The League of California Cities City Managers Department Meeting provides city managers, assistant city managers, and county chief administrative officers the opportunity to network and keep current on a wide range of issues. This is the largest gathering of managers that the League facilitates.
During the 2019 conference, CCMF hosted a 90-minute exploration into crisis communications titled “Staying Strong in the Face of Disaster.” Reva Feldman (City Manager of Malibu), Ken Striplin (City Manager of Santa Clarita), and Sean McGlynn (City Manager of Santa Rosa) imparted the lessons they learned while navigating their communities through natural disasters and into recovery. Justin Hess (Assistant City Manager of Burbank) served as the panel moderator.
These past couple years, California suffered a devastating chain of natural disasters: huge fires in Santa Rosa, Los Angeles/Ventura and Paradise (just to name a few), followed by floods and mudslides. The session focused on the role the City Manager plays in such emergencies, while also touching on some of the technical aspects of organizing emergency response. Each panelist shared insightful lessons and provided tips for staying mentally and physically strong during a period of high stress.
Photos of the panel and CCMF’s booth can be viewed below.