Craig’s Corner September 2021

Member Support – We Need You!

As I write this month’s column, many of us are watching the weather, waiting to see what impacts we may receive from Hurricane Ida in a few days.  We are also thinking about our colleagues in Louisiana, Mississippi, and other states in the southeast, and looking for opportunities to assist them if needed.

One of the attributes that I value most about our association is our willingness to reach out in support of each other in times of crisis or community need.  Our membership is very diverse, with great experience among our ranks; there’s not an issue out there that one (or more) of our members hasn’t had to deal with in his or her career!

As we focus on making time to “reconnect, refresh, and recharge” this year, one area that we need to strengthen is our membership support efforts.  We have a membership support committee outlined in our bylaws, and we have several members who serve our organization as member support coordinators.  However, we need to strengthen our support and outreach to our members, and we need additional volunteers to serve as support coordinators in several of our regions.  Would you be willing to be a part of this effort?

We also need to be sure that we are reaching out to new colleagues in our profession, and sharing a warm VLGMA welcome with them when they become a CAO or an assistant.  Many new managers and administrators are entering local government from non-traditional routes, and we should be sharing with them what a great resource they have with a VLGMA membership.  If you are interested in taking a more active role in our membership support efforts, please reach out to me, Molly Harlow, or any VLGMA officer to let them know.  In the days ahead, I’ll be working with our executive committee to reconstitute our Membership Support Committee, and also working with our leadership to fill the vacant support coordinator positions.  We need YOU to help us with this effort!

Please join me in welcoming our new members for August – Zak Bradley, Public Works Director, City of Falls Church; Kurt Hildebrand, Assistant County Administrator for Operations, County of Orange; Brad Rinehimer, Assistant County Administrator, County of James City; Matt Settlemyer, City Manager, City of Galax and Michael Smith, Deputy County Administrator, County of Stafford.

As we head into the fall season, I hope you find time to enjoy the crisper air, cooler days, and that you have a favorite college or pro football team to cheer for!  Thank you for your service, and for your support of our organization and its members –

All the best,

Craig