By: Jesus Nava, IHN President,   

Chief Administrative Officer, Santa Clara Valley Water District

I began a new job one month ago. My new employer is the Santa Clara Valley Water District. My new title is Chief Administrative Officer or CAO. It is quite different from my prior job in many respects, so I am learning countless new things. I am also acquainting myself with new governing board members, coworkers and associates. The days have been full with hardly a minute to eat lunch or make a quick call home. But I am glad to have this new experience. It has invigorated me. Ten years in Burlingame had served me well and I was ready for a change both personally and professionally.

The water district is charged with three main tasks in Silicon Valley: ensuring clean potable water for the region; flood prevention and protection and environmental stewardship of all water resources.   It focus is much narrower than that of most local governments, but its mission is all important for without water there is no life.

Like water, change is essential to life. Change is what keeps us growing, evolving and maturing. It is the only constant in our lives and without it we become idle, stagnate, languish and decline. We all know the rule of physics: "a body in motion remains in motion, a body at rest remains at rest." It is constant motion and the changes it produces within us that keeps us physically healthy and mentally sane. Like a bed-ridden person, lack of motion and change deprives us of our well-being and ultimately our life.

The good news is that change happens daily in our lives. Our bodies constantly change as new cells are born and old cells die. Our thinking [hopefully] changes with every new book we read or every news event we examine. And our lives change as we meet new people and say farewell to others. Whether these changes make us happy or fearful is up to each and every one of us to decide. But change is occurring were we like it or not.

As the year comes to a close I ask that you examine your own personal life to see whether a change is needed to bolster your career, strengthen your family ties, make new friends and promote a productive life. Take a good look in the mirror and ask yourself, "Am I doing all I can to change and improve my life." It may be that you too are in need of a change.

If you find that change is needed, then pledge to start the new year with that goal in mind. Then reach out to the IHN family for support, guidance and opportunity. You will find that IHN members are eager to help you find your next best move.

Happy holidays to everyone. Please think of those less fortunate and approach the season with happiness, gratitude and generosity of heart.

Member Spotlight  

Jesús Nava, IHN President

 

On October 29, 2012 IHN President Jesús Nava began his new position as Chief Administrative Officer for Santa Clara Valley Water District in San Jose, CA.  As the Chief Administrative Officer, Nava is responsible for the planning, management, performance and improvement of the district's major administrative divisions and functions. Nava oversees a budget of $82 million and a staff of approximately 170.

 

IHN President-elect Magda Gonzalez, 48, is also "on the move" as she started her new position as City Manager of East Palo Alto, California, this Fall. Gonzalez's selection follows an extensive six-month national search that attracted 78 applicants. 

Gonzalez holds a bachelor's degree in social science from California State University, Sacramento, and a law degree from Santa Clara University Law School.

She grew up in Redwood City and graduated from Sequoia High School in 1981. She spent her teen years working at the Fair Oaks Community Center in the city's core Latino district. The center provides  services to some of the city's most needy. She also worked as the Center's Director. 

"The City Council was fortunate to be able to select from an extremely impressive and qualified pool of candidates. We are excited about our selection of Mrs. Magda Gonzalez, who is recognized for her passion for civic engagement and community building and for her strong leadership and managerial skills. The council looks forward to working with her in moving the city forward," East Palo Alto Mayor Laura Martinez stated in a press release.  

She is the recipient of the 2008 "Rising Star Award" from the Municipal Managers Association of Northern California, Women's Leadership Summit, and a 2007 "Leadership Hall of Fame Inductee" for the Redwood City/San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce.

Gonzalez is married and has a 13-year-old son.

Prepare Now for Holiday Expenses 

The holidays can be difficult for people who tend to have problems with debt. Even if you generally stay within a budget, this holiday season may be challenging if your finances have been stretched thin. Instead of paying interest long after you've given the gifts, these steps can help you prevent holiday spending regrets.

Set a holiday budget. Decide up front how much you can afford to spend without taking on additional debt, and how you will divvy that total up among your friends and family members.

Start saving now. Rather than take on debt that will force painful cutbacks after the holidays, start trimming spending now to build up a holiday slush fund. Take a hard look at all your discretionary spending to see where you can trim. It's easier to do when you know it's for something positive.

Start thinking about holiday gifts. Planning ahead lets you search for bargains, take advantage of sales, and make the most of free-shipping deals when they're available.

Plan for holiday travel now. If you choose travel dates early, you can jump on special deals that pop up over the next few months. Sign up for email alerts from airline and travel websites so you can find out about deals as soon as they are announced.

¹The performance data quoted in this article represents past performance. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.   ²Target-date funds are not a complete solution for all of your retirement savings needs. An investment in the target-date funds includes the risk of loss, including near, at or after the target date of the fund. There is no guarantee that the fund will provide adequate income at and through an investor's retirement. Selecting the fund does not guarantee that you will have adequate savings for retirement.

This article is intended for educational purposes only and is not to be construed or relied upon as investment advice. Except as expressly permitted by ICMA-RC, reproduction or redistribution of this content in its entirety or any portion thereof, is strictly prohibited without the prior written permission of ICMA-RC. For more information, contact ICMA-RC at 777 North Capitol Street, NE, Washington, DC 20002-4240. 800-669-7400. Copyright © 2009 ICMA-RC. All rights reserved.