to review and prioritize City services from a constituent perspective. Developed prioritization methodology.
  • Directed a professional staff that created reports, forecasts, variance analyses, trend analyses, financial models, and feasibility studies for revenues, programs, and capital acquisitions. Prepared and delivered financial and statistical reports and presentations. Established policies and internal controls. Performed internal audits and program evaluations.
  • Developed, wrote, designed, and published Strategic Plan, Business Plan and Budget documents that won the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from 1998 through 2005. For 2001 through 2005, budget documents were given additional designations as an "Outstanding Policy Document," "An Outstanding Communications Device," "An Outstanding Financial Plan," and as an "Outstanding Operations Guide." Received special recognitions for Capital Improvement Program and for integration of performance measures numerous times.
  • Mostly based on the strategic planning model and financial results, City of Coral Springs General Obligation Bonds and Water & Sewer Bonds were rated AAA by Moodys, Standard & Poors, and Fitch-ICBA from 1998 through 2005. Provided background and analysis on failure of auction rate bonds for City of Reno in January 2009.
  • Developed, reviewed, and identified actionable data from SWOT (Strengths-Weaknesses-Opportunities-Threats) analyses, an annual Citizen Survey, neighborhood "town hall" meetings, visioning exercises, and focus groups.
  • Member of a cross-functional team that developed Enterprise Coral Springs, an economic development nonprofit organization. Developed pro forma financial analysis used in eminent domain taking of a shopping mall for retrofit as a 1,600 student charter school. Financial impact analysis for tax increment financing for a public-private partnership for redevelopment of downtown core.
  • Managed organization-wide Performance Measurement system, linking operational management to strategic goals. Performed performance audits and analyzed results. Selected and implemented ActiveStrategy as performance management system. Helped create the Florida Benchmarking Consortium. Participant in ICMA Center for Performance Measurement.
  • Established grant-seeking program that generated $6.2 million over the first three years using part-time staff (2003 - 2005).
  • Performed benchmarking and best practice studies for process improvement projects. Identified process measures, set goals, and analyzed data across all City departments.
  • Designed instrument and oversaw implementation contract to conduct biannual resident and business surveys in 2000, 2002, 2004, and 2006.
  • Developed financial plan to transition from a volunteer Fire Department to a career force between 1998 and 2000. Created EMS Special Assessment District, then later transferred the operation back into the General Fund when the Fourth District Court of Appeals changed key provisions in the code. Worked on team to develop successful proposal to create a new municipal EMS service to compete against private companies and Broward County EMS.
  • Created financial plan and pro forma that was used to launch the first successful Charter school in Broward County, Florida. Developed strategic plan for the Coral Springs Museum of Art. Wrote financial plan for successful construction and operation of a Regional Fire Training Facility.
  • Performed successful organization-wide operational audit of a performing arts facility that resulted in process improvements generating an 8% net gain. Restructured Management & Budget Office, realizing a 27% annual reduction in expenditures through staffing reductions and increased operational efficiency.
  • Spearheaded two-year improvement of strategic planning and budgeting process that took what was once a "painful process" and made it effective and customer-focused. From 1998 to 2003, customer satisfaction with the Management & Budget Office rose 13%, to a high of 98% satisfied/very satisfied.
  • Initiated concept and designed implementation for an equity financing program for vehicles and computers, avoiding carrying costs of more than $900,000 for the next year and $16 million over the forecast period. Designed and implemented Facilities Maintenance Program to finance preventative maintenance and emergency repairs.
  • Created five-year forecast in 1998 that was used to successfully plan for build-out (2002), an economic downturn (2003), the worst hurricane in the City's history (2005), and property tax reform (2007). Designed and oversaw implementation of a fixed asset accounting system along with other projects to successfully respond to GASB 34.
  • Developed and responded to bids for a managed competition program. Wrote winning bid for City's Utility Billing Team during privatization of billing function. Wrote winning bid for operation and maintenance of a 60 acre community park. Wrote successful bid to provide neighboring city with Fire Rescue service in 2004.
  • Served as facilitator on cross-functional task teams for "EMS Time = Life" team, Alternative Fuels Focus Group, Aquatics Complex Fitness Center, False Alarm Team, "CSI Team" that created a mobile ticketing system for motorcycle officers, Art in Public Places program, and volunteer tracking.
  • Central participant in implementing quality management program based on Baldrige criteria, culminating in 1997 and 2003 Florida Governor's Sterling Awards and the 2007 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for Performance Excellence, making Coral Springs the first government to earn the Baldrige Award. Served as a Sterling Examiner in 2001-2002. Coral Springs was also selected as the first entity to receive the Florida League of Cities' City of Excellence Award in 2004. Money Magazine's Ten Best Places to Live in 2006.
  • Coral Springs' Strategic Planning process was used as a best practice model for performance measurement in the National Partnership for Reinventing Government and the American Quality & Productivity Center, and was a case study in Bob Paladino's Five Key Principles of Corporate Performance Management and Shayne Kavanagh's Financing the Future: Long-Term Financial Planning for Local Government. Budget process was featured in the 2001 edition of GFOA's Best Practices in Public Budgeting.
  • Coral Springs was one of five featured cities cited in Building a Financially Resilient Government through Long-Term Financial Planning published by the Government Finance Officers Association in 2010.
    • Communications


  • Chief spokesperson for two large municipalities.
  • Direct responsibility for public relations, media relations, issue management, crisis communications, RenoTV (channel 213 on Charter Communications), the City's web site (reno.gov), the City's intranet (CORE), advertising, in-house video production, and numerous print collateral for City of Reno.
  • Managed community relations and ombudsman programs, including a neighborhood services program, eight Neighborhood Advisory Boards, the Community Pride Grant program ($220,000 - $440,000), Reno Direct call center (45,000+ calls per year), and town hall meetings.
  • Creative and editorial direction of Coral Springs magazine, CityTV (channel 25 on Advanced Cable Communications), CityRadio (AM 1670), the City's web site (coralsprings.org), the City's intranet (The Knowledge Network), advertising, public relations, media relations, in-house video production, and numerous other print collateral.
  • Developed and successfully implemented City of Reno Strategic Communications Plans in 2008-2009 and 2009-2010, identifying audiences, stakeholder needs, strategic messages, message deployment tactics, and measurement.
  • Developed and implemented crisis communications response plans, including major hurricane devastation, economic and financial crises, a blimp crash, elected official arrests, officer-involved shootings, a vote of "no confidence" in a Fire Chief, union conflicts, ethics violations, and others. In each case, the result was a short shelf-life for media attention and little adverse impact on the organization's reputation.
  • Implemented awareness campaign for City of Reno website, a Savvy-winning project done in partnership with Vision Internet, that resulted in usage increasing from 769,333 unique annual visitors in 2008 to 846,633 visitors in 2009. Transferred top level domain from www.cityofreno.com to www.reno.gov in January 2010. An awareness campaign for the City of Coral Spring's web site resulted in average monthly unique user sessions rising from 41,000 in the first quarter of 2005 to 132,000 in the fourth quarter of 2007.
  • Planned, designed, and implemented Reno's first in-house television production and broadcast facility during a three-month project window, saving the City up to $225,000 a year in expenditures. Installation included live meeting broadcast, channel management and automation, bulletin board, live video streaming, editing stations, video cameras, lighting kits, an audio recording booth, in-house studio, and media servers.
  • Launched Reno's first news blog, Around the Arch, in April 2009. Developed and implemented social media communications outreach that within the first two years had reached significant penetration: Facebook (13,500+ fans), YouTube (127,500+ video views), Twitter (3,700+ followers), and LinkedIn (440+ followers). Established social media policies. Developed content management approach, using RSS feeds, Wordpress and CoTweet. Launched Coral Springs' first news blog in 2005.
  • Marketing and publicity for West Street Market, a redevelopment project that retrofit several old buildings into an urban marketplace; the ReTRAC cover, a reclamation of 2 acres downtown by covering a section of the below-grade railroad; and the inaugural season for a new triple A baseball stadium.
  • Publicity and media relations for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects that garnered extensive local and national coverage for the City of Reno.
  • Resident satisfaction with communications in Coral Springs rose from 89% in 2005 to 92% in 2007. Satisfaction ratings for major communications vehicles in 2007 included 83% for CityTV, 91% for the magazine, and 89% for the website.
  • After a 2006 comprehensive redesign, market penetration of Coral Springs magazine, mailed to 53,000 households and commercial addresses, was 72%, well above the major local daily, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, at 46%. (Readership as a percent of total population.) This was a significant increase from 60% in 2006. In 2007 was awarded 3CMA's Savvy Award for best magazine.
  • Internal customer satisfaction with Communications & Marketing in 2007 was 97%, with 85% in the top box "very satisfied."
  • Planned campaign, wrote and directed design of advocacy materials for a General Obligation bond issue that generated 84% votes in favor of the referendum during a period of public concern over tax rates. The campaign won the 2006 3CMA Award of Excellence - Community Issue.
  • Oversaw redesign of City of Reno Exchange (CORE) intranet in 2009, using Intranet Dashboard. Launched major redesigns in 2007 of CityHelpDesk, the City of Coral Springs' online and telephone customer service center, and Coral Springs' intranet, the Knowledge Network.
  • Launched CityRadio in 2007, a short range, emergency AM radio station with 24-hour programming covering a seven mile radius. Established procedures and policies for standard and emergency operations.
  • Developed alternative means of delivering RenoTV and CityTV assets to residents over the internet using podcasting, streaming video, and video-on-demand. Created and developed new programs for CityTV and RenoTV. Established branded YouTube channel for Reno in early 2009. Launched several podcasts for Coral Springs in 2006.
  • Created a new resident package in 2007 for residents moving into Coral Springs, which won the 2008 3CMA Savvy Award.
  • Produced four annual State of the City events for 300 residents including three course meal, multi-screen video presentation, Microsoft PowerPoint presentations, live speeches, and the City's annual report. The event won 3CMA's Silver Circle Award in 2006 and the Savvy Award in 2008. Video portions were recognized by NATOA. The Annual Report won the 3CMA Savvy Award in 2006.
  • Served on steering committee for three day community-wide visioning exercise in 2001, led focus groups on community branding, facilitated numerous cross-functional task teams, and led process improvement teams. Developed curriculum for citizen's government academy. Led steering committees that created a School Overcrowding Forum and a Teen Political Forum.
  • Created a news tracking system that provided policy makers with all print and broadcast media on a quarterly basis, and was posted on the Knowledge Network. Implemented media tracking using Vocus online software. Established a media relations program, hired media relations coordinator, and created online media center.
  • Inherited a business communications initiative in 2006 budgeted at $24,000 and executed a plan that exceeded all program goals for $900. Business satisfaction with communications was at 89% after implementation, up from 64% the previous year.
  • Wrote hundreds of press releases, brochures, direct mail pieces, fliers, articles, speeches, and presentations. Created dozens of advertising campaigns and individual designs for magazine and newspaper display ads, online banners, posters, a bus wrap, and a billboard. Designed and placed display advertising for seasonal ticket sales and individual events.
  • Wrote, edited and designed City of Coral Springs 2007 and 2006 Malcolm Baldrige Award applications, 2003 Sterling Award application, Time=Life Team and CSI Team applications. Both the Time=Life and CSI Teams went on to win the regional and state quality awards and competed at the national level. Initiated and wrote application for America's Promise - 100 Best Communities for Young People recognition that was successful in 2005, 2006, and 2007.
  • Published articles in industry magazines and short stories in anthologies. Coauthored history book Images of America: Coral Springs with Wendy Wangberg. Wrote numerous teleplays for Market Trends, a half-hour television news digest that aired on Bloomberg Television. Wrote teleplays for produced situation comedy College Ave for USC TrojanVision television. Finalist in three screenwriting competitions.
  • Edited and designed Flexible Design for New Jersey's Main Streets, on traffic calming standards, for authors Reid Ewing and Michael King for the New Jersey Department of Transportation and the Vorhees Transportation Policy Institute at Rutgers University, 2002.
  • Proofed, edited, and designed technical operations books for Burnup & Sims, product guides for Motorola and IBM, and national welding standards books for the American Welding Society. Summer internship as a mechanical designer at Motorola on the PCX portable data communications system. Wrote business plans for three technology start-ups, generating more than $7 million in venture capital.
  • During service in the US Army, managed main support battalion communications office for the 3rd Infantry Division, including telephone land lines, an AM single-side band radio network, and a sign and printing shop. Authored the Division's logistical battle book, a NATO-classified document that set the plan for delivering fuel, ammunition, and medical support to meet the Division's tactical plan.
    • Arts & Event Management


  • Managed and directed various aspects of performing arts facilities hosting 900+ events annually. Managed, produced, or contributed to more than 5,000 live events including major theatrical productions, concerts, conventions, trade shows, meetings, festivals, and sporting events.
  • Developed cultural programming in partnership with corporate booking office and Education Coordinator. Set calendar for facility. Negotiated theater rental contracts, increased net sales income by 58% over prior manager's annual totals in 1995. Increased client base by 30% to over 120.
  • Developed the concept for and directed Chaos, a teen concert series that provided monthly events for 300+ teens that ran from 1993 to 1994. Oversaw annual Artist in Residence series that provided hands-on art activities supervised by internationally-recognized artists for thousands of students while providing major installations in the museum's sculpture collection.
  • Owner's representative in a $4.3 million renovation of theatre and construction of a 12,000 square foot fine arts museum in 1996. Developed non-profit organizations for management of a performing arts center and for a fine arts museum, and created lease agreements for operations. Owner's representative on an $800,000 renovation of art classroom space in 2006.
  • Contract administrator and management liaison for Museum of Art and private performing arts center management firm. Staff liaison to nonprofit boards, citizen advisory boards, and special event committees. Direct supervisor for Art Museum Director from 1995 to 2008 and History Museum Director from 2000 through 2008.
  • Managed transition of privatization of management services for a performing art center that resulted in $150,000 in the first year, and over $1 million in savings over the contract period.
  • Planned and implemented a disaster recovery plan for City communications assets through redundant servers, real-time back-ups, and virtual servers.
  • Initiated customer service training program in 1993 that reduced customer complaints by 75% over prior year. (From 120 to 30.)
  • Gaffer's Assistant on three episodes of Miami Vice, 20 episodes of Hollywood Squares, numerous television commercials and music videos, and the 1987 motion picture Russkies.