Renowned for its picturesque beauty and outdoor activities, the Town of Mammoth Lakes excels in cultivating ambassadors within its organization through the Path to Success Academy, which educates new and current staff about the agency’s overall goals and vision.
The Path to Success Academy (PSA) was developed to better onboard new employees. Pam Kobylarz, assistant to the town manager, and Jamie Gray, the town clerk and records manager, realized that during the onboarding process, new employees received a firehose of information but didn’t necessarily understand the bigger picture of the organization, its goals and how they fit in.
“The PSA program serves to break down the silos of our organization as employees from different job functions are brought together in a common learning program,” said Town Manager Rob Patterson. “They learn about other aspects of the organization and how their work impacts others.”
Kobylarz and Gray wanted to find a better way to provide orientation for new employees without burdening any one employee or department too much. They met with the town manager and department heads to obtain their buy-in and feedback on the concept. The PSA was born from there, and the work to make the program happen began.
“Initially, it was a heavy lift developing monthly presentations and coordinating with department heads,” said Kobylarz. With their unique administrative perspective, Kobylarz and Gray knew they had to shape the program to align with their vision. They met weekly to develop the presentations for department review and approval. They also scheduled the years’ worth of presentations to avoid departmental busy periods. Kobylarz and Gray estimate that the program took approximately 80 hours to develop during the first year, and the first presentation took place about 3-4 months from the program’s conception.
The PSA became a year-long, once-monthly overview of the town, its services and operations and even includes a risk management component and a presentation from the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (California JPIA). New employees are required to attend the Academy, and current employees are invited to attend sessions based on interest. It also became a forum for new employees to develop relationships with others outside of their department whom they might not normally interact with during the scope of their everyday work.
The program, which launched in January 2023, was a success. One hundred percent of participants surveyed said they had learned something about the town, and new and long-standing employees agreed it was beneficial.
Now in its second year, the PSA is much easier to organize. Presentations are already created and need little editing, and meeting times are scheduled at the beginning of the calendar year. Participants gather during lunchtime on the second Tuesday of each month for a one-and-a-half-hour presentation, with lunch provided.
The exception to the schedule is facility tour day. “We rent a trolley from the Transit Authority and take employees around town. The last time we hosted the tour, it lasted 4.5 hours, and employees could see town facilities, parks, our pool, the airport, our vacant properties and they received tours of the town’s housing project and police station,” said Kobylarz. “Being able to see our facilities in person helps to give our employees a first-hand understanding of the full scope of the operations and services that we provide to our community.”
The program operates on a rolling basis, allowing participants to easily catch up on missed presentations when they are next offered. Completing the full 12-session Academy earns participants a certificate of completion. For reference, here is the 2023 schedule.
Kobylarz noted Mammoth Lakes’ success with the program and suggested other agencies might benefit, too. “The more our employees grasp the breadth of our work, the more effectively they can communicate it to others. This fosters internal ambassadors who share our major projects and how taxpayer funds are allocated,” said Kobylarz.
Here are her tips for starting a program like the Pathway to Success Academy.
- Gain buy-in from your chief executive and department heads; their support is crucial.
- Centralize the program within the administrative office for oversight by someone with a comprehensive grasp of agency-wide services, projects and perspectives.
- The project lead should have a broad understanding of departmental activities when designing the presentation agenda.
- Begin by listing topics to cover and schedule them to avoid departmental busy seasons or other potential conflicts.
- Consider pairing departments together to streamline presentations.
- Issue certificates to program completers; recognition is key.
- Consider providing food. Free food always encourages attendance!
The California JPIA prioritizes providing high-quality training opportunities to its members, aiming to enhance operational effectiveness and mitigate potential risks. We commend the Town of Mammoth Lakes for developing a dedicated training program that deepens employees’ understanding of their agency and comprehensive risk management practices.
If you want to learn more about the program, please contact the Town of Mammoth Lakes Assistant to the Town Manager Pam Kobylarz.
Providing innovative risk management solutions for its public agency partners for more than 45 years, the California Joint Powers Insurance Authority (California JPIA) is one of the largest municipal self-insurance pools in the state, with more than 125 member cities and other governmental agencies. Members actively participate in shaping the organization to provide important coverage for their operations. The California JPIA provides innovative risk management solutions through a comprehensive portfolio of programs and services, including liability, workers’ compensation, pollution, property and earthquake coverage, as well as extensive training and loss control services. For more information, please visit the California JPIA’s website at cjpia.org.