Sharing Wisdom Through Partnerships

Although many professional events shifted from in-person to virtual formats this fall, the Authority still reinforced partnerships with and presented risk management best practices to elected officials and municipal staff at the California Contract Cities Association’s Virtual Fall Educational Summit, the League of California Cities’ Annual Conference & Expo, and the Municipal Management Association of Southern California’s Virtual Annual Conference.

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The trio of speaking engagements began when Workers’ Compensation Program Manager Jeff Rush and Senior Risk Manager Maria Galvan presented at the California Contract Cities Association’s (CCCA) Virtual Fall Educational Summit on September 17. The Authority supports the CCCA’s efforts to strengthen local control and governance as a Platinum Sponsor. Rush and Galvan’s session, “Employer Risk Management in the COVID-19 Era,” covered how the pandemic has impacted cities—especially because many city workers are also essential workers—as well as what employers must do to keep their facilities safe and not run afoul of employment or safety concerns.

Next, the Authority, a proud Platinum Partner of the League of California Cities since 2016, hosted a booth and presented a session during the League’s Virtual Annual Conference & Expo, October 7-9. Lakewood City Manager Thaddeus McCormack, chair of the Authority’s Managers Committee, as well as former South Gate City Manager Michael Flad, Bell Mayor Ali Saleh, and Bell City Attorney Dave Aleshire, presented on the topic of “Ten Years After the Bell Scandal: Are We More Ethical?”. The panel addressed how, ten years after revelations of corruption, the City of Bell has progressed toward restoring sound ethics and restoring its reputation. Content focused on real life experience with ethical lapses, the heavy lifting involved with overcoming incidents of abuse of public trust, and ethical dilemmas when leaders are forced to choose between competing values and maintain the public’s trust in the process.

The Authority, also a proud Platinum Partner of the Municipal Management Association of Southern California (MMASC), concluded its series of presentations with a panel at the MMASC Virtual Annual Conference on October 27. During the session, “Risk Management 101 for Future City Managers,” Tripepi Smith President Ryder Todd Smith led a discussion among California JPIA Chief Financial Officer Alex Smith, Tripepi Smith Director Mike Egan, and Indian Wells Deputy City Manager Peter Castro about why risk management is important and how to reduce liability exposure.

“It was a great session,” said Arabo Parseghian, division manager for the City of La Cañada Flintridge. “The role of risk management is not to be the group that says ‘no’ to new and innovative ideas under the umbrella of eliminating risk. It is to work with other staff to make projects happen by creating plans to mitigate risk so that the project can come to fruition.”

Also during the MMASC Virtual Annual Conference, Chief Executive Officer Jon Shull had the opportunity to introduce keynote speaker Lawrence Greenspun, director of public sector engagement at Claremont Graduate University’s Drucker Institute. Greenspun discussed planned abandonment—the practice of identifying and abandoning old and unrewarding practices, programs, and services—as a path to innovation.

“The California JPIA is proud to provide learning opportunities for municipal managers and elected officials at all levels,” said Shull. “By supporting organizations including the California Contract Cities Association, League of California Cities, and Municipal Management Association of Southern California, the Authority is investing in the education and enrichment of decision-makers and advancing local priorities at city halls throughout the state.”

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