Some of my other favorite videos are the ones added most recently. Before and during the 2009 ICMA Annual Conference, staff coordinated the filming of several “PSA’s” to highlight various ICMA programs and services. There’s a mix of staff and members featured on camera talking about everything from credentialing to ELDP to the new design of PM Magazine to the benefits of 311 and CRM. Check them out to learn about the exciting opportunities that are out there. In the meantime, here’s a taste of what to expect:

Another great resource is ICMA TV, who produces high quality videos on local governments and various aspects of the conference. You can find their content at icmatv.com.

We expect the content to be available early next week.  Here’s how it will work for the following groups of members:

• Virtual attendees will use their username and password to access the e-conference gateway page, where the content is hosted.
• Onsite registrants will receive login and Web site information from Granicus (ICMA’s partner in this endeavor) via email as soon as the materials are ready. Non-attendee Managers in Transition will receive complimentary access at this same time.

Please note: you can only receive this information if you have an email address on file with ICMA. Visit http://icma.org/update and make sure your record is current.

Thanks for your patience in understanding the slight delay in providing access to the archived content—we promise it will be available shortly! In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact customerservices@icma.org.

“The opportunity to attend this conference was just unbelievable.  In addition to being in the always-active international city of Montreal, the conference itself has been so valuable to my continuing education and inspiration.  I have met some current, former, and aspiring managers, and the sessions have supplied me a view of the various gears of the machine of local government.  In particular, the opening keynote by John Hope Bryant was inspiring, and the session on the whys and why-nots of regional consolidation was fascinating, coming from the megapolitan Phoenix region.  Thank you, ICMA, for this wonderful opportunity.  I hope to see you again in San Jose next year!”

You can watch Sam’s winning entry below, and keep an eye out for next year’s contest.

Darnell experienced a challenge to the council-manager form in his own community 2 years ago, so he knows firsthand how valuable the Fund and ICMA can be as resources. He says that the Fund’s support, in particular, meant so much because it represented his colleagues reaching out a helping hand in what was a very difficult time.

The Fund, as Darnell sees it, is a perfect way for ICMA members to act on their passion. During the next year, he pledged to be an advocate for the Fund with the goal of significantly increasing the number of members who donate (currently it’s only 10% of the membership). To get things started–and to show that he’ll practice what he preaches this year–Darnell wrote a check to the Fund for $1,000 and presented it on stage. But the point isn’t to have everyone at that giving level…it’s to have everyone giving.  That’s why he also encouraged people to take a first step toward donating by tossing their leftover Canadian coins and bills into buckets at the exits of the hall.  Every dollar and every donor matters!

To learn more about the Fund, visit http://icma.org/fund; to make a contribution, establish a pledge, or set-up an automatically drafted recurring gift, visit http://icma.org/donate. Any questions you have can be directed to fund@icma.org.

1. Adjust expectations. It is unreasonable to expect all email to be read overnight.

2. Model better balance. As leaders, our staff watches us to learn what is expected.

3. Don’t do two things at once. Turn off your cell, bb or pda when in a meeting.

4. Don’t expect immediate responses, or people to be always available.

5. Managing your in box is not the same as managing your life.

6. Work-life conflict, especially over loading, is major predictor of absenteeism and illness. So we must pay attention to this.

7. If these issues are not addressed during time of boomer retirements, we will lose in the efforts to recruit new talent.  For the next 20 years, there will be only one next gen person available to replace two boomer.

8. Boomers are boiled frogs. Slowly, over time, water heated up around these ever more stressed hard workers. Work dominates their lives. The next gen says no, I will not live that way.

9. Boomers say “where is the work ethic of the next gen?” Their models were their WWII parents, and stay-at-home moms. The next gen had an entirely different experience : many of them saw their parents give their all to their work – and fail at family life. Often they say “Work broke my mom’s heart.”

10. Focus more on HR and managing human capital. Do more coaching, training. Move beyond just talking about balance. Suppprt employees. Change your org culture – overwork is the modern madness.

11. Say no – we cannot do everything. Set priorities and stick to them.

Sample scenarios included:

What if the mayor advocates a crackdown on undocumented immigrants and attacks the police chief, blaming rising crime on inaction. The city manager disagrees with the mayor but chooses to retire. Is that ethical?

Who is right when an assistant manager reports to HR that the manager was viewing inappropriate information, and the manager says it was merely part of an investigation to verify an employee’s misuse? What if they both file ethics complaints against each other?

Like we said, no easy answers but lots of thoughtful discussion.

Descriptions of Mr. Beach’s and Mr. Elder’s contributions are included with the annual awards commemorative insert to the October issue of Public Management magazine. For more information on the Distinguished Service Award, contact awards@icma.org.

We’ll barely begin to catch our breath before planning begins for the 2010 Conference…and I couldn’t be more excited, as it will be in my own backyard: beautiful San Jose, California. The Host Committee and Planning Committee are already hard at work to bring you what I know is going to be an outstanding Conference. On behalf of the Board, my fellow California Board member Pat Martel and I invite you to come join us in Paradise, otherwise known as Northern California. San Jose is a fabulous place with great weather, shopping, eats, and almost too much to do (and for all my fellow hockey fans…it will be during the regular season, so hopefully we can all fit in a Sharks game)!

So today, we say au revoir à Montréal…but next year, you will find the way to San Jose! See you there!

Performance Measurement, Ethics, sustainability are not just the new trends in public administration but tools we are given to aid in the well being of the citizens we have been given the charge to serve.

I consider myself fortunate to be a fellow. I consider myself fortunate to be in Dubuque & Lancaster. AND I consider myself fortunate to have been given the opportunity to come to Montreal and cross paths with people I will be commarades with for the rest of my life.

C’est Montreal the place where it all made sense!! Au revoir!