Hey, I want to be you someday!

Seeing as how I am not placed in my internship anymore, I can't exactly do a winning interview. However, it only took a few days of observing Jim Thompson's office to know that I would really enjoy a career in city management. 

My first introduction to Jim, I won't even try to deny that I was incredibly nervous afterwards about my ability to do anything in a city manager role. Not because he's an intimidating, mean man. Rather, he's brilliant and I wasn't sure I had what it takes. My first time meeting him I was observing a budget meeting and he knew specific numbers that weren't on the print out in front of him. And I mean, to the dollar, in big budgets. He is so knowledgable and has so much experience that he is spectacular at his job. 

Jim Thompson is city manager of Casa Grande, Arizona. He has worked for various cities in Washington, Colorado and Arizona in his career. He received his bachelors from Indiana in the realm of finance and business. He has his masters, as well as his PhD which he received for organizational behavior. He is responsible for overseeing the operations of the City of Casa Grande and is the liaison between the council and Mayor and the cities departments. He works with the financial department to create an operational budget for each of the departments, oversee's the requests of the city needs and works for the citizens and the staff. His job isn't easily wrapped up into a nice, neat job description. His task is to take the resources available to the city and extend them to make Casa Grande the best version of itself. He has been with Casa Grande for a number of years and has a good relationship with the council and staff. 

Like I said previously, I was at first intimidated and briefly thought I would not be able to do the job of a city manager. But there were a few things he said after the budget meeting that quickly brushed away the fear. He stated, in so many words, that the job of the city manager isn't to always be the nice guy. It's to be the person who sometimes says no, but know that you are doing it because you have to. You won't always be favored for your decisions because everyone feels that their department needs something more importantly than another, you can't always give everyone everything. Instead, know your numbers, know what your city needs and work with that in mind. Say no, but work with them to give them everything they need to succeed. When they succeed, so do you.

I don't need to have a photographic memory to be a city manager, I have different skills that will benefit me and any agency I work for. But I do have to have the drive and the service state of mind. If I retain that, I can do well with whatever I decide to do.