The Clear Voice

In this episode of The Clear Voice, we highlight the Chief of Police opportunity in Pampa, Texas. Host and recruiter James Groom visits with City Manager Shane Stokes and Assistant City Manager Dustin Miller about the community, the police department, the city’s leadership culture, and the type of servant leader Pampa is seeking for its next Chief of Police. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to the Pam...

Denison, Texas is searching for its next City Manager, and this PositionCast™ gives candidates a closer look at the community, council, staff, and leadership environment behind the opportunity. In this episode of The Clear Voice, host James Groom is joined by Mayor Robert Crawley and Clear Career Professionals President Michael Boese to discuss Denison’s historic character, award-winning downtown,...

In this episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom sits down with Matt Wright, Human Resources Director for the City of Buda, Texas, to talk about employee retention, organizational culture, and the human side of public service. Matt brings a unique perspective to the conversation after transitioning from a long career with the Austin Police Department into municipal HR. The discussion explores why g...

In this episode of The Clear Voice, guests Debbie Munoz, Executive Director of the Texas Municipal Retirement System, Dan Wattles, former TMRS Director of Governmental Relations, and Michael Boese, President of Clear Career Professionals, join host James Groom to discuss an important executive leadership opportunity with TMRS. TMRS is recruiting for its next Director of Governmental Relations, a r...

La Marque, Texas is looking for its next City Manager. In this PositionCast™, Mayor Keith Bell joins The Clear Voice host James Groom and Clear Career Professionals recruiters Brad Stafford and James Hopper to discuss the opportunity, the community, the council’s priorities, and the leadership qualities needed for La Marque’s next chapter. Known as the Gateway to the Gulf, La Marque sits along the...

In Part 2 of our conversation with Jim Devlin, we pick up with his transition from Police Chief to Assistant City Manager and what that move has taught him about leadership, succession planning, relationships, and service beyond the badge. Jim talks about the natural progression from leading a department to helping lead an organization, the importance of collaboration across city departments, and...

In this episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom and Michael Boese sit down with Bryan Lockerby to discuss leadership, law enforcement, city management, organizational assessments, and the lessons learned from more than four decades of public service. Bryan shares perspective from his career in Montana law enforcement, including leading the state’s Division of Criminal Investigation, working with r...

In this episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom is joined by Joseph Lujan, author of Reflective Resonance, A Quiet Spark Approach to Authentic Leadership, and creator of the CAMP OUT Method. Joseph shares his perspective on authentic leadership, generational change in the workplace, employee motivation, and the importance of leaders staying consistent, self aware, and emotionally present. The conv...

Mayor Alejandro Flores from Los Fresnos, Texas joins The Clear Voice for a PositionCast™ focused on the City Manager opportunity there. Los Fresnos is a growing South Texas community with strong local identity, respected schools, regional access, and major opportunities ahead. In this episode, Mayor Flores discusses his connection to the community, the City Council’s priorities, the organization,...

Jim Devlin joins James Groom for Part 1 of a 2 part conversation on leadership, accountability, culture, and the move from Police Chief to City Hall. Jim serves as Assistant City Manager for the City of Hewitt, Texas, after nearly three decades in law enforcement, including more than a decade as Chief of Police. In this episode, he discusses dynamic leadership, correcting people without tearing th...

The City of Caldwell, Texas is searching for its next City Administrator, and this PositionCast™ episode gives candidates a deeper look at the community, the organization, and the leadership expectations behind the role. James Groom, Host of The Clear Voice and Retired Chief of Police, is joined by Brad Stafford of Clear Career Professionals, outgoing Mayor Janice Easter, and incoming Mayor John R...

In this PositionCast™ episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom and Michael Boese talk with Debbie Munoz, Executive Director of the Texas Municipal Retirement System, about the Human Resources Director opportunity at TMRS. Debbie explains TMRS’ mission to provide secure lifetime income to members across 946 participating Texas cities, the organization’s statewide impact, and the culture that makes T...

Katie Hagen, CEO of CPS HR Consulting, joins Host of The Clear Voice James Groom and Clear Career Professionals President Michael Boese for a conversation about public sector HR, workforce challenges, organizational change, and the future of public service. Katie brings decades of public sector leadership experience, including senior roles in California state government, where she worked in HR, ci...

The City of Victoria, Texas is recruiting its next Deputy City Manager, and this PositionCast™ episode gives candidates a closer look at the opportunity, the organization, and the leadership environment. James Groom, Host of The Clear Voice, is joined by Kelly Kuenstler, retired city manager and recruiter for this position, and Jesús Garza, City Manager for the City of Victoria. Together, they dis...

In this episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom and Michael Boese talk with Darren Mann, leadership coach, speaker, and author of Rise Above Routine. Darren shares lessons from his project management career, early leadership failures, and transition into coaching. The conversation covers daily leadership habits, asking for help, mentoring, building support systems, servant leadership, failure frie...

In this episode of The Clear Voice, host James Groom sits down with Sam Toles, founder of CiviSocial, to discuss why local government social media is failing and how agencies can rebuild trust through modern communication strategies. With experience in both public office and digital media leadership, Sam explains why traditional approaches like polished graphics and static posts no longer resonate...

When a school district prepares for a bond election, they aren't just asking for funding; they are asking for community trust. In an era of strict legislative oversight, accidental planning can sink a project before it starts. Host James Groom and co-host James Hopper (retired superintendent) sit down with Derek Bird (Director of Operations, Central Texas for AG|CM ) and Jason Burdine (Texas educa...

Odessa, Texas is hiring two Assistant City Attorneys, and this PositionCast™ episode of The Clear Voice takes you inside the opportunity. Host James Groom is joined by recruiter Kelly Kuenstler, Odessa City Manager Aaron Smith, and City Attorney James Parker to walk through the structure, expectations, and day to day reality of these roles inside a large and growing West Texas organization. Odessa...

Certainly a lot to unpack as we feature three amazing opportunities from Ruidoso, New Mexico. Ruidoso is entering a defining moment. In this PositionCast™ episode of The Clear Voice, Mayor Lynn Crawford and City Manager Ron Sena join recruiter Kelly Kuenstler and Host James Groom to outline three critical leadership roles that will help shape the future of the Village of Ruidoso. This is more than...

Episode Summary What does it take to develop strong leaders in local government, and why do so many high performers struggle when they move into leadership roles? In this episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom, Clear Vice President and Host of The Clear Voice, is joined by Michael Boese, President of Clear Career Professionals, for a conversation with LaShon Ross, Deputy City Manager for the City...

In this episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom is joined by Chief Carrie Ellis, a law enforcement leader with more than three decades of experience and the author of Ma’am In Command. Chief Ellis currently serves as the Chief of Police at Central Texas College and was recently sworn in as President of the Texas Police Chiefs Association, becoming only the second woman to hold that position in rou...

In Episode #52 of The Clear Voice, Marty Schmitt, President and CEO of AGCM, and Kendra Hickman, Director of Operations for AGCM South Texas, join the show to discuss what it actually takes to deliver successful public sector projects. They are joined by Michael Boese, President of Clear Career Professionals, and James Groom, Host of The Clear Voice. From city facilities and infrastructure to scho...

Marshall, TX City Manager Recruitment | PositionCast™ Marshall, Texas is at a pivotal moment. In this PositionCast™ episode of The Clear Voice, Mayor Amy Ware joins Clear Career Professionals Vice President and recruiter and Retired City Manager Brad Stafford along with Host, James Groom, to provide a detailed look at the City Manager opportunity in Marshall. This conversation goes beyond the job...

Lufkin, Texas is Seeking a Director of Engineering! The City of Lufkin, Texas is at a pivotal moment, focused on steady, intentional growth and delivering tangible improvements that residents can see and experience every day. In this PositionCast™, Host of The Clear Voice and Retired Police Chief James Groom is joined by Retired City Manager and President of Clear Career Professionals, Michael Boe...

In this episode of The Clear Voice, we sit down with Andrew Weber, a Texas attorney and public policy leader focused on groundwater, water governance, and aquifer sustainability. Andrew is a partner at Kelly Hart and Hallman, where he leads the Austin office and chairs the firm’s Public Law practice, working at the intersection of law, policy, and government relations before the Texas Legislature...