May 2022
Sneak Peek
Management Transitions
New Members
New Member Applications
Meet Your Colleagues
Toolkit for Assistants
TCMA Employment Agreement and Financial Planning Services
In-Transition 22.0
Ethics Public Censure
Ethics Corner
#ELGLInspire
TCMA Educational Events
Memos on Meetings
sneak peek
The 2022 TCMA Annual Conference is June 9-12. Get a sneak peek from TCMA President Elect and Deer Park City Manager Jay Stokes, Bastrop City Manager Paul Hofmann, and TML Affiliate Services Manager Kim Pendergraft. To hear the Sneak Peek, click TCMA Annual Conference and to learn more and register click here.
Management transitions
Brandon Anderson is no longer the city manager of the City of Graham, effective June 15. He was appointed as the new city manager of the City of Levelland.
Myra Ayala was appointed as the city manager of the City of Edinburg.
Clinton Bailey is the new city manager of the City of Fredericksburg.
Paul Brandenburg is the new city administrator of the City of Liberty Hill.
Mark Browne will retire as the city manager of the City of Schertz, effective November 23.
John Cabrales is the new city administrator of the City of New Fairview.
Juan (Tony) Cano is serving as the city administrator of the City of Gregory.
Beatriz Charo is serving as the city administrator of the City of Robstown.
Trey Fletcher is the new city administrator of the City of West Lake Hills.
Lacie Hale is the new city administrator of the Village of Volente.
Eric Kuykendall is no longer the city administrator of the City of Jefferson.
Makenzie Lyons is the new city administrator of the City of Winnsboro.
Paul McLarty is the new city manager of the City of Nassau Bay, effective June 1.
Brad Newton is no longer the city administrator of the City of Presidio.
Jimmy Purcell was appointed as the new city manager of the City of White Oak.
Shawn Raborn will retire as the city manager of the City of La Grange, effective September.
Carling Repass is serving as the city administrator of the City of Snook.
Noah Simon is the new city administrator of the City of Aledo, effective May 16.
Terrell Smith is the new city manager of the City of Marshall.
Ed Wylie is no longer serving as the city manager of the City of Pharr. Andy Harvey is the new city manager.
Carlos Yerena is no longer the city manager of the City of Donna. Frank Perez is serving as the interim city manager.
New Members
The TCMA Management Messenger welcomes the following new members approved by the Executive Committee on April 25, 2022.
Full: Robyn Battle, Executive Director of Community Services, Prosper; Craig Cook, Assistant City Manager, Harlingen; Robbie Corder, City Manager, University Park; Lee Howell, Assistant City Manager, Saginaw; Tina Jauz, Assistant City Manager, Midland; Renee Waggoner, Assistant City Manager, Denison
Associate: Burton Barr, Director of Economic Development, Sunnyvale; Lee Battle, Director of Community Enhancement, Allen; Ashby Grundman, Director of Building and Development Services, West Lake Hills; Andrew Hawkes, Chief of Police, Sunnyvale; John Peterek, Assistant to the City Manager, San Antonio; Makayla Rodriguez, Assistant to the City Administrator, Rollingwood; Logan Thatcher, Assistant to the City Manager, Richland Hills; Deacon Tittel, Fire Chief/EMC, Bellaire
Cooperating: Sarah Luxton, Sustainability & Environmental Education Supervisor, Plano
Student: Zachary Flores, The University of Texas at Austin; J.D. Moore, Texas State University; Matthew Schwarz, The University of Texas at Arlington; Samuel Socolow, The University of Texas at Austin; Students from The University of Texas at San Antonio include: Yousef Ahmed, Denise Allen, Romello Banks, Joshlynn Chapa, Kevin Ellison, Gillian Gerald, Deniff Lara, Gabriel Lugo, Kirk McElroy, Natalia Morris, Christopher Muniz, Graciela Orta, Isaai Ortega, Cristian Garcia Pecina, Gerardo Ramirez, Luis Reynoso, Deja Roden, Thomas Rugate, Diamond Soliz, Susie Soliz, Layla Villarreal
New Member Applications
The current TCMA Board policy requires that names of new member applicants be published each month in the Management Messenger. Any written objection during the subsequent 30-day period will be reviewed by the Membership Committee. If no objections are received during this time, the names will be submitted to the Executive Committee for approval. Written objections can be mailed to TCMA, Attention: Membership Committee, 1821 Rutherford Lane, Suite 400, Austin, TX 78754. Applications received in the month of April:
Full: Bobby Atteberry, Interim City Manager, Denison; Hayden Brodowsky, Director of Operations, Hudson Oaks; Sylvia Carrillo, City Administrator, Sunset Valley; Rick Chaffin, City Manager, Gunter; Erin Corbell, Interim City Manager, Brady; Matthew Daeumer, Assistant City Manager, La Porte; Alejandra Lopez, Assistant City Manager, San Antonio; Marshal McIntosh, Deputy City Manager, Brownwood; Jimmy Purcell, City Manager, White Oak; Jessica Rogers, Assistant City Manager, Tomball; Dana Schoening, Assistant City Manager, Sweetwater; Shane West, City Manager, Overton
Associate: Frances Aguilar, City Secretary/Director of Municipal Court, Angleton; Justin Balderas, Executive Director, Levelland Economic Development Corporation; Haden Farr, Assistant to the City Manager, Keene; Melissa Fields-Allgeyer, HR Director, Levelland; Genesis Gavino, Chief of Staff, Dallas; Shelly Klein, Assistant to the City Manager, Hurst; Winema Martinez, Management Analyst, Mesquite; Kim McAuliffe, Downtown Development Manager, Georgetown; Sandra Overstreet, Director of Human Resources, Pantego; Jerod Potts, Assistant to the City Manager, Sachse
Cooperating: E. Jay Ellington, City Manager, Texarkana, Arkansas; Stacy Williams
meet your colleagues
The TCMA Management Messenger welcomes Tracie Hlavinka to her new position as the city manager of the City of Lago Vista. Tracie’s appointment began in July of 2021. She began her public service at the City of DeSoto in 1997, working briefly on the financial side of city operations and soon shifting to managing community initiatives. During her tenure in DeSoto, she held several positions including community initiatives manager, assistant to the city manager, assistant city manager, and deputy city manager. After 22 years of municipal experience in DeSoto, Tracie set her sights on a new adventure and in 2019, began serving as the town manager in Clarkdale, Arizona.
Tracie earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from The University of Texas at Arlington and holds a master's degree in human relations and business from Amberton University.
Tracie has two children, Dustin and Samantha. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, living lakeside, and playing with her two French bulldogs.
toolkit for assistants
In many regards, the role of the Assistant Chief Administrative Officer (ACAO) changes from day to day, depending on what the organization and community need at that time. The size and culture of the organization, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the chief administrative officer (CAO), help determine the professional life of an ACAO.
Some ACAOs aspire to be the CAO, and the deputy perch is a key position on that flight upward. Others treasure the prospect of serving their entire career as the ACAO. One step back from the perch, they can leverage their leadership and management skills to advance the organizations work to serve the community. Wherever you want to be on that management tree, the ICMA Assistant and Deputy Task Force has prepared a guide to help every deputy or assistant succeed in their role, and with their career aspirations.
Inside this guide, you’ll find four sections designed to answer some of the questions our focus groups of ACAOs wanted addressed most:
- Roles of an ACAO
- Effective ACAO Skills
- Mentoring for an ACAO
- Managing with Multiple ACAOs
This guidebook can be helpful to you if you have served in another community as the ACAO, if you aspire to an ACAO role, if you want to check yourself in your current ACAO role, or even if you are a CAO looking to create a new ACAO position or to support your current ACAO(s).
(Submitted by Taylor Lough, Economic Development Manager, Anna)
tcma employment agreement and financial planning services
Is your employment agreement up for renewal?
Do you need financial planning assistance?
TCMA members have access to personalized employment agreement and financial planning assistance through its partnership with the Trusted Capital Group (TCG). TCG is an independent financial services firm that specializes in consulting and retirement planning services for cities, school districts, and other government entities.
Employment Agreement Assistance
City budgets might be tight these days, but there are numerous ways to create a compensation package that is mutually beneficial to both parties. TCG Consulting looks at your entire compensation package with a focus on enhancing your income in retirement. TCG can also assist when there is a separation from your city. Let TCG save you time and stress by negotiating your salary and benefits. Click here to learn more about this program.
Financial Planning
Whether you are just starting your career or retiring next year, having a financial plan can provide you with peace of mind regarding your financial future. TCG Consulting will create a comprehensive analysis of your current financial state and create a strategy to achieve your goals. TCG will also examine your current investment holdings to make sure they meet your objectives. Click here to learn more about this program.
in-transition 22.0
The TCMA Board is pleased to announce expanded resources for the Management In-Transition Program. Members can find updated information on the TCMA website by clicking In-Transition Services. The In-Transition section has been redesigned to help members before, during, and after a job change, in addition to periods of stress that do not necessarily result in a job change. The site is organized by a series of tabs that relate to different steps in the journey and includes links to helpful documents. The Brain and Body tab provides information to help with daily pressures.
On the site, you'll find useful information on what to do in the event you are terminated or asked to resign, and helpful first steps to consider as you start the journey to move ahead, rather than just "treading water" for a few days or weeks. Even though you may want to take a break from activity, you may find it helpful to have access to resources and a potential plan to move forward. You are not alone; others have been there before; others can listen and help direct you forward.
The webpage tabs include "When Terminated," "Brain and Body Health," "Taking Action," and "Moving On." Each section has new information not previously available. The In-Transition section is designed to be fluid and easily updated as needed. Here are a few highlights.
When Terminated. This first tab includes a link titled “Immediate Steps Checklist.” We do not want to lose contact with you. Contact Kim Pendergraft (kim@tml.org or 512.231.7442) to let her know how to get in touch with you and if you want to access in-transition services. This tab also includes information on how to access a senior advisor.
Brain and Body Health. Today we are more aware of the need for both brain and body health. We understand that taking care of ourselves is more important than realized in the past. Resources to helpful articles are available in this section including Planning for Transition, The Psychological Effect of Being in Transition, and Pay Attention to Your Mental Health. There are additional links to the latest information on the grief process and ICMA's new "Equilibrium" services for ICMA members.
When a traumatic life event takes place, a person can experience '"brain fog" and confusion; trouble focusing on what to do next. Death of a loved one, divorce, bad health news, and other negative experiences can cause us to feel grief. We now recognize that job loss also can start a grief cycle. One of our senior advisors has remarked that to be in-transition status, the individual can be somewhat in a delicate state, worried about family, finances, and being disconnected from friends and associates. You may worry about how to move forward and how to recover from the loss of a job. These online resources are available to assist and it’s important to know you can reach out and make a connection to help guide you through the process with one of the senior advisors or the In-Transition Support Team.
Taking Action. This tab includes a severance checklist, sample severance agreement, and links to financial planning, employment agreements, and executive search firms.
Moving On. The last tab supports your new job search. It contains sample resumes, a media relations checklist, ICMA's brochure to “Take Control of Your Online Reputation,” and a link to "20 Steps to a Better LinkedIn Profile." Frequently asked interview questions are provided, as well as questions to ask if you do not get the job for which you were interviewed. Information under this tab also includes links for interim jobs, permanent jobs, job placement services, executive search firms, and links to the TML Career Center and the ICMA Job Center. You will also want to review and consider various employment agreements including links to the “Model Employment Agreement,” “Sample Employment Agreement,” and “Sample Employment Agreement with Benefit Options.”
We encourage you to visit the In-Transition Services now, before you need it. We humans seem to fear the unknown, especially when the unexpected happens in our lives. Our stress levels jump up and we may waste time worrying about what we may have to do in response to a negative event. Just like your city has an emergency plan, you can review these website resources to develop your own "emergency plan" in advance. You may not need the information and help immediately, but knowing where to find it and having an idea of what is available can bring a level of comfort as you perform your daily duties. Members are urged to simply preview the TCMA website section for In-Transition Services for the peace of mind.
In-Transition 22.0 has information from Texas, Illinois, and Florida city management organizations, as well as other Internet resource sites. There are several links to ICMA resources, some of which do require ICMA membership. If you are in-transition, consider also notifying ICMA to see what options are available to you.
Thank you to the TCMA Board, Membership Committee, Senior Advisors, and TML staff for participating in this new and expanded help for In-Transition support. A special thank you to Greg Bielawski, ICMA Senior Advisor Program Coordinator (ICMA Life Member, ILICMA Senior Advisor) for sharing, planting the seed, and being supportive during the process.
(Submitted by Kay Godbey and A.C. Gonzalez, TCMA Senior Advisors)
ethics public censure
On March 3, the TCMA Ethics Committee concluded its review of the ethics complaint of Omar Romero, former city manager of the City of Peñitas. On April 8, the TCMA Board approved the recommendation of the Ethics Committee that a membership bar for life, public censure, and notice to the elected body be imposed on Mr. Romero for violation of tenets 2, 3, 4, and 12. In following the TCMA Rules of Procedure for Enforcement, the case is closed.
ethics corner
“Relational Politics, a Thing of the Past?”
Not long after becoming a new assistant police chief, I walked my division through the process of establishing a set of shared core values. I was relieved and happy to see that a derivative of the Golden Rule made the list: “We value treating all people we encounter with dignity and respect regardless of how they are treating us.” As a teenager and young adult, the combination of influences present in my life instilled in me the importance of emotional intelligence and how it impacts how we treat others.
As professional public managers and leaders, we must all aspire to conduct ourselves this way, both in times of calm waters and in times of turbulence. For me, it really has always boiled down to the old lesson of catching the most bees with honey.
But honestly, is it not about more than that? Is it not also about valuing decorum, professionalism, and civil discourse in our work because it’s simply the right thing to do? I believe that Tenet 3 of the TCMA Code of Ethics holds us as professional managers to a certain standard: “Demonstrate by word and action the highest standards of ethical conduct and integrity in all public, professional, and personal relationships in order that the member may merit the trust and respect of the elected and appointed officials, employees, and the public.” Recently, I’ve learned of a new name for the concept I’m describing as it relates to the realm of policy making – “Relational Politics.”
For the sake of this article, I’ll define “Relational Politics” as the process of debating policy issues in a manner that seeks to preserve relationships through civil discourse, and the positive treatment of others even when their interests may be opposed to yours. I believe part of what Tenet 3 requires of us is to act in this way. What I’ve learned recently as my work has taken me closer to the realm of elected officials is that some simply don’t value the concept of Relational Politics. I’ve recently experienced an elected official express to staff members and fellow elected officials that treating others in such a way to safeguard relationships is simply not important, and it certainly takes a back seat to aggressively advocating for one’s issues.
As professional managers committed to upholding the TCMA Code of Ethics, how are we to navigate dealing with this type of philosophy? To answer that, I look to Tenet 6 for guidance and perspective: “Recognize that elected representatives are accountable to their community for the decisions they make; members are responsible for implementing those decisions.” Sometimes we (or maybe just I) need to be reminded to stay in our lane, and that effort spent worrying about things we cannot control, or influence is just wasted effort. To that end, I find it helpful to reflect on the differences in the roles of elected officials and staff and be proud of the way I choose to behave when dealing with colleagues….professionally and ethically, for this I can control!
(Submitted by Chase Stapp, Director of Public Safety, San Marcos)
#elglinspire
TCMA co-hosted an #ELGLInspire event at The University of Texas at San Antonio on April 20. More than 60 students attended and 20 students joined TCMA. A special thanks to Fredericksburg City Manager Kent Myers and UTSA professor Gina Amatangelo for their efforts to make it a success.
tcma educational EVENTS
TCMA Podcast
Perspectives on City Management
Listen to episodes here
Tex-ICMA Coaching Webinars
(Pre-registration is required)
Managing Council/Staff Relationships in an Election Year
12:30-2:00 p.m., Wednesday, May 18
The Generational Workforce
12:30-2:00 p.m., Thursday, June 16
Organizational Culture
12:30-2:00 p.m., Thursday, September 8
Alternatives to Silos
12:30-2:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 20
Everyone Has Personal Challenges
12:30-2:00 p.m., Thursday, November 17
Memos on Meetings
The Board met on April 8 in Pflugerville. Minutes are available here.
The Membership Committee met on April 19 via video conference. Minutes are available here.
The Advocacy Committee met on April 20 via video conference. Minutes are available here.
The TCMA Allies Committee is scheduled to meet via video conference on May 5.
The Budget Committee is scheduled to meet via video conference on May 6.
The Board will meet on June 9 in conjunction with the TCMA Annual Conference.