The FCCMA Podcast

Treasa Brown-Stubbs, City Manager of Lauderdale Lakes, reflects on her 20-year career with the city, starting as a part-time employee at an Alzheimer’s center before climbing the ranks to her current role. Treasa discusses the challenges of working in a high-poverty area and the importance of resourcefulness, leveraging state, federal, and private grants to create opportunities for the city. She a...

Erica Dhawan grew up as a shy, introverted girl in Pennsylvania, speaking Hindi at home. In this episode, she discusses “digital body language,” the new form of non-verbal communication in our digital world, which still makes up 70% of how we interact. Erica explains that body language has transformed into cues and signals in digital communications. In her book, she dives into these modern signals...

Ryan Leavengood, the City Manager of Lake Alfred in Polk County, shares his philosophy on public service: success is often measured by invisibility. With a population of around 7,100, Ryan believes that a smooth-running government is one where everything operates behind the scenes, and the public rarely notices because things are going well. He stresses the importance of focusing on core services...

Mike Crow, the Assistant General Manager for Power Delivery for City of Tallahassee Utilities, shares an in-depth account of the recovery efforts following three tornadoes that hit Tallahassee on May 10 and left 80,000 customers without power. Mike discusses the detailed storm plan that guided their response, including the rapid mobilization of 433 additional workers, boosting their workforce to o...

Steve Langley, the Electric Utility Director for Mount Dora, joins us to highlight the importance of mutual aid in disaster recovery. Following the catastrophic tornadoes in Tallahassee on May 10, utilities across the state rallied to support the capital in a coordinated effort led by FMEA. Steve delves into the mutual aid agreement facilitated by the American Public Power Association, which enabl...

In this episode, we talk with Amy Zubaly, the Executive Director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA), who has been with the organization for 25 years and in her current role since 2017. Amy shares insights into FMEA's pivotal role in supporting Florida’s 33 city-owned utilities, particularly during hurricanes and emergencies. As the 2024 hurricane season looms with a dire forecast...

In Episode #144, we meet William Whitson, a seasoned public service professional with a resume that includes a decade in Washington, DC, and frontline experience in nine hurricane recoveries. His pragmatic approach to emergency preparedness, honed by experiences ranging from Hurricanes Erin and Opal to the devastations of Katrina and Harvey, provides a master class for city managers. William's cru...

In this episode, Tim Bolduc, the first City Manager of Crestview, discusses the importance of honesty and transparency in leadership. Tim shares his experiences in transitioning Crestview from a strong mayor-council form of government to a city manager form, explaining the benefits of this governance model. He highlights the challenges and growth Crestview has experienced under his leadership, inc...

Suzanne Sherman, the City Manager of Palm Bay, discusses the complexities of ethical decision-making in local government. As Palm Bay has rapidly grown to nearly 100 square miles with a population increase from 20,000 to 140,000 in just 20 years, Suzanne has focused on restoring public trust following past ethics violations and investigations. She emphasizes the importance of continuous ethics tra...

Jonathan H. Hayes, formerly the logistics and public works director for Panama City, shares his experiences in managing the city's growth and recovery, particularly following the devastating impact of Hurricane Michael in 2018. He talks about the expansion of the Panama City airport and the broader development in the Florida Panhandle, emphasizing the importance of resilience in public service...

In this episode, Richard Florida, the keynote speaker at the 2024 Florida League of Cities Annual Conference, discusses the transformative shift from a physical economy to a creative economy, emphasizing the increasing importance of communities in this new era. He introduces the concept of the “meta-city” and explores its unique impact on Florida. Richard highlights the accessibility of smaller co...

In this episode, Steve sits down with John Curp, the City Manager of Largo in Pinellas County. Largo, a vibrant city with a population of 85,000, is nestled in the densest county in Florida. In Largo, John is pioneering efforts to enhance community livability and walkability. He discusses a partnership with local bars and restaurants to establish an entertainment district with open container allow...

Ken Parker, a longtime FCCMA Senior Advisor who has been retired for 10 years, joins us for a live interview at the FCCMA 2024 Annual Conference. Ken moved from Arkansas to Port Orange in Volusia County and discusses his experience in buying 10,000 acres for Port Orange to support the municipality’s growth. Additionally, Ken shares the unique experience of having an alien eradication specialist on...

Olivia Minshew has been the City Manager of Wauchula since 2023 and has been with the City for nearly 20 years. In this episode, Olivia discusses the City’s process of moving to direct deposit and the significant time savings it ultimately brought to her employees. She outlines the change steps involved, which included awareness, preparation, and communication. Olivia also talks about breaking dow...

Jorge Gonzalez, Village Manager of Bal Harbour in Miami-Dade County, shares his experiences managing one of the most successful malls in the world. Jorge believes that being a city manager requires courage, confidence, and conviction – the three Cs. He talks about the challenging positions he has encountered in his career and the importance of adhering to an ethical code.

Stephen M.R. Covey, general session speaker at the 2024 FCCMA Annual Conference, draws from his father Stephen R. Covey’s legacy, author of “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” Stephen discusses the significant changes in the world and how leadership styles must evolve accordingly. He emphasizes that people prefer to be led and trusted rather than managed. He highlights the importance of bui...

Jeff Civillico, a keynote speaker at the 2024 FCCMA Annual Conference, shares his journey from being a 7-year-old volunteer in a street performance to becoming a performer and producer with his own show in Las Vegas for 10 years, ending in 2020. Jeff encourages listeners to reflect on the people who have influenced them and how they, in turn, can influence others. He emphasizes the impact one can...

Crystal Washington works with clients to help them identify potential futures and prepare for them. In this episode, she discusses dealing with current problems while making time for future planning, such as scheduling time to be curious. She emphasizes the importance of horizon scanning, looking for small signals amid the noise, and distinguishing trends. Crystal recommends the book “Factfulness,...

Mark Zeigler, a long-term professor at Florida State University, delivered a keynote address at the 2024 FCCMA Annual Conference. In his speech, Mark discussed the importance of general communication principles, the current state of society, and our individual roles within our communities. He emphasized conflict resolution, transparency, empathy, and handling challenges and criticisms as city lead...

Today we re-visit Director Guthrie who speaks directly to city and county management with the end goal of saving lives and recovering tens of millions of dollars through FDEM and FEMA.

Mike Crow, the Assistant General Manager for Power Delivery for City of Tallahassee Utilities, shares an in-depth account of the recovery efforts following three tornadoes that hit Tallahassee on May 10 and left 80,000 customers without power. Mike discusses the detailed storm plan that guided their response, including the rapid mobilization of 433 additional workers, boosting their workforce to o...

Steve Langley, the Electric Utility Director for Mount Dora, joins us to highlight the importance of mutual aid in disaster recovery. Following the catastrophic tornadoes in Tallahassee on May 10, utilities across the state rallied to support the capital in a coordinated effort led by FMEA. Steve delves into the mutual aid agreement facilitated by the American Public Power Association, which enabl...

In this episode, we talk with Amy Zubaly, the Executive Director of the Florida Municipal Electric Association (FMEA), who has been with the organization for 25 years and in her current role since 2017. Amy shares insights into FMEA's pivotal role in supporting Florida’s 33 city-owned utilities, particularly during hurricanes and emergencies. As the 2024 hurricane season looms with a dire fore...

In Episode #144, we meet William Whitson, a seasoned public service professional with a resume that includes a decade in Washington, DC, and frontline experience in nine hurricane recoveries. His pragmatic approach to emergency preparedness, honed by experiences ranging from Hurricanes Erin and Opal to the devastations of Katrina and Harvey, provides a master class for city managers. William's...

Craig Hunter, with decades of experience and now retired, reflects on his career in Episode #144. He revisits his initial forays into writing zoning codes and integrating them with planning documents. A conversation with Steve reveals Craig's philosophy that crises present opportunities. Through his career, Craig has observed how challenges can serve as catalysts for innovation and progress wi...