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Hello to all from sunny Arizona. It’s been a long time since we have checked in, so there is much to share. In the last year the Arizona Society of Certified Public Managers® (ASCPM) has undergone a great deal of soul searching and regrouping. We are proud to say we have come through a tough time with a bright outlook for the future and a reinvigorated core. Last year we updated our strategic plan with a new three-year plan containing goals and objectives that our membership helped to assess and approve. This included creating a new Vision -- “To be the preferred professional organization for public sector managers” -- and a newly stated Mission – “To provide a forum for our membership to enhance their management and leadership skills through education and networking opportunities to effect excellence in public service.” That’s a tall order, but we are doing our best to fulfill it! After an absence of over a year, we reinitiated our quarterly membership luncheon meetings last fall and have kept on course with a great meeting in March. Our guest, George Pettit, manager of Gilbert, AZ, spent his lunch with us discussing the challenges faced in today’s economy by municipal leaders. George offered high praise to CPM graduates as staff who understand the challenges and what is necessary to weather the storm at a higher level than staff who have not obtained the higher level of training. Our turnout was small, but what a fantastic opportunity to essentially hold a round table discussion with the manager of a community of over 200,000 people in an intimate, no-holds-barred setting! In spite of dues going up, ASCPM has been fortunate to increase membership over 10 percent to more than 90 this year. We attribute this to expanding our level of communication with our members and to providing them opportunities to actively participate in our Society’s planning, goal setting, and governance. As we move forward, we are working to develop a sustainable annual conference, implement an annual awards program, create a membership pin, and identify ways of giving back to our organizations and communities. To all of our friends and peers who are hit hard by this economy, we offer you our most heartfelt support and wishes for a speedy recovery. Arizona is suffering badly, too, so we understand your pain. Our state faces a billion dollar shortfall and looks to recover some by withholding shared revenues from the municipalities, which only worsens the tens to hundreds of millions of dollars our cities and towns are in the hole. Programs and staff are being cut daily and our universities have raised tuition by over 30 percent this year alone, making the dream of a better future harder to reach for our next generation. Now new pressures, like the swine flu pandemic, further burden us all. But we all know that this, too, shall pass, and we look forward to a brighter future for us all. See you soon in Orlando! |
Arizona Society of Certified Public Managers
© Copyright 2009, American Association of Certified Public Managers®
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