The President's Corner

From October 28-30, 2015, our members will gather forMMASC’s Annual Conference at the Renaissance Indian Wells Resort. The Annual Conference is the highlight of our signature events. I am looking forward to this year’s theme, Elevate. The Conference Planning committee has worked tirelessly to put together an excellent program that will be sure to provide attendees with professional and personal learning opportunities, and a great way to connect with colleagues.

On that note, our Summer Session, held at Cal State Fullerton, continued our three year tradition of selling out events. The event was a success and was very well received by all. A big thank you to the Summer Session Committee to pulling everything together.

More than at any other time in recent history, public employees are tasked with providing top tier service, becoming subject matter experts, overseeing complex projects, and all the while balancing life and work. What many of our colleagues are experiencing is as set of questions we know too well: When and where do I start? How do I provide the same, if not better, service and make sure I don’t let things fall by the wayside? These questions are not unique and you are not alone.

As I have navigated through my own professional journey, I have faced these issues and turned to my toolbox to seek answers and sometimes found myself with more questions. Working in the City Manager’s Office, I have my normal tasks and projects that I oversee, and at any moment it all gets pushed aside when I am asked to put out a fire or help a team member cross the finish line. This means stopping everything, diverting my energy, ?and somehow remembering where I left off with my projects. This is where I have utilized various skills, tips, and tricks and advice from mentors and training events to create my professional management toolbox.

The President's Corner - February 2015 Edition
By Jorge Garcia, MMASC President

MMASC has enjoyed a long tradition of excellence in Developing People and Developing Communities. As President, it is my pleasure to serve the over 550 members of MMASC in continuing this tradition. This year the MMASC Board of Directors is proud to bring back the quarterly newsletter which provides additional value to its members and sponsors.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the entire 2014/15 Board of Directors for being elected and volunteering their time to our noble profession. To this effect, I would also like to thank all of the municipal and county agencies that support the continued participation in professional development of their staff.

This year we have three exciting signature events, the first is the MMASC Winter Forum on March 5, 2015 at the Ontario Convention Center.