The Golden Nugget February 2025
One of the things I’ve always told my daughters is not to run away from something just because it gets hard. I seem to be saying it to them more and more these days as they navigate the challenges of being young adults and figuring out their path in life. I’ve noticed that I’ve also been saying it a lot to myself, particularly in my role as a Town Manager. There are so many facets of this job that are challenging—dealing with and managing staff, keeping open good lines of communication with electeds and managing their expectations, responding to citizen concerns, and the ever-present and seemingly-much-larger-these-days challenge of managing perceptions. Everyone’s perceptions. These “swirling winds” of local government management can be overwhelming and make it easy to forget the good we do, and why we’re doing it. When there is a struggle at every turn, it’s easy to begin questioning “is this really worth it?”.
We talk a lot about self-care to give us the resilience we need to keep going—getting enough sleep, exercising, eating well, focusing on family, visiting with friends, reaching out to colleagues and mentors, touching grass, etc. Sometimes, though, these things may not be enough. Sometimes, the best option might be to make a more significant change—to walk away, becausesticking it out is no longer effective or healthy (this is true for any relationship, professional or otherwise). But how do you know when it’s time to go, and move on to something else?
Some people have no problem with this question—their internal compass and personal convictions make it easy to answer. For those of us who are less certain, however, there are many tips, tricks and methods for evaluating where you are as a local government manager and whether it might be time to “move along”. Taking stock of where you are on all levels—mentally, emotionally, physically, financially—and asking yourself some candid questions about your current situation is a place to start:
• Are you happy? Is your family happy?
• Do you have the energy to keep going where you are?
• Is there support for you to stay?
• If you need to make changes to how you approach the challenges you face in order to make improvements, are you able to navigate those changes?
• Will your departure help or hurt your organization?
• Does the idea of moving on give you a renewed sense of purpose and improve your outlook?
• Is there another opportunity available to you that is more in line with your passion or interest?
Your candid answers to these questions will hopefully help you clarify what you need to do next. And it’s really important to remember that if you decide to make a change, you’re not running away from, but toward, something, and hopefully it’s something better. A reset, a new perspective, a shifting of priorities, and letting go of what you’re leaving behind. Change is hard, but it can also be good. It’s a leap of faith, but one worth taking.
I recently navigated this thought process for myself, and after serving my hometown as its manager for the last 10 years, decided it was time to move on. I’ve resigned my position as Town Manager for Gordonsville, effective the end of March, and am excited that I am taking a position with the Town of Orange as their Director of Community Development, starting April 1st. Community Development has always been my interest and is where I got my start in local government; I’m looking forward to getting back to it.
Speaking of community development, the VLGMA Winter Conference is upon us, and this year’s theme, Full Steam Ahead, will offer a broad spectrum of topics such as innovative zoning, affordable housing, community engagement, the role of artificial intelligence, and many other timely and thought-provoking topics to help inform and inspire us in local government to continue full steam ahead as we serve our communities. Charlottesville – February 19-21. I hope to see you there.
Until next time,
Debbie
Welcome to our new members:
Steven Carter, City Manager, City of Portsmouth
Angela Clem, Director of Human Resources, City of Harrisonburg