SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT:
WOMEN
INFLUENCING LOCAL GOVERNMENT
iStock.com/Aleksandra Matafonova
THE PATH TO
DEVELOPING WOMEN CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS
An in-depth look at ways to increase the number of women in local government executive positions
kmsdesen/stock.adobe.com
ssstocker/stock.adobe.com
A
ccording to a 2020 CNBC.com article, “…Retaining and promoting
female talent is more than just a diversity issue. According to McKinsey & Company data, it’s also a critical business issue: $4.3 trillion can be added to the country’s economy if gender parity is reached by 2025.”1 In a recent article in the New York Times, the author explained that the reason women-led nations were doing better with COVID-19 is because of their leadership style. “Male leaders can overcome gendered expectations, of course, and many have. But it may be less politically costly for women to do so because they do not have to violate perceived gender norms to adopt cautious, defensive policies…. What we learned with [the COVID-19 pandemic] is that…perhaps people will learn to recognize and value risk-averse, caring, and thoughtful leaders.”2 During the 2019–2020 Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA) program year, one of President Shannon Lewis’s initiatives was to encourage the promotion of women into local government executive positions. President Lewis designated the two of us, long-time Florida managers, as co-chairs in developing an initiative to increase the number of women in local government executive positions in Florida. Background
In 2018, FCCMA conducted a diversity survey of their membership. Only 25 percent of the “full” members were female. At the time, full membership was restricted to chief appointed officials (CAOs) and the deputy or assistant CAO. There was a more even split between males and females in the affiliate category, which consisted of all other local government employees or those employed by a notfor-profit agency, association, university, etc. Forty-five percent of the affiliate members were female. Based on that study, it would seem that while there are women serving in local government in Florida, they are not progressing to top leadership positions. Efforts within Florida local government circles to encourage more female leadership have been ongoing for many years. One effort, a 2018 article co-authored by Hannah-Spurlock and Dr. Robert E. Lee, assistant professor, Department of Political Science and Public Administration, Florida Gulf Coast University, and former Florida city manager, BY SARAH HANNAH-SPURLOCK, ICMA-CM; examined factors that influenced women’s rise to the CAO position.3 It cited a statistic pulled AND JILL SILVERBOARD, ICMA-CM MARCH 2021 | SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT | 3
Figure 1:
from the 2012 ICMA State of the Profession survey, that nearly three-fourths of MPA graduates are women, yet only 19.8 percent of chief appointed officers are women. The article examined the reasons why there weren’t more female CAOs based on research about women executives across multiple industries and a study we conducted of the selection process for 26 female local government manager appointments in Florida that occurred between the years 2012 and 2016. The study was based on a previously published study in the Harvard Business Review that examined university faculty
A proposed goal is to increase the percentage of women in CAO positions in Florida to 50% by the year 2026. appointments.4 The authors concluded that the chances of a female hire increased significantly the more women there were in the finalist pool. Our research showed some support for the hypothesis. Also interesting was that 30 percent of the appointments in the Florida study involved the promotion of a female into the manager position from another position in the organization. Additionally, the Florida study found that the gender make-up of the elected body affected the outcome of the selection. Three-fourths of the appointing boards included at least one female member and of those, about 60 percent included two female members.
Demographics of Focus Group Participants
An analysis of the self-reported demographic data of the focus group participants: 1. Participants were broken down into generations, as defined by the Pew Research Center6: Baby Boomers (born 1946–1964) — 11 Gen X (born 1965–1980) — 45 Millennials (born 1981–1996) — 27 Gen Z (born 1997–current) — 1 2. For their highest degree attained: 6 women held doctorate degrees 57 women held master’s degrees 21 women held bachelor’s degrees 3. Local government positions held: Over half of the women were department managers 15% were the assistant/deputy manager or chief of staff 6% were CAOs The rest held support positions 4. Years of service in local government: Nearly 30% have served in local government for 6–10 years 25% have served for 16–20 years 19% have served for over 20 years 15% have served for five years or less 12% have served for 11–15 years
The 2019–2020 Process
To begin our effort, we sought to collect data directly from women in different stages of their local government career to hear about their professional aspirations, as well as what hurdles and challenges they experience in that journey. We believed that learning this might provide valuable insight into our profession and establish a platform from which to develop strategies. We decided to collect this information by conducting focus groups of women in local government. In order to reach women all over the state, focus groups were held in nine locations (pre-pandemic) and one virtual session. The focus group sessions were about 90 minutes long and facilitated by women local government managers prepared to lead
4 | SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT | MARCH 2021
the conversations without influencing the dialogue. A total of 84 women participated. See Figure 1 for an analysis of the self-reported demographic data of the focus group participants. During the sessions, participants were asked four questions: 1. How many of you: a. Aspire to be (or already are) a city or county CAO or another chartered officer? b. Aspire to be an assistant/ deputy manager or department head? c. Aspire to be something other than a or b? d. Don’t know for sure what your aspiration is? 2. If you are the CAO of your agency, describe your path to that position.
3. If you are not the CAO of your agency, describe your path to that position. 4. If you do not see the CAO position in your career path, please elaborate on your decision. Focus Group Findings
Thirty participants aspired to be or already are a CAO or chartered officer. Fifty-two participants aspire to be an assistant/deputy manager or department head. Nine participants aspire to be something other than a CAO, ACM or department head, and five women were undecided about their career goal. Some participants voted for more than one of the options. Unfortunately, not many female CAOs participated in the focus groups so we weren’t
able to determine a “normal” or “traditional” path for women to this position. Although, like the data we collected showing a significant number of women chosen through promotion versus a competitive selection process, most of the women who participated in the focus group were appointed through promotion or a noncompetitive selection. The responses for the questions regarding challenges perceived to achieve the CAO position and the reasons why participants were not interested in becoming the CAO were similar. The responses can be divided into two major categories: one involves work-life balance and the other involves gender-related biases and presuppositions. Work-Life Balance
In this category, themes that appeared as challenges to becoming or reasons for not choosing to be a CAO in most if not all the focus group sessions involved family, the political role of a CAO, and job security. The participants felt as though prioritizing their family made it difficult if not impossible to be a successful and effective CAO. Many felt like they needed to be there for their kids, or they didn’t want to leave the community where they are raising their families. Participant quotes included: • “I feel guilty when I work too many late nights. If I did what the city manager does, I would have nothing left for my family.” • “While my kids were growing up, I didn’t feel able to both be a city manager and be a good parent.” • “Women have to make more of a choice than men between career and children.”
Many were not interested in having to deal with the political dynamics of the CAO position. These dynamics included managing difficult elected officials, the expectation of 24-hour availability and lack of work-life balance, and being the public face of controversial issues. Participant quotes included: • “I don’t like being in the spotlight. I like being behind the scenes.” • “I don’t want to have to be available 24/7.” • “There is no personal or professional life. It’s all just one big life.” Participants were also concerned about job security. In addition, they felt like women are at a distinct disadvantage when it comes to proving oneself and the allowance to make mistakes. • “As the assistant, I don’t worry as much about getting fired.” • “Men don’t feel threatened because they run things and they know it.” • “We as women are too afraid to make a mistake.” • “Women are given tasks to try to see if we can be successful, but then there is no push to promote.” Other Gender-Related Challenges
Other common themes that were shared by many women included the belief that they didn’t have the right skills, education, or enough experience to be a CAO; that the networking and mentoring opportunities for women are lacking; and that there is bias among peers, staff, and elected officials. Several years ago, HewlettPackard wrote a report that discussed why women weren’t in top management positions.5 They learned that women
applied for a promotion when they believed they met 100 percent of the qualifications listed for the job. Men would apply when they thought they only met 60 percent of the requirements. Focus group responses seemed to support this conclusion. Among the quotes heard: • “I’m always like ‘oh no, someone is going to figure out I’m not qualified.’ ” • “My skill set is not a good fit to be the CAO.” • “The CAO must be wellrounded and fully understand all department operations and types of services.” • “Women feel like they must be exceptional—not just qualified—to be considered for a position.” A lack of mentoring and networking opportunities was also identified as a challenge for women looking to get ahead in the profession and within their organization. This lack of opportunity is seen from both men and women mentors. According to the CNBC. com article cited above, “In the aftermath of the #metoo movement, 60 percent of male managers in the U.S. said they are now uncomfortable participating in workplace activities with women such as mentoring, one-on-one meetings, or social outings.” But women don’t only struggle to obtain male mentorship, but also female mentorship. T.E Jayarante, C. Tavris, and G.L Staines coined the term “Queen Bee Syndrome” in 1973. This phenomenon implies that women in authority are biased against other women in the organization because they see them as a threat. Participant quotes included: • “Women are not good mentors—they often see other women as threats.” • “I don’t want to deal with the old boys’ club.”
MARCH 2021 | SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT | 5
Local Government Professional Associations
• “I feel awkward asking a male employee to have lunch with me. I don’t want him to think I’m hitting on him.” • “In some cases, females in top roles are hurdles for those in lower-level roles.” Bias, both implicit and otherwise, was also seen as a challenge for women. They experienced this bias not only from elected officials, but also from their peers. Among the participant quotes heard: • “My boss once said about me, ‘She sure likes to be in charge.’ Sometimes people don’t realize how sexist they are being.” • “If you apply for something you aren’t qualified for, it’s looked upon as being too aggressive. Sometimes you need to tone it back.” • “Elected bodies are more comfortable hiring managers who have been managers and not taking a chance on an assistant [city manager].” • “Women have to walk a different line than men so that they don’t get seen as a ‘witch’ even though in a man the same responses would have been acceptable.” Conclusions and Recommendations
Statistics show that women are serving in local government in high numbers. There is also evidence that women are serving in leadership positions within local government. The hurdle appears to be in hiring women as the chief appointed official for the organization. A recent count of FCCMA membership showed that only one in five city or county managers in Florida are women. As such, a targeted effort should ensue to get more women appointed to the CAO position.
City and County Professionals
Local Government Elected Bodies
Executive Recruitment Firms
Figure 2:
Four-Pronged Approach to Increasing the Percentage of Women in Florida CAO Positions to 50% by 2026 1. Local Government Professional Associations a. Identify “champions” to lead women-as-CAO initiatives and include women’s perspectives in all training, webinars, workshops, and sessions. b. Set and publish specific goals for women as CAOs in organizational policies, strategic plans, and print/digital materials. 2. Local Government Elected Bodies a. Encourage League of Cities, Conference of Mayors, Association of Counties, and other elected official associations to include implicit bias and diversity, equity, and inclusion training in conference and program content. b. Hire recruitment firms that value diversity and can articulate exactly how they plan to obtain an applicant pool that reflects the gender and race demographics of the community. 3. City and County Professionals a. Commit to mentoring/sponsoring at least one woman in the profession every year or create or participate in at least one opportunity for women in the profession to learn about being a city or county manager. b. Adopt strategies and hiring policies to recruit more women into leadership positions and drive a culture in which gender and race diversity is valued at all levels of the organization. 4. Executive Recruitment Firms a. Make a commitment to include gender and race diversity in your recruitment efforts, including using criteria that consider replacing titles and tenure with performance measures and skills. b. Sponsor and participate in gender and race diversity sessions at conferences.
6 | SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT | MARCH 2021
A proposed goal is to increase the percentage of women in CAO positions in Florida to 50 percent by the year 2026. We propose achieving the goal through a four-pronged approach that involves the local government profession, local government elected bodies, city and county professionals, and executive search firms (See Figure 2). The actions we offer in pursuit of this goal translate to efforts any state association, local government jurisdiction, or individual local government manager may make in support of moving women to CAO positions. ENDNOTES AND RESOURCES
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/05/ why-women-are-locked-out-of-top-jobsdespite-having-high-ambition.html 2 https://www.nytimes. com/2020/05/15/world/coronaviruswomen-leaders.html 3 https://icma.org/articles/pm-magazine/ women-local-government 4 https://hbr.org/2016/04/if-theresonly-one-woman-in-your-candidatepool-theres-statistically-no-chance-shellbe-hired 5 https://www.forbes.com/sites/ womensmedia/2014/04/28/ act-now-to-shrink-the-confidencegap/#405e8eba5c41 6 https://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2019/01/17/where-millennialsend-and-generation-z-begins/ 1
SARAH HANNAHSPURLOCK, ICMA-CM, is nighttime economy manager, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (sspurlock@ fortlauderdale.gov). JILL SILVERBOARD, ICMA-CM, is deputy county administrator/chief of staff, Pinellas County, Florida (jsilverboard@ pinellascounty.org).
Leading While Female:
Q&A with Women in Local Government We spoke with some award-winning local government leaders about gender equity, mentorship, advice for women just starting out, and what inspires them most.
Q
Why do you feel there are fewer women local government managers than men, and what do you think can be done to improve the situation? Amanda Mack: I believe part of the challenge is that women are far less likely than
men to apply for a position they do not feel they are fully qualified for. They may feel that because they do not meet one or two of the requirements of the job posting that it is not appropriate or worth their time to apply. I also believe that I have an obligation to share my story with other women who would be phenomenal assets to public service, and encourage and support them any way that I can. I regularly assist with resume writing and interview prep. I was fortunate to have that kind of assistance when entering the profession, and I am happy to give that back. The key takeaway for me is that women have a huge role to play in local government and we should not shy away from that reality.
Tonya Galbraith, ICMA-CM Town Manager McCordsville, Indiana
Tammi Saddler Jones, ICMA-CM City Manager South Fulton, Georgia
Tammi Saddler Jones: I feel there are fewer women local government managers
Heather Geyer City Manager Northglenn, Colorado
Amanda Mack, ICMA-CM City Manager Spencer, Iowa
Gloria Hirashima, ICMA-CM Chief Administrative Officer Marysville, Washington
Marketa Oliver, ICMA-CM City Manager Bondurant, Iowa
Joyce Hunt Assistant City Manager Thornton, Colorado
Earlene Teaster City Manager Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
than there are men because historically government at every level has been dominated by men. I had no exposure to local government until I began graduate school, when the school brought in city managers to speak to our classes and guess what—the speakers were all men. I do not recall meeting any female city managers until I was well into my career in local government, which begin in the early 2000s. Since then, I have worked in two cities where I was the first woman and the first African American woman to hold the title of city manager/administrator. I have made it my mission to recruit women to help improve the disproportionate number of women to men in local government. We must start early by introducing middle and high school students (especially young girls) to the profession by offering internships to undergraduate women, and by recruiting and retaining women to take on executive-level positions. Heather Geyer: Having been part of helping to create the Colorado Women
Leading Government chapter and advocating for women in the profession over the years, I’ve spent quite a bit of time reflecting on the nuance of this question. As a white woman of privilege, I feel we need to get comfortable having uncomfortable conversations around the barriers perpetuated in our profession. We have created disparities regarding gender, but also regarding race. Moving forward, I think we need to shift the way we look at the problem; we must begin to take an intersectional analysis when exploring these disparities. I recommend we use the approach advanced by the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE), which is to lead with race in these discussions to move the needle further and build an inclusive city management profession. I think we've come a long way, but we are at a crossroads, and we need to shift our thinking and build a collection of local government managers that is more inclusive of gender, race, and gender expression to include LGBTQIA. If we don't reframe our thinking,
MARCH 2021 | SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT | 7
I am afraid we will continue to see homogeneity and the existence of harmful “isms”—sexism, ageism, racism, etc. Imagine what our profession could look like if we genuinely welcomed all individuals to join us on this journey. Gloria Hirashima: There are many reasons. Women are often
less confident about their capability, so they do not apply or demonstrate interest in advancement unless encouraged or persuaded by peers and mentors. Women are more likely to have a mental checklist of experience they feel they ought to attain in order to advance, and to believe that there is a specific path to promotion that they must follow. Men just climb and they don’t seek permission to do so. Women tend to be more cautious about ambition. Men and women in positions of influence need to encourage women to apply and advance. Readiness is a state of mind. Marketa Oliver: Even in 2021, women are not afforded the
instant credibility that men are—even less experienced or less credentialed men. Every day I see extremely competent women being talked over, discounted, and publicly ridiculed in ways their male counterparts do not experience. To remedy the situation, it is incumbent upon all of us to monitor and rethink how we view and talk about powerful, well-educated, and highprofile women. Additionally, the division of domestic labor and childcare still often falls primarily to women, making it difficult to be continually available for early morning and evening meetings or networking opportunities. To improve access, I have tried to steer the service clubs I have been involved with to move to lunch meetings. It might also help involvement in evening meetings to have childcare available—not just for managers, but also for residents who want to attend council meetings or planning and zoning, etc. Consider continuing digital access to meetings, which has become more widespread during the pandemic. I think any opportunity for an organization to be flexible in scheduling is critical. That flexibility can improve employee satisfaction and might be the difference in someone being able to continue in the workforce or continue with education. Joyce Hunt: Thinking back over my 40-plus years in local
government, some of the factors that I believe have resulted in fewer women becoming local government managers include the lack of educational programs focused on training people for leadership roles, societal norms that did not encourage women to take on leadership roles outside of the family, the lack of female role models in positions of local government leadership, and the challenge of demonstrating leadership skills as a woman. I think we need to continue to encourage women to seek positions in local government and then support their efforts through mentorship programs, support groups, professional skill building, and connecting them to respected local government managers. Most importantly, we need to 8 | SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT | MARCH 2021
remember that leadership styles may be different, but that doesn’t diminish their effectiveness.
Q
A lot has been made of the importance of women connecting with mentors of both genders as a strategy for career advancement. How have your mentors made an impact on you and your career? Tonya Galbraith: I have had two mentors in my career that
quicky come to mind and both were men. One was my boss when I was young and moved to a very unfamiliar place a thousand miles from home. He was a director in the mayor's office, and I was hired as his administrative assistant. However, he sent me to meetings representing his office, he introduced me to people that could help me network, he allowed me to present proclamations on behalf of the mayor in his stead, he allowed me to start the Mayor's Volunteer Program, and he had me write newsletters regarding all the activities. He helped me grow in more ways than I can count. Tammi Sadler Jones: I certainly agree that it is important for
women to connect with mentors of both genders for career advancement opportunities. One of the individuals who mentored me was Dr. Roger Kemp. He had a great impact on me and my career by allowing me to take the lead on special projects, encouraging me to join and take on a leadership role in professional organizations, and by having the confidence in me to allow me to run the city operations during his absence. Roger introduced me to ICMA programs like Leadership ICMA and the ICMA Credentialing Program, which helped me to get to where I am today. Gloria Hirashima: I’ve had many people who have been
inspirational to me—both men and women. And it often began with someone telling me that I could do something bigger and more ambitious than the job I was in. The first city planner I worked for suggested I should start readying myself to be a planning director during my first year of work as an associate planner. A city administrator asked me to apply and hired me to be the planning director. Another city administrator suggested I was ready to be a city administrator. I probably wouldn’t have applied for any of those positions without their encouragement. It wouldn’t have occurred to me. I’ve also been inspired by many women in nonprofit executive director roles. Their enthusiasm and passion have motivated me to engage in community initiatives and has connected me to men and women in other fields of work. These connections are critical to work enjoyment and fulfillment.
Q
What advice would you give to young women just starting out in local government? Earlene Teaster: Be a very good listener, especially in
the beginning. That is when you garner so much helpful information from your peers. I have found that it is necessary to learn how to handle people, especially your residents, and to
lead by example. Your leadership skills need to improve constantly. Gloria Hirashima: Aim high! Encourage each
other. Don’t be stifled by your own caution.
Marketa Oliver: While in college, I worked
for a brilliant female business owner who told me her strategy for working her way up in a male-oriented industry. She told me never to take on a task that would not be asked of a male counterpart. Joyce Hunt: I would advise young women
to acquire a strong technical base first, such as finance/accounting/communication, and then build on that with a broader public administration program. I would also encourage young women to find a position that exposes them to the policy process to experience the complexity of this process and the reality of how services and programs are created and changed. Join your state and local city managers association and become actively involved with the outstanding the leaders in your field.
I don’t recall meeting any female city managers until well into my career. I’ve worked in two cities where I was the first woman and first African American woman CAO. I’ve made it my mission to recruit women to improve the disproportionate number of men to women in local government. —Tammi Sadler Jones
Amanda Mack: Do not be afraid to ask questions. Seek out
advice and answers from places that may push your comfort level (a department head with much more experience than you, a member of the community with a differing point of view, for example). Approach your work with a mindset to learn, no matter how much you may already know about a person, issue, or subject. Do not be afraid to try new things, but understand that if they do not work, own it and correct the course. There is no shame in being wrong or making a mistake. No matter the field, or the person, everyone makes mistakes, especially early on in their career. Also, set boundaries. This work has the ability to consume you, and at times, it will, but learn how to pull back and prioritize. Tammi Sadler Jones: I would encourage young women to take
ownership of this chosen profession. Seek out professional development opportunities that can help you grow. Connect with other women in the profession. Volunteer to take the lead on special projects so you that you can showcase your leadership and organizational skills. You can do this. The way has already been paved for you so bloom where you are planted. Tonya Galbraith: Don’t be afraid to move. It is so easy to get
comfortable where you are that you might miss your first big opportunity. If there is a position in a faraway state working for a city or town of 1,200 people, take it. You will have the opportunity to learn a little bit about every department and why each one is important—wastewater treatment, utility billing,
trash collection, and why not filing potholes and plowing snow can make or break you. That position will be the steppingstone to the next position and who knows where that might take you. Heather Geyer: Focus on the journey, not
the destination. If you focus too much on what you don’t have or the next big thing, you are going to miss out on the truly important things that make up this experience—the people, the connections, the problems to fix, the opportunity to give back, and the ability to grow and serve. Learn to be present where you are. Work hard, embrace the opportunities that come your way, and have fun!
Q
What fictional female character inspires you? Tammi Sadler Jones: My 6-year-old son has
fallen in love with the movie Incredibles 2, which is about a family of superheroes. The mother, known as Elastigirl, does an excellent job balancing being a wife, a mother, and a superhero. She is a fearless leader who shows enormous courage and strength. Elastigirl represents the type of leader that I strive to be each day. I want to be an effective and efficient local government leader who is intentional about serving and protecting the citizens of my community with the upmost integrity and passion. That is my superpower! Marketa Oliver: Tess McGill from the movie Working Girl.
She was born into humble circumstance, recognized education was the key to advancement, worked hard, took chances, and didn’t treat other women the unfortunate way she had been treated when she earned her way into a position of authority. Earlene Teaster: Dolly Parton has always inspired me. She has
a theme park here in my city and I am fortunate enough to be able to see her in different situations, not just as an entertainer, but as a very humble person with real feelings for people. Such a leader! Amanda Mack: Elizabeth McCord, aka Madam Secretary.
There are so many things that I love about this character—her attitude, her approach to family and work, and how she doesn’t back down from a fight, but also doesn’t compromise her morals or integrity. She is a strong leader and a dedicated wife and mother. The show highlights that aspect, and doesn’t make her choose between a career and her family, which I think is incredibly important for women to see. This is just a snippet of our Q&A with these local government leaders. Read the full interviews at icma.org/leading-while-female. MARCH 2021 | SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT | 9
Leading with Hope
BY JUNE MIGHTY
An important skill for women leaders navigating ambiguity and building resilience The year 2020 began as a sprint and quickly
turned into a marathon. From the COVID-19 pandemic, nationwide social injustice marches, and the most perplexing election I’ve ever experienced, last year was all about navigating ambiguity, building resilience, and maintaining hope. Even though we are in a new year, the focus remains the same. It is in the midst of all of this turmoil and uncertainty that hope calls us to embrace it as part of our arsenal to successfully rise from a state of despair and lead with confidence. What People Think Hope Is
When some people hear the word hope, the image of a wet noodle or a mere wish comes to mind. When you hear someone say, “well, I hope it works out for you,” you can sometimes pick up on the uncertainty in their voice, which may lead you to question whether they truly believe things will work out. So, What Is Hope?
Hope is the ability to confidently trust, wait, and expect something good in the future. It is a confident
JUNE MIGHTY is organizational and talent development division chief, Santa Barbara County, California. She is a multi-faceted and practical concrete thinker who is most powerful when pulling apart complex problems to figure out what is going on. She has an unwavering belief in success, and she is skilled at helping people to navigate the difficulties and obstacles that accompany change and transition.
10 | SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT | MARCH 2021
forward-facing disposition that suggests that you have the will, determination, and strategies needed to reach your goals.1 So let’s look at this more closely. Hope is a confident expectation of good things; good means good, people, not bad. So if you are expecting something bad, it doesn’t align or fit with the definition of hope. Hope is also a key factor in developing resilience. No wishing and no noodles—just confidence moving forward. What Is Resilience?
Before we continue our discussion on hope, we need to talk about resilience. Resilience “denotes a combination of abilities and characteristics that interact dynamically to allow an individual to bounce back, cope successfully, and function above the norm in spite of significant stress or
adversity.”2 Personally, I think we should look for more than a bounce back—we should expect to bounce forward. Hope is the thing that will get us there. How to Lead with Hope
Everything that is done in the world is done by hope. —Martin Luther
To lead with hope, we must cultivate an internal environment of hope. We typically lead and behave in ways that align with our dominant thoughts. This manifests itself in the things we do and say and influences our external environment. Chad (2020) noted that “People who learn to control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives….”3 In essence, we need to lead ourselves first, then attempt to lead others. Stop for a moment and examine your thoughts. What thoughts are coming to your mind? Are they worth keeping? Get Proximate
Margarita/stock.adobe.com
to effectively acclimate them to the community they serve. Whether they are in human resources, park and recreation, or information technology, we need to connect the dots to the community—they must get proximate to know the people they are serving. Create a Path Forward
There are several things we can do as leaders to create an environment of hope for ourselves and our teams: • Monitor self-talk and make the mental adjustments necessary to maintain a hopeful mindset. • Develop clear personal and professional goals. • Engage your team members in creating a vision for the future and identifying the steps to get there. • Build positive professional relationships and networks. • Plan and juggle to achieve a more balanced life.
Leaders should be aware of what is taking place with their employees. I’m not referring to micromanagement; I’m referring to connection. Take the time to know what Be Brave Hope is a vigorous matters to them and what is No matter how much we plan, principle; it is occurring in their world. I had if we don’t execute, then it is all a chief operating officer who for nothing. The road ahead furnished with light would walk around to see how will not always be clear, so we and heat to advise everyone was doing. It was a must take the next best brave and execute; it sets quick check-in, but I remember step forward to navigate life and the head and heart to how it made me feel. I adopted work. I will leave you with this: the practice and began stepping “It takes courage to stay hopeful work, and animates out of my comfort zone to in the midst of daunting a man to do his periodically walk through the situations, but it is hope that utmost. And thus, by building where I worked to say will save us.”5 perpetually pushing hello to my staff and colleagues. As public sector leaders, and assurance, it we must also get proximate puts a difficulty out to what’s occurring in our of countenance, and communities, a point that RESOURCES AND ENDNOTES makes a seeming Bryan Stevenson, founder of 1 Espinoza, M., Molinari, G., Etchemendy, E., Herrero, R., Botella, C., & Rivera, the Equal Justice Initiative, impossibility give way. R. M. B. (2017). “Understanding drives home. 4 We have to get Dispositional Hope in General and —Jeremy Collier Clinical Populations,” Applied Research in proximate to understand the Quality of Life, 12(2), 439–450, https:// nuances and see the details doi.org/10.1007/s11482-016-9469-4 of what is taking place in our 2 Tusaie, K., & Dyer, J. (2004), “Resilience: An Historical Review of the Construct,” Holistic Nursing communities. Practice, 18(1), 3-10, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11482One disservice that we sometimes do as 016-9469-4 3 government leaders is failing to introduce Ford, C. (2020), “Dangerous Love: Transforming Fear and Conflict at Home, at Work, and in the World,” Berettour new hires to their community. We Koehler Publishers, Inc., 33. walk them down the hall, we give them 4 Stevenson, B. (2017, August), “Leading Through the policies and procedures, and they get Uncomfortable,” Global Leadership Summit. 5 “teamed” and “zoomed,” but we fail Ibid.
MARCH 2021 | SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT | 11
WOMEN TO KNOW
★
The next generation is already leading the way
A
round the local government management profession, early- and mid-career women have been making an impact through their hard work, dedication, and commitment to their organization and the residents in their communities. We are recognizing a few extraordinary women that are breaking down barriers and leading the next generation of the local government profession. Here are seven such women, nominated by ICMA Regional Directors. ★ Kirsten C. Decker
Manager of Strategy and Evaluation City and County of Denver Public Library System What She Loves About Her Job:
My nana is a librarian and showed me early in life how libraries play an integral role in the fabric of communities. Libraries offer small business support, provide programming for immigrants and refugees, and host makerspaces where creatives can hone their skills. When I had the opportunity to lead an urban library in refining its strategy and telling the story of its impact on the community, I was sold. Her Biggest Career Accomplishment: Many of my proudest moments in public service come from my work in making the city of Baltimore’s budget more accessible for residents. One of my responsibilities was planning the charter-mandated Taxpayer’s Night Hearing, where residents had two minutes to give feedback to city officials. I thought the style of the event discouraged engagement; the director of finance seemed amused and gave me the green light to try something new. The Budget Pop-Up was born. Hosted in the hour before the hearing, we encouraged attendees to visit stations highlighting proposed investments within each 12 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | MARCH 2021
outcome area. Booths were staffed by city employees available to answer questions and take direct feedback. We partnered with LiveBaltimore to offer prizes to attendees for visiting every booth and we invited an elementary school to host a bake sale. The event had the largest turnout in history and attendees gave us meaningful, specific feedback about the proposed budget during the hearing. The event has continued to grow, and I even heard that the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra performed at the 2018 Taxpayer’s Night! Where She Sees Herself in 10 Years: If you’d asked me this right after graduating from my MPA program, I would have emphatically replied: a city manager of a midsized community. Years later, my answer isn’t as clear; I’ve discovered I’m an urbanite, I like to get my hands dirty with wicked problems, and I love the fast-paced environment of big-city government. Larger municipalities don’t often have a council-manager form of government, but I believe there is still space for the skills and competencies a professional public administrator brings to the table, even if that means a title like chief of staff or deputy mayor. ★ Tasha Logan Ford
Assistant City Manager Winston-Salem, North Carolina What She Loves About Her Job:
Without any hesitation, the variety. Over time, I have watched this evolve from the services that readily come to mind such as water, sanitation, and public safety to placemaking, creating places that foster a sense of belonging, and addressing community social concerns. The environment is dynamic, and you are part of a team providing intricately connected services our residents have come to rely on. Her Biggest Career Accomplishment: Bringing new resources to the communities I have served. I am proud of leading the new construction and historic renovation of City Hall in Goldsboro, North Carolina, along with helping to create the vision for the downtown streetscape plan, which served as a foundation for the economic boom of the central city. In my tenure in Winston-Salem, our city was the first in North Carolina to receive a $30M Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grant, which required collaboration among stakeholders to redevelop a public housing community into a thriving mixed-income neighborhood. However, a bigger accomplishment is knowing I have truly lived up to the Athenian Oath. I keep a framed copy in my office that was presented to me at the conclusion of Leadership ICMA in 2009. Where She Sees Herself in 10 Years: Serving as city manager is on the horizon, as I’m seeing new levels of independence develop in my family life. Although I remain open to a change in my role, in 10 years, regardless of position you’ll find me still creating, collaborating, leading, and serving in my community.
★ Monica Elise Davis
Community Services Manager Hayward, California What She Loves About Her Job: Many folks outside of the profession probably view local government as dull and bureaucratic, but my workplace is anything but that. I love that every day is different, that innovation is encouraged, and that the end goal is to be in service to our residents. Her Biggest Career Accomplishment: I am very proud of helping to bring to the forefront the need for integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion into the city’s work, and generally helping to facilitate more conversations in the profession. Where She Sees Herself in 10 Years: I will be working in local government in California, continuing to tackle the big problems that jurisdictions face.
★ Emily Colon
Assistant City Manager Lakeland, Florida What She Loves About Her Job: I love people—everyone from our front-line employees, department directors, disgruntled residents, business owners, developers, and anyone and everyone in between. We’re in the people business, and the better you understand your people the better you can serve them effectively. I always say it’s the best part of my job and the hardest, but people are our purpose in local government. Her Biggest Career Accomplishment: Leading our organization through COVID-19. I had just hired our emergency manager a month before the pandemic hit the United States, and the city manager at the time assigned me as the lead for it, of course not knowing at the time the magnitude (or duration) of the responsibility. I’m proud of how we have been consistent and balanced in our approach (and in alignment with our department of health and CDC) to protect our people and maintain our levels of service to the community. Where She Sees Herself in 10 Years: I see myself leading an organization and a community in a bigger way.
★ Kimberly Richardson Deputy City Manager Evanston, Illinois
What She Loves About Her Job: Being in a seat of influence. It allows me to bring to the table diverse voices that are rarely heard from to provide their input before policies are created. Her Biggest Career Accomplishment: A few years ago I read an article about how in 1994, Congress designated the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday as a national day of service. The community I work for at the time did not have any official MLK Day commemoration celebrations. So working through one of our volunteer boards, we developed a communitywide day of service, which took months to
plan. The first year was very chaotic, but successful. Many years later, the event is well organized and stronger than ever and has become a community tradition. Where She Sees Herself in 10 Years: I see myself traveling, that is something I have not ever really done outside of work. As for my career, I hope I have the privilege to continue to serve in a community that fits my values and purpose in a role in which I continue to have a seat of influence. ★ Becca Meekins
Assistant Town Administrator Northborough, Massachusetts What She Loves About Her Job:
Every day is different. The best part of this job is getting to learn a little bit about a lot of different things. No two days are the same and new challenges push me to constantly learn, adapt, and absorb new information. Her Biggest Career Accomplishment: I like to think that I haven’t yet experienced my biggest career accomplishment, but receiving the 2019 Potential Made Possible Scholarship from the League of Women in Government to attend my first ICMA conference was certainly a highlight, as is this honor to be recognized by my colleagues as a “woman to know in local government.” Where She Sees Herself in 10 Years: Leading by example and inspiring others to be confident and lead as their authentic selves. ★ Melissa Appleby
Deputy Town Manager Simsbury, Connecticut What She Loves About Her Job:
I love being able to have a direct impact on the residents we serve on a daily basis. I believe that local government is the level of government that people connect with most, and where we, as managers, can really make a difference. Her Biggest Career Accomplishment: I am very proud of how quickly my organization was able to adapt to the challenges presented by COVID-19, and the ways in which we continue to be flexible and creative. From setting people up to work remotely, to making all public meetings virtual, to the implementation of curbside services, we have been able to continue providing a high level of service under these unpredictable circumstances. Where She Sees Herself in 10 Years: This past year has taught me that we truly do not know what the future may hold, and that there may be forces beyond our control that led us to readjust. In 10 years, I hope to be continuing my work in public service and having a positive impact on my community. This is just a snippet of “Women to Know.” Read the full interviews at icma.org/women-to-know. MARCH 2021 | PUBLIC MANAGEMENT | 13