Deanna LorsonRiverside’s Assistant City Manager Deanna Lorson attended the New & Future City Managers Seminar in 2014 and her appreciation of the experience is no secret: “I have already recommended it to several new city managers and a fellow assistant city manager,” says Deanna.

While the chance to engage freely with veteran city managers was enticing enough, Deanna noted that it was also helpful to hear from her fellow younger managers. “All of the facilitators were very seasoned and I enjoyed the open discussions and the variety of perspectives,” says Deanna. “Likewise, I appreciated the opportunity to connect with the other participants and learn about their communities, challenges and aspirations.”

Deanna notes that the lessons learned and advice shared have proven to be especially valuable in helping her perform the duties of her Assistant City Manager position. “I attended NFCM while the City Council was launching the recruitment process for a new City Manager due to the retirement of our prior City Manager,” says Deanna. “While I chose not to apply for the City Manager position, attending the seminar helped me to have a better understanding of what both the City Council and candidates would be going through, and how I could assist both the Interim City Manager and the new City Manager in quickly acclimating to Riverside.”

Of the variety of topics discussed during the New & Future City Managers Seminar, Deanna especially appreciated the group’s focus on how city managers can better relate to councilmembers: “I found all of the sessions informative and engaging; for me, the Council-Manager Relations and Lessons Learned were the most applicable.”

If you are considering attending 2015’s New & Future City Managers Seminar, listen to Deanna: “NFCM was one of the best professional development sessions I have ever experienced.”