How long have you been a FCCMA member? 9 years.
Are you an ICMA member and if so, how long? Yes, 9 years.
Please describe your areas of formal/advanced education. I received my BA in Political Science from the University of Florida in 1999 and went on to receive my MPA from the University of South Florida in 2001. I also completed the Senior Executive Institute at UVA in 2009 as part of Leadership ICMA.
What got you interested in public service? Growing up in a City/County Manager household was the main driver, though I didn’t know it until just before my graduation from the University of Florida. I had taken a public administration class my last year and discovered two things. First, nobody in the class knew anything at all about local government, especially the role of the city manager. They had federal and state government down pretty well, but local government was completely foreign to them. Second, I understood that I understood local government very well, and moreover it matched up with the moral’s that I learned growing up in a family of public servants (Dad was a manager and Mom was a teacher).
What is your current occupation? Town Manager of Belleair, FL.
Please give a brief job description. I am the Town Manager of Belleair, FL, which is a town of about 4,000 in west central Pinellas County. Services include Police, Recreation, Water Distribution and Generation, Solid Waste Collection, Building Services, Public Works, and then general administrative areas such as IT, HR, Finance, and the Clerk’s department. The town has 70 employees and is around 2 square miles, much of which is golf course.
Please describe your typical day. I don’t really have a typical day. As a manager of a small community, I get a taste of just about everything. I try and take a drive through town in the morning and in the evening to plan, look at issues or potential issues, and get a feel for where we are on our projects. I try to tackle the overnight e-mail and voicemail after that and the rest of the day’s e-mail and calls as they come. The rest of the day is incredibly varied. I find that my favorite part of the day is my 40-minute commute to and from work. I do a lot of my strategic thinking at that point and it allows for a transition between work and home life, at least as much as one can!
What is your favorite part of the job? I like knowing that the things I do are having a positive impact on the community, and knowing that when I am gone, I am leaving behind the community a better place than when I arrived.
What is your least favorite part of the job? When I know something is the right thing to do, and I am precluded from doing it because of the local, state and federal rules or laws. Maybe what I hate even more is having to execute what I deem as bad policy. Especially when that execution requires elimination of needed services and layoffs.
What is your most memorable experience on the job? 2006/2007 layoff’s due to the economy and amendment one. Would be nice if I had a more positive most memorable experience, but I’m trying to be honest. That was tough.
What are hobbies/interests? Work, sort of. Not the kind you get paid for though. I like house maintenance, cooking dinner, taking care of my chickens (Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup), working in the yard, and lately I have been learning to fix up a 1993 ford f150. The truck is probably my current favorite hobby, though my wife absolutely hates it! All of it is work, but it’s a different kind of work, and I honestly enjoy doing it. Everything but the chicken coop cleaning at least.
If you could give one piece of advice to young people interested in a career in public service, what would it be? Knowledge and expertise are wonderful, important things. But I think understanding your own core beliefs is as important if not more important. At some point in your career you will not agree with a law, a decision of the elected officials, or a mandate from the courts or higher levels of government. You need to be prepared for those situations and understand how to handle them. I have not agreed with every decision made in my time as manager, but belief in our system of government means respecting those decisions as long as they are not illegal or unethical. If you believe the decision to be immoral, than you have a decision of your own to make. This career is more personal than most, and if your beliefs don’t match up, you are going to have a tough time. Also, take the time to understand as many perspectives on issues as possible. If you’re going to hear them you might as well be ready for them.
Who were your mentors and how have you passed this information down to other young public administrators? My dad, Bill Horne, and fairly recently Bobby Green. I worked for Bill in Clearwater prior to my time in Belleair, and it was a great opportunity to see someone in action who is there to do the right thing. And additionally to get an understanding of why the right thing is not always what you think it is. Bobby and I have gotten to know each other over the last few years, and he has been a great person to talk to about the profession and his experiences. And dad is just dad.
Have you always been in the public sector or have you had experience in the private sector? Always the public sector.
What career would you pick if you were to pick another? Chef at a fine dining restaurant.
