Tag: Local Government

The Work of Democracy: Reflections from the ICMA Annual Conference

  • Written by Julia Soares

What does it take to keep a society running? It’s a question most of us rarely stop to consider until something goes wrong. We expect grocery stores to have blueberries in stock, our trash to be picked up on time, and our streets to be maintained. It is only when something breaks down that we begin to appreciate how many people, decisions, and systems have to come together to make everyday life possible.

This idea stayed with me after attending the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) Annual Conference in Long Beach, where city managers and local government leaders gathered for several days of seminars, conversations, and opportunities to learn from one another. As a Master of Public Policy and Administration (MPPA) student, I was interested in hearing how leaders approach the challenges facing their communities. But a common theme emerged across the conference, particularly in the keynote addresses from Simon Sinek and Jon Meacham: the importance of curiosity, humility, and a willingness to keep learning.

These qualities are not just useful for individual leaders. They are essential to building effective institutions, navigating disagreement, and sustaining democracy itself.

Culture by Design, Not by Default

Simon Sinek is a popular author and inspirational speaker on business leadership, known for his books Start with Why and Leaders Eat Last. In his Fireside Chat on stage at ICMA, he emphasized that we have a choice between creating a culture by design or allowing one to develop by default. If we do not actively shape the cultures we work and live in, they will shape themselves, and not necessarily in ways that serve us well.

For local government leaders, organizational culture influences how employees communicate, approach problems, and respond to change. A culture that discourages questions can make it difficult to adapt, while one that encourages curiosity creates room for people to identify problems and work toward solutions.

Sinek highlighted curiosity and humility as two of the most important human skills in leadership. These are qualities we often discuss in the context of personal relationships and effective communication, yet they are just as important in professional settings and public service.

Curiosity requires us to ask questions before making assumptions (judgment does the opposite). When we decide we already understand someone or their perspective, we begin labeling rather than listening. Humility reminds us that none of us has all the answers, regardless of our position or experience. Good leaders recognize what they do not know, seek out different perspectives, and remain open to changing their minds. 

For public servants, these skills are especially valuable. Local governments serve communities with different experiences, needs, and priorities. There is rarely a single solution that works for everyone. Curiosity allows leaders to understand those differences rather than make assumptions about what their communities need.

Disagreement Is Not the Same as Division

Meacham, Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, historian, and bestselling author known for his work on American history and political leadership, connected these ideas to the broader challenge of sustaining democracy. He noted that the United States has long been closely divided politically, with almost every presidential election since our inception coming down to something resembling a 49/51 split. Disagreement is not new to American democracy, nor is it inherently a problem. A democratic society depends on people being able to hold different views, debate ideas, and challenge those in power.

The danger comes when we stop seeing those with whom we disagree as fellow citizens and begin treating them as enemies. An adversary is someone whose position we oppose. An enemy is someone we believe must be destroyed. Those are fundamentally different ways of approaching disagreement. Democracy requires us to coexist with people whose views may differ significantly from our own. When every disagreement becomes a battle between people who believe the other side has no legitimate place in society, there is little room left for compromise or collective problem-solving.

This is where curiosity becomes more than a leadership tool. It becomes a civic responsibility. We do not have to agree with someone to try to understand their perspective. Listening does not mean surrendering our principles, just as seeking common ground does not mean abandoning our values. Meacham reflected on the difficulty of loving one’s neighbor. It is a familiar lesson, but one that remains remarkably difficult to put into practice. If treating others with compassion came naturally, perhaps we would not need to be reminded to do it so often.

For local government leaders, this challenge plays out every day as they work with residents, colleagues, and elected officials who may have very different ideas about what their communities need. The ability to listen, remain open to new information, and work through disagreement is essential to serving the public effectively.

A More Perfect Union

One of my favorite takeaways from the conference came from a conversation with my friend and classmate Jharie, who is originally from the Philippines. Having experienced government in a different national context, she brought a perspective that reminded me not to take the everyday functioning of our public institutions for granted. As we left the conference together, she shared how encouraged she was to see so many people genuinely committed to improving their communities and finding ways to serve the public better. It struck me that, despite the challenges facing our democracy, there is something meaningful about having people who continue to show up, ask questions, and work toward something better.

Her perspective gave me a reason to step back and appreciate something that can be easy to overlook. At a time when political discourse can feel overwhelmingly divisive, local government professionals had gathered in Long Beach to learn from one another, discuss difficult challenges, and explore ways to serve their communities more effectively.

Of course, our institutions do not always work as they should, and there is no shortage of problems to solve. But the willingness to acknowledge those shortcomings and work toward solutions is important in itself. The United States was founded on the aspiration to form a “more perfect Union.” This aspiration acknowledges that in some ways, our institutions will fall short, our communities will face new challenges, and we will inevitably disagree about how to move forward. But we can learn, ask better questions, listen more carefully, and recognize that our own perspective is never the only one worth considering.

Just like the theory behind “pothole politics,” which emphasizes the importance of focusing on the everyday services people rely on and delivering them well, sometimes the solutions are right in front of us. New York City Mayor Mamdani recently took this idea literally with his “Pothole Blitz”, by mobilizing the Department of Transportation crews to complete a week worth of repairs in just one day. While filling potholes might seem simple, it was a way he could signal to his constituents that he was listening and wanted to make a tangible difference in their lives by prioritizing the basics. In a political climate often dominated by partisan divisions and big promises, consistently delivering the everyday services people depend on is one way local governments can demonstrate their value and rebuild public trust.

As an MPPA student, I left the conference thinking about how these lessons apply not only to the people who manage our cities and counties, but to anyone who wants to contribute to public life. Curiosity helps us understand the systems we depend on, humility reminds us that there is always more to learn, and a willingness to engage with people who think differently keeps the door open to progress.

Democracy is not a finished product. Neither is leadership, nor the work of building a community where people can thrive. Success is not about reaching a point where nothing needs to change. It is about continuing to show up, learn from one another, and make things a little better than they were yesterday.

The Ecosystem of Surveillance: Lessons for Public Administrators from Los Angeles – By Julia Soares

When Los Angeles let its partnership with Flock Safety lapse this past July, the decision was widely framed as a debate over privacy, data security, and government oversight. LAPD suspended its use of Flock’s automated license plate readers after concerns emerged about who controlled the data and how it could be shared with other agencies, including immigration authorities. Those are important questions. But a recent local convening I attended, hosted by Stop LAPD Spying and MediaJustice, raised a broader one: What if Flock is not the problem, but a symptom of a much larger system?

Throughout the convening, organizers repeatedly described the fight against “Big Tech” as “not a moment in time, but a continuation of history.” It is tempting to think of surveillance technology as a uniquely modern problem. Yet the underlying impulse to monitor, categorize, predict, and control people is nothing new, especially in America. 

That idea also connected with concepts that arose in Edward Snowden’s Permanent Record, a book I became interested in after discussing his case in my MPPA Ethics class. Snowden describes the “Frankenstein effect” as the tendency for technological innovation to move faster than our ability to understand, regulate, or control its consequences. Although he was describing technology developed nearly two decades ago, the idea feels remarkably relevant to the technologies we are grappling with today. AI, facial recognition, automated license plate readers, and other forms of data-driven surveillance are developing faster than many of our laws and institutions can respond. If Flock is removed and replaced with another surveillance system, we may have addressed a particular technology without addressing the reasons the government continues to seek these technologies in the first place.

That distinction matters for public administration because government decisions about technology are often presented as technical questions: Does it work? Is it cost-effective? Is it legally feasible? But those questions do not necessarily ask who benefits from a system, who bears its costs, or what assumptions are built into it.

Consider what surveillance means in Los Angeles amid intensified immigration enforcement. For immigrant communities, the possibility that information about where people travel or live could become accessible to government agencies is not an abstract privacy concern. ICE raids and arrests have occurred in workplaces and other everyday community spaces across the region, creating an environment in which people may think twice about where they go, where they work, and whether it is safe to interact with public institutions. 

For women, surveillance can create another set of risks. A recent Washington Post investigation identified at least 50 law-enforcement officers accused or charged with misusing license-plate reader systems, including cases in which officers used the technology to monitor wives, girlfriends, and ex-partners. Reproductive healthcare is also regulated differently across states, raising concerns about how location and travel data could be used in investigations of people who cross state lines to receive care. 

I found myself connecting these ideas to Michel Foucault’s writing on surveillance and power. Foucault’s concept of the Panopticon describes a system in which people never know for certain whether they are being watched, creating the possibility that they begin regulating their own behavior because they know they could be observed. Surveillance, in this sense, is not only about catching people doing something wrong. It is also about shaping behavior – establishing what is considered normal, identifying what is considered suspicious, and encouraging people to monitor themselves.

Flock is not a literal Panopticon, but the comparison helps explain what makes modern surveillance different from simply having more cameras on the street. An ALPR system can quietly collect information about where people go without anyone first being suspected of a crime. That information can then be stored, analyzed, and interpreted later, potentially by people or institutions far removed from the original collection. The power comes not only from watching people, but from creating an infrastructure that makes it easier to categorize them and act on those categories.

These examples may seem distinct from Flock, but that is precisely the point, because surveillance systems do not operate in isolation. Information collected for one purpose can exist within a broader ecosystem of policing, data sharing, private technology, and government enforcement. A license plate reader does not know why someone is driving somewhere, just as a database does not know the circumstances behind the information it contains. Yet that information can become meaningful when combined with other systems and used to make decisions about who should be investigated, monitored, or considered a threat.

The consequences extend beyond privacy. When people begin changing where they work, travel, seek healthcare, access public services, or participate in public life because they fear being watched, surveillance has already changed the community it is supposedly intended to protect. It can shape who feels safe being visible, who feels comfortable seeking help, and who feels free to move through their own community. In that sense, surveillance is not simply a question of what information the government possesses; it is a question of who gets to participate fully in public life without fear of being watched.

This ecosystem extends beyond police departments and technology companies. Universities can also play a role in developing the ideas and technologies that eventually become embedded in policing. UCLA researchers, for example, developed predictive-policing models using historical crime data to predict where future crimes were likely to occur. The researchers worked with LAPD to test the model, and the department eventually adopted it across multiple divisions. The research was supported by federal funding from agencies including the Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Office of Naval Research, and the Army Research Office.

The point is not that the researchers intentionally created a surveillance state. Rather, their work illustrates how seemingly neutral research can become part of a larger system of institutional power. If historical policing data reflects where police have traditionally concentrated their attention, using that data to determine where police should go next can reproduce those same patterns. The technology may be new, but the assumptions embedded in the data are not.

Fifty years ago philosopher, Michel Foucault, was writing extensively about the relationship between surveillance and power. Foucault’s concept of the Panopticon describes a system in which people can never be certain whether they are being watched, creating the possibility that they begin to regulate their own behavior simply because they know they could be observed. Surveillance, in this sense, is not only about catching people doing something wrong. It is a mechanism for shaping behavior – deciding what is considered normal, what is considered suspicious, and ultimately who is worthy of scrutiny.

Flock is not a literal Panopticon, but the framework is useful for understanding what makes this technology different from simply having more cameras on the street. An ALPR system can quietly collect information about where people go without requiring anyone to first be suspected of a crime. That information can then be stored, searched, shared, and interpreted later. The power comes not only from watching people, but from creating an infrastructure that makes it increasingly easy to watch, categorize, and act on information about them.

The distinction that the convening presenters made between reform and abolition is really where my eyes began to open. Reform asks how an existing system can be made safer, more transparent, and less harmful. In the case of surveillance, that might mean stronger privacy protections, limits on data sharing, public oversight, or restrictions on how technologies such as Flock can be used. These are all the classic considerations we are taught to think about in public policy work. Abolition, on the other hand, asks a more fundamental question – forcing us to think about why we need these systems to begin with, and if we could start from scratch, what would we build instead?

This does not mean reform is meaningless. Policies that reduce immediate harm matter, particularly for communities already experiencing the consequences of surveillance and policing. But reform can become limiting if it prevents us from questioning the larger purpose of the system. LAPD has historically used ALPR systems from multiple vendors, including Vigilant Solutions, a Motorola subsidiary, and Axon, illustrating how simply canceling a Flock contract does not necessarily mean changing the underlying system.

For public administrators, this distinction offers an important lesson. Our responsibility is not only to make government systems more efficient. It is also to examine the values those systems advance and to listen to the communities experiencing their consequences. This is also where the convening presenters connected with something we discuss repeatedly in the MPPA program: the importance of listening to communities rather than assuming that institutions know what communities need. Stop LAPD Spying organizers emphasized why the convening was held in Skid Row at LACAN intentionally in order to be rooted in a community that has historically been treated as a laboratory for new forms of policing and surveillance. They described their work as an effort to make Skid Row a laboratory for developing new ways to resist those systems. That kind of community-rooted expertise can be difficult to capture in a classroom.

Being in a room with people organizing to address policy failures reinforced for me how important – and often underrated – this kind of firsthand engagement is for public servants trying to understand how best to serve their constituents. In this case, the experience encouraged me to approach policy dilemmas not simply by asking how we can regulate a technology, but whether we should incorporate it into public systems in the first place. It also left me with questions that I think are worth carrying into public policy work: Who does a policy make safer? Who does it make more vulnerable? What assumptions are embedded in the data? And, ultimately, what kind of relationship between government and community are we building? Flock may be one technology, but those questions will remain long after the cameras are gone.

A Liberal Arts Foundation for Public Service? What my Maxwell School education taught me about “liberal arts” and a “technical education” – Dr.Sabith Khan

wikilovesmonuments.us

During our inaugural Fall retreat for the faculty this year, the opening theme was focused around the theme of “Future ready graduate: Skills, values and community impact.” The discussion had a strong focus on the relevance of a liberal arts education in the US and how it is relevant to the world we live in.

This issue of relevance of education and return on investment has been at the heart of a technical education vs. humanities debate, which is part of the larger debate about the value of Higher ed in today’s world. My own journey to academia and social sciences (aligned with liberal arts and interdisciplinary work) has been circuitous and begins with a very technical field.

I graduated with a bachelors in Engineering, though had a knack for writing and communications. Soon after graduating, I jumped head on, starting my own communications consulting firm and subsequently working for Ogilvy & Mather in their PR unit for a while. This led to other opportunities in other firms and eventually, I made it to the Maxwell School of Syracuse University for an MPA and MA in International Relations.

I applied for just three programs, while I was working in the Middle East, ranked #1, #2 and #3, respectively – they were Maxwell School at Syracuse Uni, Harvard Kennedy School at Columbia and the school at Columbia Uni. I got accepted to Maxwell, with a scholarship! The decision was made for me. Why did I choose to come here?

It was largely becasue at the heart of Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs lies a distinctive educational philosophy: the belief that professional training in public policy and administration is most powerful when rooted in the liberal arts. This approach, which integrates professional MPA and other technical programs with interdisciplinary social science, produces graduates who are not merely skilled technicians but engaged citizens equipped to tackle complex societal challenges. I was enrolled in a dual MPA-MA(IR) focus so needed strong foundational courses in social sciences, that Maxwel school provided.

The Maxwell School, established in 1924, was founded on the principle of teaching citizenship to all Syracuse undergraduates. This commitment to civic engagement remains central to its identity, distinguishing it from traditional professional schools. I had the most intellectually stimulating time of my adult life at Maxwell School, where I was a Graduate Assistant at the Moynihan Institute and worked with one of the foremost experts on Iran, Dr. Mehrzad Boroujerdi.

As the only graduate school whose professional programs in public administration and international affairs are fully integrated with social science departments, Maxwell offers a truly distinctive educational model. Its faculty of 170 scholars across six social science disciplines: anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, and sociology; provide students with multiple lenses through which to understand policy problems. I attended classes in many of these disciplines as the elective structures let me take classes in many disciplines, with few restrictions.

The school’s flagship Master of Public Administration program, created over 90 years ago as the nation’s first such professional program, embodies this interdisciplinary philosophy.

As I learned during my time there, the MPA program emphasizes three areas of mastery: formulating, implementing, and evaluating policy; leading organizations with diverse stakeholders; and applying rigorous evidence-based analysis. These skills, however, are not taught in isolation. Maxwell’s faculty engage in applied interdisciplinary research, bridging theoretical frameworks with practical application. This blending ensures that policy decisions are understood within their cultural, historical, and social contexts.

Practical experience in interdisciplinary learning can be seen in the Maxwell classroom. In one course, MPA students worked alongside engineering students on complex policy projects, from lead service line replacement to automated vehicle regulation. My own capstone project involved an NGO (Near East Foundation) that worked with refugees in the Middle East and focused on workforce development and job creation for them.

As an Engineer, I learned to write policy briefs, while all MPA students grappled with technical infrastructure challenges: demonstrating how policy and technical expertise must inform one another. The instructor noted that MPA students excel at articulating policy arguments and applying current events to their analysis, skills honed through exposure to multiple disciplines.

This commitment to broad-based education extends to Maxwell’s undergraduate programs, offered in partnership with the College of Arts and Sciences. As I followed the schools work post graduation, the liberal arts core is being reimagined to address contemporary challenges like climate change, social justice, and human well-being, moving from traditional disciplinary perspectives toward thematic approaches that reflect an interconnected world. As one Maxwell associate dean observed, students with narrow professional ambitions are “just like the bear who sees the other side of the mountain”; true education requires crossing disciplinary lines to bridge ideas, cultures, and languages. The University’s longstanding principle has been that “just providing liberal education or just providing professional training is not where society needs education to be”.

Some of my professors were leaders of global organizations, including Prof. Catherine Bertini, former Head of World Food Program, Prof. Walter Broadnax (one of my favorite professors),

It is a testament to this unique model of blending liberal arts education with a very technical education that made my Maxwell experience unique. This model has earned Maxwell recognition as the #1 ranked graduate school of public affairs in the nation. Its success reflects a larger truth: today’s public challenges: from environmental sustainability to national security, all demand leaders who can synthesize perspectives and adapt to evolving conditions. As I look at Maxwell School’s enduring contribution, I realize it lies in understanding that effective public service requires not just technical competence but the critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and broad understanding that only a liberal arts education can provide.

Disciplinarity is a norm in today’s academia and though specialization is needed in many respects; getting bogged down in one’s discipline while ignoring the “big picture” can produce people and graduates who are inept at understanding the world, as it is.

I try to bring this to the classroom and in the program management at Cal Lutheran and hope that you see the value of this approach.

Fall 2021 Capstone: City of San Buenaventura

Music Program Breakdown for the Westview Family Development

music capstone

~Leslie Madrigal, Stephanie Rendon & Laura Vasquez

Faculty Advisor: Christopher Beck

Music is an integrated part of people’s lives that can spark a wide range of emotions and memories that last a lifetime. Studies show how music education introduced to young children “heightens children’s auditory acuity, thus increasing their ability to process language” (Etopio, et al., 2012). Aside from that, there are also improvements in children’s self-identity that improve their confidence and also give them a place they have ownership of (Barber, Eccles, & Stone, 2001). Hence, this capstone will focus on developing a low-income music program for the properties owned or managed by Westview Family Development, a low-income housing unit in the City of San Buenaventura.

As studies show, music enhances children’s learning abilities and can help them with social interaction and language skills. Recorded music and rhythm instruments, as well as songs, chants, and fingerplays are staples in the early childhood classroom. Singing, improvising (banging around on the rhythm instruments), and appropriate background music provide a foundation for future music awareness (McDonald, 1979). Also, like other extracurricular programs, music programs are an essential part of a child’s core experiences as they grow up. In a study conducted through the Department of Psychology at the University of Cordova, it was found that “the group involved in activities outside the school day yielded better academic performance.” Being involved in outside activities helps students interpersonally and can lead to a better attention level. Aside from the developmental aspect that a music program can have on children, the community effects it brings are also just as valuable. For instance, having a well-tailored music program “can welcome children of a wide range of abilities into a group” (Wolf, 2021). The program’s welcoming atmosphere then allows the individual to work on social and communication skills with other children building a community space.

With that said, this music program will build off of and provide the varying benefits that can be instilled in children when exposed to music in a controlled environment. That is why the program will have a variety of instruments and volunteers for the children enrolled in the program to have as much exposure to music theory. For one, this program will allow children to gain interest and hobby in music, allowing the forming of a community amongst other children who also have sparked interest. It will also give them a sense of belonging and allow them to excel in an activity that carries growth and beauty. Secondly, the community will also have a place where the families can come together and see their children grow and further develop themselves. It will also bring different families into a shared space where they can create new relationships. Overall, the objective of the music program is to help provide a musical outlet for children to learn new skills, further develop a self-identity and gain confidence in who they are and what they are learning.

Q&A with Mike Ramirez: Assistant City Manager, City of Carpinteria

mike ramirez

1. You recently became the Assistant City Manager for the City of Carpinteria– Congratulations! What was your journey like to get to this public service position?

I’ve worked in local government for 22+ years, not including 4 years of volunteer service. I started my career in recreation and most recently served as Recreation Supervisor for the City of Moorpark. Although I worked in recreation, I always looked for ways to add to my toolbox, taking on stretch assignments, attending trainings, and investing in myself through books, online resources, and time with mentors. When I decided I wanted to transition to city management, I took bigger steps, including participation in the Ventura County Leadership Academy and enrollment in the Cal Lu MPPA program. With three daughters and long work days, it wasn’t easy, but I was persistent, taking one class a term, slow and steady.

2. For those unfamiliar with the role of City Managers, or how the Assistant City Manager supports the City Manager, could you take a moment to explain what your responsibilities are and how it fits in the scheme of municipal leadership?

There are different forms of municipal government. The type I’ve always been a part of is council-manager. In this form, residents are at the top of the organizational chart. They elect a council who then hire a City Manager to manage day-to-day operations and ensure that council priorities are successfully implemented. My role as the Assistant City Manager (ACM) is to assist in guiding this implementation. Currently, I oversee the Recreation, Parks, and Public Facilities Department, and several other council directives, including the development of a Racial Equity and Social Justice program, civic engagement program, and economic vitality efforts, to name a few. 

3. How have your past professional experiences, including your time in the MPPA program, prepared you for this new career position?

My past professional experiences have prepared me for this position by providing me with experience, knowledge, and guidance. Fortunately, I knew what I wanted to do when I entered the MPPA program. This allowed me to tailor the program to my goals. The ability to research, analyze, and support my conclusions and recommendations is the most helpful skill I developed during my time at Cal Lu. In addition, the relationships I formed and the confidence I gained have been priceless. You won’t know everything but having confidence in your ability to learn and people to support you will set you on a trajectory for success.

4. From your time in this new capacity thus far, what have you found to be the greatest benefits and greatest challenges that public service leaders face today, either generally or specifically in the City of Carpinteria? What do you hope to contribute during your time with the City?

In local government, the rewards and challenges are often one and the same. We face a myriad of issues: affordable housing; public safety; diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); homelessness; and budget constraints, just to name a few. As a public service leader, the reward is that you can affect real change in these areas, right in your own community. What I hope to bring to Carpinteria is a leadership style that emphasizes community engagement, supports strategic planning, and strengthens relationships amongst City staff, residents, and community stakeholders. Ultimately, trust is the foundation of progress, and I want to help my organization build trust everywhere I can.  

5. Before closing, do you have any suggestions or inside tips for those in the MPPA community who are also interested in a similar line of work?

Absolutely. Here are my top 5!

  1. Take Drew Powers and P.J. Gagajena’s classes as soon as possible. As active (and highly regarded) City Managers in the field, their knowledge and guidance will be invaluable.  
  2. Most, if not all, professors in the MPPA program will allow you some leeway in selecting papers and/or project topics. If possible, select topics that center on approaches to city management and/or current local government challenges.
  3. Find a mentor, or two.
  4. Watch as many city council meetings as you can and familiarize yourself with the various elements (e.g., City staff reports, public hearings, etc.).
  5. Join at least one city managers professional association and utilize their training,  resources, and networking opportunities (e.g., International City/County Managers Association – ICMA, Municipal Management Association of Southern California – MMASC.).

Good luck!

From everyone in the MPPA program, we wish you the best in your new capacity and thank you for your time in answering these questions!

How To Series: Internships at the County Government 

~Erin Niemi 

hr intern

County of Ventura Internships

As a young person trying to establish a career in public service, one of the highlights of my 2021 was getting to intern at the County of Ventura in their Public Service Internship Program. The Program consisted of various work opportunities within different County agencies and departments (e.g., County Executive Office, Human Services Agency, the Fire Department, etc.) and opportunities to learn more about each field while gaining real-world career experience. 

My internship took place within the County Executive Office in the Human Resources Division on the recruitment team. During my internship, I got to use my former academic background in communication and my current academic background in public policy and administration to learn how the Human Resources department advertises and recruits for open job positions, as well as acquire additional soft skills in the workplace, such as time management, teamwork, and how to become a leader. My favorite part about the internship was being able to hone in on my creative side and work on social media and advertising campaigns for open recruitments in the County, as well as channel my analytical side and assist with larger projects requiring organization and critical thinking. 

Current County Role

I work as an HR Business Partner Assistant within the CEO Office, Human Resources Division. There, I assist with certification, written exam development, social media marketing, and Equal Opportunity Employment recordkeeping and organizational tasks. I enjoy my work because I get to bring my creative side into every project I do while simultaneously interacting with the taxpayers of the County of Ventura in order to help them find a career role they can succeed in. I believe a lot of the skills I learned in my internship carry over into my job today; and because I have a foundation of soft skills, knowledge of the County, and the human resources field, I find my work to be rewarding and relevant in today’s evolving workplace. I especially love the ability to make a positive impact on our constituents’ lives on an individual level, and I am dedicated to serving them with every daily task I complete. 

Recommendations

My recommendation to anyone wanting to join the County or to work either in an internship or in a full-time role is… just go for it! If you have a passion for anything in your career, whether its medicine, construction, environmental science, or public administration, there is a job for it at the County. I also recommend visiting the County HR website at hr.ventura.org to find a job that interests you and to check out our resources to learn more about our application process and organizational values. When you fill out your application, be sure to answer each question as fully as possible and showcase the skills you bring to the table. Details never hurt, and don’t be afraid to be yourself when you answer the questions! I believe careers within the public sector offer you an extremely rewarding career, and I encourage people to seek out careers where they can make a positive impact in their communities while remaining true to themselves and utilizing their talents.

How To Series: Human Resources in Local Government

~Katie Reynolds

vc

The Public Sector: Government Agencies 

When referring to Public Service ,there can be some confusion about exactly what types of organizations are included. The Institute of Internal Auditor (IIA) clarifies what is meant by the term Public Sector, to provide guidance for their members and to identify specific criteria to appropriately classify organizations around the world as being in the public sector. 

According to IIA, the Public Sector consists of governments and all publicly controlled or publicly funded agencies, enterprises, and other entities that deliver public programs, goods, or services. The Public Sector may exist at any of four levels: 

  • International (multistate entities or partnerships).
  • National (an independent state).
  • Regional (a province/state within a national state). 
  • Local (a municipal-level body such as a city or county) (Duke & Danesco, 2011)

The County of Ventura is a “general law” county, governed by a five-member, elected–by-district Board of Supervisors. The Supervisors appoint a County Executive Officer (CEO) to oversee the County budget, day-to-day operations, as well as to advise, assist and act as an agent for the Board of Supervisors in all matters under the Board’s jurisdiction. 

The services provided by the different agencies and departments include general government administration, elections, public protection, such as law enforcement, fire protection, and watershed protection, public ways and facilities including construction and maintenance of roads, healthcare, environmental health, public assistance, libraries, and recreation and cultural services. In addition, enterprise funds account for the operations of the Ventura County Medical Center, the Santa Paula Hospital, and Ambulatory Clinics, Ventura County Health Care Plan, two airports: Camarillo and Oxnard, Channel Islands Harbor, Waterworks Districts providing sanitation and water services, and Parks. 

My Journey With the County of Ventura

I applied to the County because I needed healthcare benefits for my family and had heard they had great plans. Additionally, I was eager to rise in the workplace and understood I could promote within the County without losing coverage. My first appointment in 1992 was as an Office Assistant III for the Ambulatory Care Clinics Operations Manager. After six months, I was promoted to Management Assistant II.  

My career development at the County has been remarkable and very rewarding. I have been promoted repeatedly and today am a Personnel Analyst III working for the County Executive Office in support of departments and agencies throughout the enterprise. I truly am committed to the applicants for each recruitment and the departments and agencies I serve. I believe that in a small way I can contribute to creating the amazing lifestyle available here in Ventura County by supporting the County as it serves its constituents.

Recommendations

Whatever your goals you can probably find a position within the County of Ventura that would be of interest to you. As a Senior Human Resource (HR) Business Partner, I have been asked many times how to find the jobs available at the County. I direct inquiring individuals to the HR web page which has helpful information. It is also a good idea to review the information under the “How to” links to prepare for the different examinations and the selection interview.

It pays to do research. Every public sector enterprise has a rich presence online. You can learn much about each agency and the departments within each agency by spending time linking on links and reading the information posted. If you have questions about job opportunities the Human Resource department is your first contact. I encourage you to take time to investigate opportunities.

I invite you to check out all the public sector opportunities throughout the County, such as cities, school districts, water districts, and special districts. They all offer ways to contribute while fulfilling your professional endeavors. 

If you have questions, please, feel free to contact my email at katiecreynolds@gmail.com.

How To Series: California Natural Resources Agency

~Jacqueline (Jacki) Phelps, MPPA 

CNRA

The California Natural Resources Agency (CNRA) is an executive branch agency within the state that reports to the Office of the Governor. Specifically, CNRA oversees and supports the work of twenty-six state departments, conservancies, and commissions that are charged with managing the diverse natural resources located within the 100-million acres of land that make up the state of California. A comprehensive list of agencies within CNRA can be found here. The mission of CNRA is to “restore, protect and manage the state’s natural, historical and cultural resources for current and future generations using creative approaches and solutions based on science, collaboration, and respect for all the communities and interests involved.”

In addition to this overarching mission, each agency within CNRA has a specific mission and role in managing the state’s resources. The California Coastal Commission (Commission) is a CNRA agency with a mission to protect and enhance California’s coast and ocean for present and future generations. This is done in partnership with local governments by regulating development activities along the state’s approximately 1,200-mile shoreline in order to protect resources such as sensitive habitats, water quality, public access, and recreation. 

While completing my undergraduate degree at UC Santa Cruz and searching for potential internship opportunities, I became familiar with the Commission and was immediately drawn to its strong mission. The Commission has six offices located along the coast, including in Santa Cruz and Ventura. Although there weren’t any internships posted online, I contacted the district director in the Santa Cruz office, conveyed my interest in the agency, interviewed, and was offered an internship opportunity. I knew immediately that the Commission was a great fit for me and while still working to complete my degree, successfully passed the examination process that is required to be eligible for a paid position. After graduating I applied for and was offered an analyst job in the Commission’s Ventura office. Currently I hold the position of district supervisor and have been working in the Ventura office for nearly ten years. 

Applying for a job with the state can seem daunting, as there are often several steps that need to be taken prior to becoming eligible for employment. Most often, an interested candidate must successfully complete an examination for the specific job classification that they are interested in, and then they are able to participate in the application process. The CNRA website provides helpful information on this process. Additionally, most agencies have a “Jobs” tab on their website with additional information on the hiring process and the positions available. For example, the Commission website has links to the appropriate application forms, examination announcements, as well as a list of available paid and volunteer positions. If there is a specific agency that you are interested in, I encourage you to try and connect with employees of that agency to gain insight on the work of the agency, as well as the skills that would help to make you a successful candidate. Additionally, the human resources or recruitment office of that particular agency can offer guidance to ensure that you are completing the appropriate steps to become eligible for employment. 

In the Environmental Policy and Planning course that I teach, we take an in depth look into the functions of many CNRA agencies, as well as the laws that they implement. Employees of local agencies and organizations also join us to not only share their work but also their path to obtaining their current position. Additionally, course assignments give students the opportunity to conduct in-depth research on an environmental policy topic of their choosing. This allows for research into specific agencies, like those within CNRA, as well as existing laws and policy frameworks. In class this summer, students examined several interesting and pertinent topics including wildfire, coastal public access, and temperature increase as a result of climate change, and they were able to share their findings and analysis with the class.  

This winter term I will also be leading a capstone project in partnership with the County of Ventura Resources Management Agency to research and analyze existing laws and policies relating to environmental justice in order to propose recommendations for the El Rio/Del Norte Area Plan Update. This capstone is a great opportunity to gain insight into policy creation through the lens of environmental justice.

Please feel free to get in touch with me at jphelps@callutheran.edu or connect with me on LinkedIn if you have any questions about the course or if you are interested in learning more about a career in the environmental field!

Summer 2021 Capstone: Ventura County Planning Division

Analysis of Sea Level Rise Survey Distributed by Ventura County Planning

County of Ventura water rise image (1)

~Matthew Burdette, Leo Casiple, Deborah Gow

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Loredana Carson

“Sea level rise as the result of “climate change is one of the most complex issues (,) … involves many dimensions – science, economics, society, politics and moral and ethical questions” (NASA, 2020).  Uncoordinated actions can negatively affect the trajectory of communities along the Ventura County coastline, alter the fiscal sustainability of the state of California, complicate the US defense strategy, and disturb the rhythm of the global economy. [From the opening remarks of the Capstone narrative.]

This team was assigned to a project brought to the department by the Ventura County Planning Division as part of their Ventura County Resilient Coastal Adaptation Project that is an ongoing effort to prepare the county for issues pertaining to sea level rise predicted to impact the county over the next century. Although some of the predictions may not occur until the end of the century, others may take place by or before the year 2030. Therefore, the county is actively working on planning that would mitigate the impact of rising waters on coastal communities throughout the county.

As part of the process, the county distributed a survey in December 2020 with the intent to gather information about community preferences pertaining to sea level rise planning activities and adaptation strategies designed to mitigate the impact of sea level rise. The 10-question survey asked respondents to detail their beach usage, as well as their preferences and opinions of various planning strategies currently under consideration.

The Capstone team was asked to prepare an analysis of the date, which included both qualitative and quantitative responses and to summarize the data in both a narrative and a graphic format for ease of sharing the analysis.

The objectives of the project were as follows:

  1. Organize the date, combining digital and paper responses and translating the Spanish versions to English. To ensure that all the data was entered into a single database for processing.
  2. Use Excel to analyze the quantitative responses and prepare visual charts and graphs to illustrate the responses to these questions utilizing descriptive statistics.
  3. Examine all qualitative responses to open-ended questions and code responses into thematic elements to present the findings in a meaningful synthesis of the responses.
  4. Provide conclusions and recommendations based on the analyzed data.
  5. Prepare a narrative report of the findings suitable for use by Ventura County Planning.
  6. Design a PowerPoint presentation slide deck to share with the Ventura County Planning Division at a department meeting. The same presentation can be modified to share with the MPPA and Cal Lutheran communities.

The Capstone team was able to complete all the goals set out for them and looks forward to sharing the results in the near future.