Spring 2011 — Volume 40, Number 1

The eDITOr’s Musings

Warren Master

 

Greener Pastures

After 11 years before the mast as head of The Public Manager, I’ve decided to let someone else take the helm. I know most readers (and Board members) are like…hmm… “It’s about time, don’t you think?” So, I would just like to remind everyone that when former editor-in-chief Paul Weiss and publisher Tom Novotny approached me about steering this enterprise, I agreed to commit to a term of TWO YEARS! That was more than a decade ago, when this quarterly journal had a subscriber base of 1,500, no website, a nonprofit board of directors, a phantom board of editors, and an editorial focus and contributing author circle that rarely extended beyond the Beltway.

We’ve seen lots of changes since 2000, and there are many more to come. It’s a particularly turbulent time in the publishing world. Fortunately, my successor, Ilyse Veron—who will assume the role of editor with the summer 2011 issue—has the energy, experience, and proper generational grounding to take the wheel. Moreover, she’s backed by our road-runner publisher, Carrie Blustin. And both are supported by an equally determined board chair, Alan Balutis, who will stop at nothing to persuade our highly capable board members to share their capabilities.

As for moi, I plan to continue my public management kibitzing on the sidelines, through blogging, podcasting, public speaking, and so forth. I also will begin devoting more time to greener pastures. Certainly, with five grandchildren and another expected, I expect to be on the move regularly and Skyping heavily. Beyond this, there are writing projects that have languished as casualties of journal deadlines. And many of the projects require travel to faraway places, so why not me and wife Karen—who has foregone my ebullient company whilst I was tethered to my laptop?

 

Government Going Green

This issue’s seven-article symposium on climate change represents a collaborative effort to help frame the related challenges of global warming, environmental degradation, energy dependency, and sustainability, as well as offer a glimpse of what governments at different levels are doing to respond to these challenges both at home and abroad. Frances Edwards kicks things off with her piece on what state and local governments are doing to prepare for climate change in the United States. Next, Stephen Bender offers an international perspective on development planning and climate hazards, and Bruce Binder explores the impact of climate change on public health. Edwards and co-author Frances McCormack discuss mitigating climate change through greener transportation. Rounding out the symposium, Adrienne Spahr shares her recent experience on what actions the Smithsonian National Zoo is taking to balance climate change and cultural preservation. Michael Mudd takes on the daunting task of explaining how carbon capture and sequestration is a necessary element in future energy production, and what some communities have already done to move forward. Finally, John Selman and Matt Daigle confront the challenge of reshaping the conversation on climate change issues by attracting strange bedfellows—climate users.

 

The Changing Workplace

Turning to the changing public sector workplace—people, budgets, technology, and learning—Anne Kelly asks: “Who cares if your agency is a 2010 Best Place to Work?” David Baker looks into local government cutback budgeting. Anne Weisberg and Mark Porell report on moving telework from compliance to competitiveness. And Patricia Armstrong and companions at 13L, a group of mid-career federal employees who are passionate about the practice of leadership, revisit the work-life balancing act.

Other features include Jeff Steinhoff and Laura Price, whose government accountability article examines the federal CFO role in managing the cost of government. Kaye Kendrick outlines the keys to successful performance measurement. And Janice Lynn Bowers explains how engaging citizens through municipal-level surveys has improved recycling efforts in Kentucky.

We close this issue with Thomas Gessel’s commentary on an insider’s frustration with informal rulemaking in the federal government; Christopher Mihm’s review of Strategic Public Management: Best Practices from Government and Nonprofit Organizations; and Grimaldi’s final thoughts on the ambiguous nature of cutting the cost of government.