Earlier this year, PublicCEO reviewed Larry Tramutola’s excellent guide for newly elected officials. Larry’s work has caught the attention of Rod Gould, City Manager for the City of Santa Monica, who writes that it is both insightful and enlightening for those who wish to make a difference in the public sector.
“As a career city manager, I was delighted to learn a year ago that Larry Tramutola was planning to write a book intended to advise newly elected officials as to how they might become most effective in their new positions. Larry Tramutola has been heavily engaged with elected and appointed officials from cities, counties, school districts, hospitals, and special districts for four decades. He has seen them at their best and at their worst. He cares deeply about local representative democracy and has a keen sense of what it takes to succeed as an elected official.
“Now What?” is the result of his years of interaction and reflection about what it takes for a constructive start to an elected official’s service. This slim volume goes beyond my expectations. Not only is it readable, practical, and spot-on, but it offers the reader numerous opportunities to reflect upon what he or she is experiencing since the election.
I would recommend this book as a practical guide to anyone who is newly elected or even for seasoned elected leaders because there are so many absolute gems of insight and wisdom to be garnered through its reading. I truly believe that anyone who embraces the guidance in this short volume will benefit from it, as will those that he or she serves in elected office.
Larry’s style of writing is very approachable, conversational and fun. I hope that Now What? will be widely read and discussed.”
– Rod Gould, City Manager, City of Santa Monica
Now What? A Practical Guide for Newly Elected Officials can be ordered here.
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Editor’s note: Both Larry and Rod will be speaking at a California League of Cities event on September 18, 2013. Please find a preview of the event below:
From Me to We, Practical Advice For City Governance Teams
Local elected leaders can make a huge difference in their communities. They can also create plenty of problems. Elected officials are flawed, just like the rest of us, and the transition from private citizen to candidate to public official is full of potential landmines. Learn what it takes to become an effective leader from the perspective of an elected official, a city manager, and a political advisor who has worked with thousands of local elected officials. What are some common pitfalls? How can I get off on the right foot with my colleagues and city administration? Learn this and more from workshop panelists: Rod Gould, City Manager, City of Santa Monica, Marsha Ramos, Former Mayor, City of Burbank, and Larry Tramutola, Founder and CEO, Tramutola | Advisors.