On May 1st, a new organization came to life called the American Association of Municipal Executives. The idea was generated about eighteen months ago by Joe Turner who was then a city manager in South Hutchinson, Kansas. The idea was to create an organization that could provide more advocacy for the city managers’ profession as well as personal development for city managers.

He began the path by starting a LinkedIn page, which morphed into a very popular podcast called City Manager Unfiltered, described as “a podcast by city managers for city managers.”

Currently the organization is being developed by Turner and Micah Gaudet, deputy city manager with the city of Maricopa, Arizona. “Right now,” says Gaudet, “we are recruiting members. And those who sign up between now and the end of June will be founding members who can help fill out the details of what does it means to build a community and what kind of personal professional development will be most helpful.”

As Turner wrote on the podcast website, “Over the last 18 months I have highlighted the plight of city managers and other public sector executives. . .I have talked about the pervasive sense of loneliness and isolation that is oftentimes overwhelming. I have lamented the lack of advocacy for managers who watch helplessly as the reputation and career they have spent decades building is sullied and damaged. . . 

“Well -- public sector executives deserve to have an organization that will advocate on their behalf, take proactive steps to protect their reputations and careers, and fight for better compensation and benefits in a profession that has become extremely volatile, risky, and hyper scrutinized.”

To become a founding member (note there are membership fees) click here.

#CityManagers #AmericanAssociationofMunicipalExecutives #CityManagerUnfiltered #MicahGaudet #JoeTurner #CityManagerAdvocacy #B&GWeeklySelection