Welcome. As The Public Manager’s new editor, I figured I should introduce myself. I wish I had a cute song and a guitar melody to offer. But I don’t.
Frankly, the Public Manager isn’t about me – a fortysomething journalist turned entrepreneur and working Mom - though we share an interest in good government. The Public Manager is about you – public sector leaders of today and tomorrow.
The Public Manager is focused on “Leadership That Works” because we are committed to being more than your educational quarterly. We want to enable you to develop a proud, professional community. We want to give you tools to leverage resources, multiply your leadership capacity and innovate. When you have a free minute, or need a break, we invite you to hang out with us on GovLoop.com/GovLearning.
You know as well as we do that the workplace is continuously changing. And we will continue to consider management challenges involving people, budgets and learning. But we know increasingly as technology keeps us mobile, work won’t always center on a place, it centers around a cause or goal – that thing you do to make a difference.
Many years ago I learned as an undergrad at Yale that public servants are actually great leaders, and public service was one of the nation’s highest callings. Though I’m a pragmatist, I’m also a believer in the Yale School of Management mantra: “Good management can and should promote the greater good.“
I began my career at the Brookings Institution focused on managing public health concerns, but mostly I’ve been in media. The CQ Weekly, one of my first Washington employers, reported I and this publication are “On the Move” circulating “ways federal government professionals can better do their jobs.”
Sometimes we learn from state and local managers as I did when I
joined the American Society for Public Administration’s annual conference in
Baltimore. There seasoned executives and students shared ideas about measuring and achieving success, about overcoming
hurdles present in government and the private sector and about leading rather
than merely complying.
Administration. So Alan Balutis and I have convened those folks to give you a forum this summer.
In addition to frequenting key meetings, The Public Manager
promises to spotlight what’s happening in the field. In honor of my old boss, David Broder, whose
Press Club tribute I just attended, I want the federal system to be informed by
the great ideas bubbling up from the states and its energetic voters.
As a former TV producer, I may play a little with our podcasts as well. Stay tuned on iTunes if not right here. We will talk about how laws are implemented, partnerships leveraged, citizens engaged, and talent rewarded around the nation.
Let us know what you think.
