Newsletter Archive

Management Messenger
Online News of the Texas City Management Association

Reach Out to Your Colleagues
Have you contacted an intransition member? A call, card, or visit to a colleague who finds him or herself in between jobs or just facing a difficult challenge can make a positive difference. Pick up the phone, jot down some encouraging words in a note or extend a lunch invitation. These seemingly small actions can make a big impact. Do not underestimate the value of hearing from someone that cares. Click here for a list of current in transition members.

August 2005

The Texas City Management Association is pleased to send you this month’s edition of the Management Messenger. It features recent changes in city management positions around the state, current job listings, names of new members, information about upcoming educational events, as well as news about our colleagues.

You play an important role in the ethics process. Acquaint yourself with the Code of Ethics and its Rules of Procedure for Enforcement .

Please remember to browse through YOUR Web site, http://www.tcma.org

MANAGEMENT TRANSITIONS…

Judy Moody is serving as Interim City Manager in Grand Saline.

Andy Helms has been City Manager of Dayton since May.

Bruno Rumbelow, Assistant City Manager in Grapevine, has been named Acting City Manager there.

Chad Smith has resigned as City Administrator of Karnes City, effective June 16, to become Finance Director with the City of Ferris on June 21.

Larry Pippen, former City Administrator of Poteet, was appointed City Administrator/City Secretary in Karnes City on June 30.

J. Rolando Bono, who was serving as Interim City Manager of San Antonio, has been named City Manager there, effective June 30.

Dowell Matthews has been named City Manager in Anson, effective July 1.

Julio Cerda, City Engineer of Mission, has been appointed Interim City Manager there.

Craig Owens, former Assistant City Manager in Rowlett, has been named City Manager there, effective July 5.

Ken Seale resigned as City Manager of Corinth on July 8.

(James) Mark Browne has been named City Manager in Terrell Hills, effective July 11.

Terry Brechtel, former City Manager of San Antonio, has been appointed Consulting City Manager in Alamo Heights, effective July 12.

David Douglas is no longer City Manager in Jasper, effective July 14.

Lemuel Lopez, former City Administrator of Bulverde, has been named City Administrator in Boyd, effective July 18.

Dennis Sparks, former Village Manager in Maywood, Illinois, has been named City Manager of Silsbee, effective July 25.

Connie Green, who had been serving as Acting City Manager in Killeen, was named City Manager there on July 26.

Shawn Oubre, former Assistant City Manager of Orange, was named City Manager there on July 26. Chief of Police Sam Kittrell, who had been serving as City Manager, will now be only the Police Chief.

Paul Virgadamo, former Parks and Recreation Director in Conroe, has been appointed Assistant City Administrator there, effective July 28.

Sean Pate has resigned as City Administrator in Clarendon, effective July 28, to become City Manager of Poteet.

Tom Brymer has resigned as City Manager of College Station, effective July 29. Assistant City Manager Glenn Brown has been named Interim City Manager there.

Ed Broussard has resigned as City Manager in Navasota, effective August 12, to become City Manager of Hutto.

CURRENT OPENINGS…

For a list of current city management job openings in Texas, please visit http://www.tcma.org/jobs_openings.html ..

TCMA TIDINGS…

• Watch for your copy! The printed 2005-2006 TCMA Directory is currently being printed and will be sent to TCMA members soon.
• TCMA and Total Compensation Group Advisors (TCG), LLP, have developed a service to offer financial planning and employment agreement advice and support to TCMA members. In order to educate TCMA members about these services, representatives of TCG and TCMA are willing to attend TCMA regional meetings and provide an educational program about the service and answer questions from members. If your region is interested in scheduling a TCMA Financial Planning Service educational program at a future TCMA regional meeting, please contact Kyle Jung at kyle@tml.org or 512-231-7450. For further details, you can visit http://www.tcma.org/ppt/2005FinancialPlanning-TCG.ppt . Also, TCMA members interested in learning more about this new TCMA service can download a form, which includes instructions on completing and submitting the document, at http://www.tcma.org/pdf/2005FinancialBrochure-TCG.pdf .

OUR TOWN, TEXAS…

Be sure to secure copies of both versions of the Our Town, Texas curriculum—Elementary and Middle School—for your local school district. For CDs, please contact TCMA staff at 512-231-7400. Or download the material from the Our Town, Texas Web site; click on http://www.ourtowntexas.org/Primary.htm for Kindergarten and Grade One materials, visit http://www.ourtowntexas.org/Elementary.htm to find activities for Grades 2-5, and go to http://www.ourtowntexas.org/Middleschool.htm to review the Middle School curriculum.

ETHICS EMPHASIS...

As you know, the TCMA Board periodically uses the Management Messenger to highlight guidelines of the TCMA Code of Ethics. The “Professional Development” and “Self-Assessment” guidelines, which apply to Tenet 8 of the Code, are quoted this month, along with the tenet:
“Tenet 8: Make it a duty continually to improve the member's professional ability and to develop the competence of associates in the use of management techniques.
Self-Assessment Guideline: Each member should assess his or her professional skills and abilities on a periodic basis.
Professional Development Guideline: Each member should commit at least 40 hours per year to professional development activities that are based on the practices identified by the members of ICMA.”

MEMO ON MEETINGS…

• The TCMA Board will meet at the TML Office in Austin on Friday, August 19. Minutes will be posted soon after at http://www.tcma.org/Current_brdmin.htm .

TML TIDBITS…

• Due to popular demand, TML has scheduled a third “Legislative Wrap-Up Workshop”! It will be held on August 11 in Sugar Land, just prior to the “Newly-Elected City Officials’ Orientation” (see below). Register today at http://www.tml.org/ed_legisbriefing.htm . Please note that a special rate of $99 is available to those who have already registered for the August 12-13 Orientation!
• There are still two upcoming “Newly-Elected City Officials’ Orientations” scheduled by TML, so it isn’t too late to register your newest officials! The same program will be presented on August 12-13 in Sugar Land and on August 26-27 in Irving. Visit http://www.tml.org/ed_newoff.html for more information and a registration form.
• Don’t miss the “TML Municipal Technology Summit,” which will be held at the new Marriott Resort in Horseshoe Bay on September 15-16. Read all about this workshop at http://www.tml.org/ed_tech.html , and register on line today!
• Begin making plans to attend TML’s “Open Government Workshop” on September 23 at the Radisson Hill Country Resort in San Antonio. Watch for publicity to be posted soon at http://www.tml.org/ed_calendar.html .
• Publicity for the TML Annual Conference, scheduled for October 26-29 at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, is now available at http://www.tml.org/ed_ac_general_info.html . There you’ll find a wealth of information about this year’s exciting program, and you can register on line, too!
• Don’t forget TML’s upcoming “Public Funds Investment Law Workshops”! They will be held in San Antonio on December 8-9, and in Corpus Christi on February 9-10, 2006. Details and online registration are available at http://www.tml.org/ed_pubfunds.html .

Remember, you can always access the current issue of TML’s Legislative Update from the Home Page of the TML Web site ( http://www.tml.org ). Just click on “Current Issue” under “News and Events.”

We also encourage you to visit the entire TML Web site at http://www.tml.org .

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