We have settled on a "class project" for our fellow group at the Alliance. And we had a very interesting discussion around it. We presented it as assisting cities with marketing themselves. The idea is to create a toolkit of resources that enable cities to tout their achievements with their constituencies. This launched a discussion about the difference between marketing and citizen engagement. To our grownup colleagues marketing is a rather nefarious thing. The idea that marketing is the selling of something false to an unsuspecting public. Whereas, they felt, citizen engagement was bringing people into something real and good. It was interesting because to us, "youngins", they are one in the same. Marketing or pr or whatever you call it is a necessary thing. It is not just important for governments to do a ing well but to tell the world that they doing it. To take credit for what they're doing well. In this media market that is a vital part of doing the job. Doing it publicly. Nothing negative about that but it was interesting to see the difference in perspective and the generational opinions on media and marketing. Food for thought.

Sedona 2012

Last week the "marvins" hit the road for the ACMA winter conference in Sedona. Just two hours north on route 17 Sedona is the coolest thing I've seen out here. Liked it so much I took my parents there this weekend. The painters lved it. Any who, every year the ACMA hosts two conferences. A summer in Tucson and a winter in Sedona. For those of you not familiar with the ACMA they describe themselves as... "The Arizona City/County Management Association was established in 1954. It is a non-profit, professional organization dedicated to increasing the knowledge and ability of city, town, and county managers, as well as other local government administrators and to strengthen the quality of local government in the State of Arizona through professional management, education, training, and the mutual exchange of information. The ACMA cooperates with the League of Arizona Cities and Towns, the International City/County Management Association, various public institutions of higher learning in Arizona, and other organizations dedicated to supporting and promoting local government management. The organization was incorporated in 1998. It currently has approximately 280 members and is staffed by the League of Arizona Cities and Towns. The conferences bring together members for awards, new appointments, seminars on various relevant issues, and networking in general. As a newb to the field, chatting with city managers was very helpful. They seem like a fun and passionate group and I feel like I picked the right careeer.... Hmmm a bold assertion perhaps :-P Heres a sample of what the conference covered: Optional Activity: Chair Yoga with Helen Ernster 7:00am - 8:00am ICMA Practice Area: 18 Join us for an ACMA first – chair yoga! There are no yoga mats or special attire required for this session. This early-morning activity will teach you breathing and stretching exercises, balancing poses and relaxation, all from the comfort of your conference session chair. Stress relief, increased flexibility, coordination and focus are just a sampling of the benefits you will receive from this complimentary activity. Please indicate your interest to info@azmanagement.org. Breakfast Roundtable - Continuing Education Roundtable 8:00am - 9:00am ICMA Practice Area: 18 Continuing education helps public managers to be more effective in their current positions and to be better prepared for future roles with increasing responsibilities. Come learn about educational opportunities available to members and associate members, including the ICMA Credentialed Manager, the ICMA Emerging Leaders, and the ASU Certified Public Manager programs. Program administrators will answer questions about the logistics of the programs while ACMA members will discuss how participating in the program has helped in their careers. Communicating Effectively with your Council 9:00am - 10:30am ICMA Practice Areas: 2, 8, 14, 17 All of us strive to enhance positive working relationships with our councils. Working towards successful council- staff communication is critical during these changing times. Some of the topics to be explored in this session include: communicating with council; coaching new council members, developing council strategic Initiatives; as well as guiding and informing council in the budget process. ICMA 2012 Update 10:45am - 11:50am As the cities, towns and counties in Arizona gear up to host the 98th Annual ICMA Conference from October 7-10, 2012, this session will provide members an update on plans for the conference, as well as information on how they may become involved in conference planning activities. Annual Business Meeting and Lunch 12:00pm - 1:15pm Nonfatal Attraction - Bringing Businesses to Arizona 1:30pm - 3:00pm ICMA Practice Areas: 3, 6, 13 This session will focus on strategies for recruiting and attracting new businesses to Arizona. An economic development professional will speak to us regarding recruitment from California. A local economic development director will discuss how their city has succeeded in recruiting firms to their city, and will have a major firm's site selector discuss why they chose to move to Arizona. Each presenter will also address the changing climate of economic development in Arizona, particularly in relation to how the changes at the Arizona Commerce Authority affect the way cities do economic development work. Ask the Experts Part IV: Crisis Management 3:15pm - 5:00pm ICMA Practice Areas: 1, 3, 4, 16 Crisis, emergency and disaster: these words make you think, "What would we do?" We will be talking to some of our experts about how to manage our cities, towns, and counties during a crisis. This will be a facilitated dialogue that provides an opportunity to ask questions and share your own experiences. Reception 6:00pm - 7:00pm Dinner and Recognition Banquet 7:00pm - 9:00pm

The beginning middle

My name is Emma and I moved to Arizona from Washington DC in August. The heat and details of the move took up a good deal of mental space for a while but now that im settled and into my second semester and second season i can reflect on my workplace.

I work, along with two others, as a management intern or fellow at the Alliance for Innovation. The Alliance is a think tank of sorts connecting "progressive governments and partners committed to transforming local government by accelerating the development and dissemination of innovations."

The group is based in downtown Phoenix and seeks to find and disseminate  innovative practices in local government. Their mission includes "promoting excellence in local government and build a community of practice in local government innovation."

I am looking forward to this next semester and the work ill be doing with the Alliance. The office is small and "nimble" and an excellent opportunity for researching best practices in local government and familiarizing myself with what is happening not just locally in Arizona but across the country.