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Spotlight on City Manager, Anita Fain
Taylor
By Vanessa J. Sauveur, MPA, Computer
Support Specialist, City of
Lauderdale Lakes
It is my honor to shine the spotlight on my
City Manger, Mrs. Anita Fain Taylor.
Mrs. Taylor may not know this, but she has inspired me to
focus on my professional development and to be steadfast in pursuing
my goals. Mrs. Taylor, a
Florida
native, knew she wanted to be a City Manager; therefore, she
designed her path, followed it, and has achieved her goals. She is
the first African-American female City Manager in
Broward
County.
Mrs. Taylor attributes her
success in government to having worked with top local government
officials and by taking advantage of various educational and
training opportunities.
She continues to enhance her executive leadership skills through
leadership development programs and by participating in various
professional organizations such as the Florida City
and County Management Association.
In 2009, Mrs. Taylor received the prestigious
Credentialed Manager designation from the International City/County
Management Association (ICMA).
She currently serves as
President of the Broward City/County Management Association; and
Secretary/Treasurer of the
United Way of Broward County Commission
on Substance Abuse. Mrs.
Taylor is also a graduate of Leadership Broward; a member of Zeta
Phi Beta sorority, and the National Forum for Black Public
Administrators.
Below,
Mrs. Taylor talks about her experience as a City Manager.
You’ve
been with City of
Lauderdale Lakes
for some time now. What
got you interested in public service?
I became interested in public service while
working for the City of
Fort Lauderdale.
I thought it was going to be a temporary job but I ended up
staying there for 10 and-a-half years.
During that time, there was a female City Manager (named
Connie Hoffmann) who was quite the visionary.
In fact, a lot of downtown and beach redevelopment occurred
through a master planning process that she spearheaded.
She left before the plans were implemented, but I am sure she
sees her footprints whenever she’s in Fort Lauderdale.
She developed innovative programs that have not been mirrored
anywhere else. She was
an inspiration.
While in Fort Lauderdale, I knew I wanted to become a
City Manager and developed a strategic career plan toward achieving
that goal. I followed it
and here I am.
What has
been your most memorable experience while serving as City Manager?
After we completed about 90% of the general
obligation bond projects and the projects within the citizens’
master plan, we took all the employees on tour of all the sites so
that they could see how they contributed toward the city’s
redevelopment. For
example, people in accounting saw the projects that resulted from
numerous checks to contractors.
Purchasing saw the results of their bid documents and
employees from Human Resources recognized that they hired the staff
to oversee programs and maintain these new parks. The list goes on
and on. It was truly a
fun day that ended with a light lunch.
The employees really let me know how much they appreciated
the tour and how they felt that they were a part of the city’s
success.
What
skills and aptitudes do you think are most important for people
serving in local government administration?
What has worked best for you in your long career?
It is important to study public, business or
finance administration.
However, regardless of how educated you are or whatever expertise
you may possess, you have to have the ability to work well with all
people (the good, the bad, and the ugly).
The most successful people I admire have three things in
common -- wisdom (and God gives it freely to anyone who asks),
patience, and a genuine concern for the people who work for them and
for the people they serve.
You are as good as the people who work for you
and therefore you must surround yourself with knowledgeable
professionals. I have a
high performing professional team who wants to make a difference in
the community and they have been successful.
What
challenges and opportunities has the economic downturn brought for
your area? How is all of
this affecting the day-to-day operation of local government?
My challenges are the continued erosion of
revenues and the fact that residents have grown accustomed to a
level of service that they do not want to cut.
On the other hand, they don’t want their taxes raised.
Prior to the downturn of the economy, our residents told us
that they wanted more green space (parks), a swimming pool, a new
library and cultural center, and citywide beautification.
We did everything they asked for and now that the economy has
declined, now what? Do
we close the parks, swimming pool, eliminate cultural center
programs, and delay landscaping?
We had layoffs about two years ago, and we simply cannot
layoff any more employees without significantly impacting services
to our community. We
have done some internal belt tightening where all employees will
make some sacrifices to save jobs.
The opportunity that this has brought forth is that we have
implemented performance measures citywide and we are talking more
about regional services in the area of police and fire (the most
costly service in our budget).
What do
you do to relax when you can take a break from the job?
I am very involved in the Women’s Ministry at
my church (First Baptist Fort Lauderdale).
I find that the fellowship with ladies from all walks of life
and the reading/study materials are uplifting and motivating.
I enjoy spending time with my husband and family.
I also enjoy reading.
I have read a couple of books lately that I have been
recommending to anyone who will listen.
The books are “The Traveler's Gift: Seven Decisions that
Determine Personal Success,” and “The Noticer,” by Andy Andrews.
They are quick reads but very impactful.
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