The California City Management Foundation (CCMF) is pleased to announce that the City of Gustine and the City of Petaluma have been selected as the recipients for the inaugural Judy L. Kelsey Memorial Fund grants.
The Judy L. Kelsey Memorial Fund offers two $5,000 grants to local governments to fund summer internships. Half the funding for this program comes from the estate of Judy Lyn Kelsey, a longtime California city manager with a passion for uplifting others. At the beginning of her career, Kelsey interned in the City Manager’s Office in the City of San Dimas and participated in a grant program for the Los Angeles Police Department. She saw great value in these experiences and donated part of her estate to enable internships for individuals with a passion for local government. Her estate funds one $5,000 grant annually. CCMF is matching her gift to provide a second $5,000 grant.
The City of Petaluma and City of Gustine rose to the top of a competitive pool of applicants with the strength of their plans for impactful intern work. The City of Petaluma plans to rotate their intern among up to three City departments in a management role, helping the intern gain experience in policy development, public engagement, budgeting and research, among other skills. The City of Gustine, which has only six full-time employees, will provide their intern with project work from multiple City departments to give the student an overview of the different municipal positions available and insight into current public sector issues. Both cities will submit a report in September about the impact of their intern’s work.
“I am so pleased with the caliber of the applications we received this year for the first round of Judy Kelsey Memorial Fund grants,” said Fran Mancia, Chair of the CCMF Scholarship Committee. “In line with CCMF’s mission, Petaluma and Gustine’s applications demonstrated their commitment to mentoring the next generation of city employees and leaders. CCMF is proud to sponsor interns in these cities this summer.”
Please visit the Judy L. Kelsey Memorial Fund webpage for more information and contact jon@tripepismith.com with any questions.