On September 1, 2021, Dr. Miha Vindis was welcomed as the Director of the Texas CPM Program at Texas State University. Dr. Vindis is a Professor of Practice in the Political Science Department. He teaches in the Department’s MPA and BPA Programs and will additionally manage the Texas CPM Program.

While stepping back from the Texas CPM management duties, Dr. Howard Balanoff is not retiring. He continues as the William P. Hobby Professor of Public Service and the Director of the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service. He also remains a co-director of the CPM Program in Arlington, Texas.

Congratulations Dr. Vindis and welcome!

New Graduate Announcement by DHR                                                                    Boise, Idaho

The State of Idaho Division of Human Resources is proud to announce the graduation of 60

Certified Public Managers® for its 2019-2021 track. These individuals represent various public service agencies from all around the state.                Idaho’s program was established in 1999 and since that time, 677 public managers have worked to obtain the nationally recognized CPM® certification.

This graduating group began their professional development journey in October 2019. “It would be challenging to describe the volume of challenges this cohort has handled with high levels of professionalism, flexibility, and positive attitudes” describes the Program Manager, Jana Huffaker. “We want to recognize their dedication to continuing to serve the citizens of Idaho and determination to complete this rigorous program during a global pandemic.”

The impacts to the 26 agencies represented today are remarkable. Each participant must complete a capstone project at the end of the program. This project aims as improvement within agency operations. The estimated combined financial benefits of the cohort’s capstone work are well over a million dollars of increased efficiencies. This is in addition to the estimated

$39,000 of annual operational savings, and $477,000 of annual salary savings. The benefits of Idaho’s CPM graduates’ capstone work include more than just financial savings. Improving efficiencies in operations, improved customer service and satisfaction, increased employee retention and satisfaction, networking and volunteer coordination, and statewide collaboration efforts are just a few of the non-monetary impacts of their projects.

All of the 2021 CPM® graduates deserve recognition in their achievement of this national credential. Idaho would like to recognize a few outstanding capstone projects. We also award an  Idaho Connie Pratt award winner to recognize a participant with true CPM® commitment in honor of our chapter founder.

Askew Award:

Kathlynn Ireland, Idaho Tax Commission

Outstanding Capstone Awards:

Chase Cusack, Department of Environmental Quality

Clint Rogers, Department of Fish and Game

Shanae Meacham, Department of Corrections

Connie Pratt Award:

Robert Willingham

Congratulations to all 2021 Idaho’s CPM® graduates!

Department of Administration: Keri Fox

Boise State University: Fanny Wilson

Board of Tax: Cindy Pollock

Department of Environmental Quality: Chase Cusack, Charlie Parkins, Jennifer Cornell

Division of Human Resources: Michelle Peugh

Department of Health and Welfare: Craig Anderson, Chad Johnson, David Hegstrom, Heidi Tom, Jennifer Pinkerton, Lena Biondolillo, Mark Keylor, Marta Tanikuni, Rachel Johnson, Rebecca Jolley, Robert Willingham, Valerie Varner, William Deseron

Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses: Corrine           Dalzell, Warren Wing

Idaho Parks and Recreation: Brian DiLenge, Tara McClure-Cannon

Idaho Water Resources: Glyn Roberts

Commission of Libraries: Colleen Clark

Idaho Fish and Game: Clint Rogers, Justin Williams, Sara Focht, Tim Copeland Department of Juvenile Corrections: Dallas Payton, Dusty Telford Department of Lands: Drew Evans, Michelle Hermann

Idaho Military Division: Trevor Sparrow, MAJ. Jackson Gray, Lana Brenneman

Idaho Public Television: Jeff Tucker Department of Corrections: Shanae Meacham Idaho State Historical Society: Mackenzie Stone

Lottery Commission: Addie Merrell, Sherie Moody- St. Clair

Idaho State Police: Dessi Tulilova, Jenny Hecock, Justin Freeman, Kerry Hogan, Lori Hicks, Stephanie Holt

Idaho State University: Sarah Mead

Information Technology Services: Chris Smith, Wilma Robertson, Zaine Tarpo

Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho: Branden Kennah

Public Utilities Commission: Nancy Ashcraft

Soil and Water Conservation: George Hitz

Tax Commission: Kathlynn Ireland, Leah Parsons, Shanna Deitrick, Tony Magnelli

For more information about the Idaho Certified Public Manager® program, please visit https://cpm.idaho.gov/

Feb 1, 2021 Just days before the recruitment launch for the next group of public sector managers to participate in the N.C. Certified Public Manager® (CPM) Program, two of its key providers were recognized by the N.C. Society of Certified Public Managers (NCSCPM) for outstanding contributions to promoting leadership and professionalism in State government. Joel Jordan, Training and Development Manager with the Office of State Human Resources Talent Management Division, was installed as president of the Society during its annual meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 27. Jordan previously served as 2020 president-elect of NCSCPM, which exists to promote fellowship and cooperation in public service, to provide training for the advancement of managerial abilities and to establish standards of performance for managers in public service. Additionally, Dr. Reed Altman, Director of the N.C. CPM Program, was presented with the 2021 Margaret J. Bailey Award at the annual meeting. The highest honor presented by NCSCPM, it recognizes exceptional professionalism by a public sector employee who models the organization’s high moral and personal standards. The Society’s first elected president in 1989, Bailey ensured that the North Carolina program became a founding member of the National CPM Consortium, which continues to accredit the professional development curriculum. State Human Resources Director Barbara Gibson credits Altman with rapidly transitioning the traditionally in-person training to the virtual format during the pandemic. “Reed dedicated himself to supporting participants who were working to complete the program while also establishing a new cohort group under very challenging circumstances,” Gibson said. “He rose to the occasion, enabling graduates to improve functions at their agency and new students to demonstrate in real-time the innovation necessary to succeed as a key manager.” The application period for the 2021-22 N.C. CPM Program launched on Sunday and will continue through March 31. Middle managers from State agency, university and local government entities are eligible, with approval of their organization’s leadership. Over the course of the 14-month course, participants develop personal leadership strengths and discover how to become more effective in the workplace. This includes completion of a public management project specific to their organization’s needs. Since 1982, the N.C. CPM Program has graduated more than 2,400 middle managers, with more than 1,600 of them awarded the prestigious Certified Public Manager® designation following the program’s accreditation in 1989 by the National CPM Consortium. Last fall, 39 public sector employees from 14 state agencies, universities and local government completed the program. Program information is available at the N.C. CPM Program website (https://oshr.nc.gov/cpm). State employees interested in participating should talk with their supervisor or Agency Human Resources Office.

The Journal of Certified Public Manager® Applied Research (CPMAR) is a scholarly publication of the best papers produced by graduates of the Texas Certified Public Manager® (CPM) Program at Stephen F. Austin State University. The graduates of the CPM program complete a seven-track sequence and the paper is considered the “capstone” of the program.

Currently, only graduates from the Texas CPM Program at Stephen F. Austin State University are eligible to publish their papers in the journal with approval from the Editor-in-Chief. These capstone research papers provide an excellent resource for not only the community of CPMs, but for public managers everywhere.

Read the first papers published in the current issue here. 

Many CPMs are on the front lines of managing government, health, and economic issues in communities across the nation. As we've shared in Texas, please be aware of these links below to important information that may be of assistance in these unprecedented times.

• Bojorquez Open Meetings Newsletter
• Coronavirus ICMA Discussion Guide
• Update 2: Perspectives from ICMA Leaders Across the Globe on COVID-19

The ICMA award for Excellence in Education named in honor of Stephen B. Sweeney will be presented to Dr. Howard Balanoff, Texas CPM Director, on Wednesday October 23rd at the 2019 ICMA Conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

The Texas Certified Public Manager program was one of Dr. Balanoff’s major accomplishments on behalf of the public management profession. After starting it in 1995, he continued to serve as its director while the program graduated more than 1,900 public sector employees. The program has eight locations at five universities delivering year-round education focused on public service administration. To help support the CPM program, Dr. Balanoff was instrumental in obtaining a $1 million endowment from former Texas Lieutenant Governor William P. Hobby’s Foundation in Houston, Texas.

To view the narrative for the award that is included in the October 2019 issue of the ICMA Journal Public Management (PM) go to https://icma.org/articles/pm-magazine/2019-professional-excellence-awards.  Congratulations Dr. Balanoff!

Texas State University’s William P. Hobby Center for Public Service graduated fifty-seven new Texas Certified Public Managers® at the Texas State Capitol on Monday June 11, 2019. The CPM graduates and their families came from CPM Programs conducted at these locations: Arlington, Nacogdoches, Lubbock, Round Rock, and San Marcos Texas. The graduates participated in CPM Programs offered by Texas State University, Stephen F. Austin University, and Texas Tech University.

Read more about the graduates, see photos, and watch the Graduation speaker, Ms. Charmelle Garrett, Former City Manager of Victoria Texas, and CPM graduate at this link .

Read about the Open Streets Movement in Wichita Kansas, written by Troy Houtman, Texas CPM, Texas State University MPA Graduate, and now Director of Parks and Recreation in that city.  As a nationally recognized designation, CPM graduates take their knowledge and experience across the country impacting communities everywhere.

Read Troy's article, "Open Street ITC," here

Recent Texas CPM Graduate, Gene Ellis, Police Chief & Assistant City Manager in Belton, Texas, has published his Capstone research in "The Police Chief" magazine, the official publication of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.

In Chief Ellis' article titled, Prevention-Focused Community Policing Building Public Trust, he explored Sir Robert Peel’s Nine Principles of Policing (1829) with current community-oriented policing models adopted in the mid-1980s. His research found that true community policing is an understanding that the police cannot do it alone and must build partnerships with the community to solve community problems. He focused on seven steps to building public trust in policing using a prevention-focused policing model that inclues:

1. Make prevention the focus of police operations.
2. Foster a servant-guardian mentality in officers.
3. Make quality of life the end game.
4. Embrace smart policing initiatives.
5. Develop law enforcement staff.
6. Adopt “best practices” in policing.
7. Promote an officer safety mind-set.

Chief Gene Ellis is a 28-year veteran of policing and has served as a police chief for over 18 years. He holds an undergraduate degree in criminal justice from the University of Houston and a graduate degree in criminal justice from St. Ambrose University, and he is a graduate of the 217th Session of the FBI National Academy and of the Certified Public Manager Program through Texas State University. Chief Ellis also serves as assistant city manager for the City of Belton in addition to his police chief duties.

Howard & Marilyn Balanoff have co-authored a paper with Nikol Hopman, from Leiden University in the Netherlands and Goos Mindeman, from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. The title of the paper is The National Certified Public Manager® (CPM) Program: A Model for Public and Nonprofit Leaders and Managers around the World.  The paper was presented at the European Group for Public Administration (EGPA) Conference on August 30. 2017. Howard Balanoff, Marilyn Balanoff, Goos Mindeman & Casper VanDenBerg, a member of the faculty at Leiden University presented the paper at EGPA.

Click here for a copy of the paper.