The League of Arizona Cities and Towns proudly presents its 2008 Municipal Policy Statement, which Arizona's 90 cities and towns collaboratively chose for their legislative policy positions and action items. A hard copy is being sent to all cities and towns. To view a PDF version, select this link.

By William Fulton

Reprinted with permission from the October 2007 issue of Governing magazine.

Should cities be cool or uncool? If they need to be cool, do they make that happen with art galleries and restaurants? Or with sports stadiums?

A few years ago, Richard Florida - then a professor at Carnegie Mellon University - turned the world of economic development upside down with his book "The Rise of the Creative Class." Florida argued that the engine of the American economy is the highly educated group of people who create things - artists, scientists - that are then transformed into new products. Read more

By Marnie E. Green

Universally, supervisors and employees dread that annual ritual of performance evaluations. In some organizations, they postpone the event for as long as possible. In others, it is just avoided - sometimes for years.

We often waste, misuse, or squander this opportunity for enhanced communication and feedback that could potentially lead to higher levels of performance and increased morale. It's no wonder the experience is often described as painful. Read more

ACMA Member Mary Jacobs, Assistant City Manager, Sierra Vista, became an ICMA Credentialed Manager in October 2007. ICMA describes its Credentialing Program as, "...a means of defining and recognizing an individual ICMA member who is a professional local government manager qualified by a combination of education and experience, adherence to high standards of integrity, and an assessed commitment to lifelong learning and professional development." Congratulations Mary on your achievement!

To see a list of all ICMA Credentialed Managers, select this link.

To learn more about ICMA's Credentialing Program, select this link

County Administrator
Yavapai County

Where are you originally from?
I was raised in upstate New York and moved to Arizona during high school. After leaving the Phoenix area to raise the family in a less urban setting, we took a 2 year detour in Telluride, Colorado, but have found our home in Prescott.

Why did you decide to pursue a career in local government?
I received a degree from ASU in Business with a Human Resources emphasis. I started my career in HR in the hospitality industry and eight years ago transitioned to government as Yavapai County's HR Director. I very quickly realized that local government service is an ideal venue to add value and make a difference in my community. Read more

Management Analyst, Finance Division
City of Sierra Vista

Where are you originally from?
I am originally from Morgan Hill, California, 15 miles south of San Jose.

Why did you decide to pursue a career in local government?
I decided to pursue a career in local government in order to make a difference in the community. Local government decisions play a critical importance in the quality of our citizen's lives. Read more

Do you have a recent promotion or transition that you would like to announce? This new section of the newsletter recognizes members who have recently been promoted or have changed organizations. If you would like your name to be featured in this section of the newsletter, please contact Liisa Laikko at 602-258-5786 or email: llaikko@azleague.org.

Associate
Andrew Cooper, Jr., Public Works Director, Town of Paradise Valley
Joanne Keene, Government Relations Director, Coconino County
Rick Manchester, Parks & Recreation Director, Town of Payson

Student
Jenny Bickford, Arizona State University
Jeff Riggs, Arizona State University