By: Nachie Marquez, IHN Board Member and Chair of Communications Committee, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, City of Chandler, AZ

The International City/County Management Association (ICMA) recognized the many achievements of its members with awards at its annual 2013 conference in Boston, Massachusetts.

A number of our International Hispanic Network (IHN) members received awards and we wanted to be sure to highlight those individuals.

Most notably, one of ICMA's Distinguished Service Awards was given to IHN founding member Severo Esquivel. This award is given to a manager who has retired from the profession and made an outstanding contribution to the management profession and local government. The award recognizes a manager whose service has been judged by peers as strong or exceptional, and who has made major contributions beyond direct service to local government.

Other IHN members who received recognition include:

·  Marc A. Ott, City Manager, Austin Texas - Award for Career Excellence in Memory of Mark E. Keane. Established in memory of former ICMA Executive Director Mark E. Keane, this award recognizes an outstanding local government administrator who has enhanced the effectiveness of government officials and consistently initiated creative and successful programs.

·  Robert Harrison, City Administrator, Issaquah, Washington - Community Sustainability Award for zHome. This award recognizes innovative local government programs or processes that creatively balance a community's social, economic, environmental and cultural needs.

· Susan Thorpe, Assistant City Manager, Corpus Christi, Texas - Celebration of Service to the Profession.  ICMA Service Awards recognize and celebrate members' dedication to public service and professional management at the local level. Thorpe was recognized for her 30 years of service.

 In addition, the following IHN local government member cities received the ICMA Center for Performance Measurement's Certificate of Excellence award for their exceptional commitment to integrating performance measurement into their management practices: Austin, Texas; Phoenix, Arizona and San Antonio, Texas.

Congratulations to each and every one of our IHN members for their extraordinary accomplishments and dedicated service to the local government profession. We are very proud of you!

The Miami Dade City and County Management Association (MDCCMA) together with the International Hispanic Network (IHN), the Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA), the ICMA Retirement Corporation (ICMA-RC), and the South Florida Chapter of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA) held the first ever joint South Florida Regional Seminar entitled: The New Public Service: Public
 Administration in a Multicultural Environment on November 22, 2013 at the Renaissance Ballrooms in Miami Florida. Over 60 city managers, mid-level managers, and administrators in service to local government in the South Florida area participated in thoughtful and provoking sessions designed to promote professional development and increase networking opportunities.

Council Manager Plan Panel

Yolanda Aguilar, the City Manager of West Miami and President of MDCCMA opened the session and welcomed the participants following registration and a continental breakfast. Glenn Joseph, the President elect of the South Florida Chapter ASPA, moderated the panel on Ethics in a Diverse Environment. The panel consisted of Dr. Jonathan West Professor of Ethics at the University of Miami; Jean Claude Garcia Zamor Professor Emeritus of Ethics at Florida International University; and Mr. Joseph Centorino, Esq., Director of the Commission on

ICMA RC Panel

Ethics in Miami Dade County. The panel discussed ethical principles in a multicultural environment and emphasized the ICMA Code of Ethics as a guiding principle for managers. One of the significant conclusions of the panel was to highlight that, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, or sex, public administrators need to adhere to societal and professional ethical principles.

Keynote Speech by Tony Ojeda

IHN Vice President, Tony Ojeda was the keynote speaker at the luncheon session and reviewed the many challenges and

opportunities for managers managing communities with multicultural environments. He talked about the tools and skills required to successfully manage communities undergoing rapid demographic and cultural changes along with limited financial resources. Mr. Ojeda emphasized the need to mentor others, eliminate glass ceilings, maintain a passion for the profession, and develop a working ethical balance with elected officials.  Jorge Gonzalez, the City Manager of Bal Harbour, moderated the ICMA-RC Panel on Life Planning for Retirement. The panel consisted of Fernando Aguero, Regional Southeast Vice President of ICMA-RC, Hortensia Perez, and Teresita Toledo Ferguson of the local ICMA-RC offices. The panel discussed the many opportunities available for professionals serving in local governments to avail themselves to the retirement programs available through ICMA-RC. At the end, a lively discussion ensued, as there was much interest in the ways to plan for financial security now by participating in the pre-tax savings programs offered by ICMA-RC. The ICMA-RC was the principal financial sponsor of the seminar.

Yocelyn Galiano Gomez at Council Manager Plan Panel

All the panels engendered lively discussions and many questions and answers. Participants left the seminar pleased with the quality of the panelists, the opportunity for professional development and networking, and the overall organization of the seminar.

Ethics Panel

IHN Vice President Tony Ojeda said of the seminar "It was a wonderful opportunity to bring together for the first time most of the institutions and organizations involved with issues and practices affecting the public service today. We were all planning to maintain the mutual outreach we achieved today and look forward to hosting a similar event in the future. We are all grateful to the participating organizations for their cooperation and support, and want to particularly thank ICMA-RC for its financial contribution."

Florida Seminar View of the Audience

Q:  Give a brief bio on your City. 

Brighton City Manager Manuel Esquibel

A: The City of Brighton is strategically located 20 miles north of downtown Denver, 20 minutes from Denver Int'l Airport and boasts an excellent vista of the Rocky Mountains.  Brighton is a diverse community (population) of approximately 34,000. In 2012 we celebrated our 125th anniversary, making us one of Colorado's oldest communities.  Our City's leadership has allowed us to grow responsibly and safely through a collaborative process.  We have developed  the City's short-term and long-term vision for our ever growing community; road and trail connectivity, water, sustainability, agricultural heritage and smart growth were high on the list as well as many other important areas.  The city of Brighton has been named a "Grad Nation Community" by America's Promise Alliance.  This honor is part of a national network of cities and towns that have agreed to work on improving high school graduation rates. The City of Brighton proudly supports the promotion of art and culture through its Eye for Art program.  This program utilizes space within City Hall to present the artwork of selected emerging and established artists from all over.   

Q:What value does the IHN Local Government Membership bring to your city?  A: 

Q:  How does being a Local Government Member of IHN help with your commitment to diversity?

A: Awareness, bringing resources, tools and training opportunities to all employees.

Q:  What kinds of leadership efforts does IHN provide that benefit your employees and your organization?  

A: Recognition.  As a community representing Hispanic/Latino populations it is important to provide employees with Hispanic/ Latino role models and leadership representing them.

Q:  Anything else you would like to add?

A: In the quest of representing our community with many facets, inclusivity is ever more present and needed to truly represent America.

Protect Your Retirement Savings

As you get closer to retirement, your focus begins to shift from building your savings to how you will withdraw the money. You want to avoid mistakes that could jeopardize the nest egg that you've taken years to build. The following steps may help you protect it:

Continue to match your investments with your time frame. You don't want to risk money you'll need soon in the stock market, but you don't want to shift all of your money to cash on the day you retire, either. Some of it needs to grow enough to keep up with inflation over a retirement that may last more than 25 years. You can divide your portfolio into several components, with some in cash for the short term, some for medium term needs and some in more aggressive investments for the long term.

Make your money last. Add up your expected expenses in retirement, then subtract any sources of guaranteed income, such as a pension and Social Security. Some people buy an annuity product, such as a lifetime income fund, to fill any gaps and provide a paycheck that lasts as long as they live.