Can you name an important mentor in your career and how that person helped you?

I first learned about the profession of city management when I was a young lawyer. My law firm represented several local governments in the Detroit area and the newest associate got to represent the city. I can’t believe it now, but I was attending city council meetings as the “assistant city attorney” when I was only a few years out of law school!  What were they thinking?? I was so fortunate that my mentor at that time was Bob Kenning, the long-time city manager of Birmingham, Michigan.  Bob was the consummate professional and a true gentleman.  He introduced me to the fascinating world of city government where there are new problems every day, from finance to planning, parks to public safety.  What I remember most vividly is his approach to the city council. I knew he was frustrated at times but he always treated council members with the utmost respect and patience.  I think of Bob sitting in his office calmly explaining to me how the crazy thing that a council member said at the meeting last night would be just fine in the end. He was always right about that. 

How does your law degree help you in your role as city manager?

I am an advocate for young people getting a law degree, especially if they are unsure of a career path. Law school teaches one how to think analytically, write clearly, and advocate effectively.  For me, it led to an amazing career as a city attorney and ultimately to my role as a city manager. It helps me understand state legislation and city ordinances, the claims of the attorneys in litigation or negotiation, and how to communicate distinctions between close legal or policy points.  It also has helped me keep the focus on what is most important in any situation—eyes on the prize—rather than being distracted by lesser matters. 

How do you encourage creativity and innovation in your organization?

This is a topic we discuss frequently. I do not want to claim that we have figured it out.  Local government is often predisposed to opt for the mantra “if it ain’t broke, . . . .”  This is understandable, because when we are delivering services well, our residents don’t want that to change.  Criticism from the community or elected officials can be a demotivating factor.  What we have done is to try new ideas as a “pilot,” sending the message that this new thing is not a permanent commitment.  We also encourage our colleagues to “fail fast”— which means try a thing and abandon it quickly if it is not working; keep it going if it is.  I talk about our core value of innovation with every new employee and remind them that innovation is not inventing the next great product or process; it’s thinking about a creative way to do our work better, even just a little bit.  We recognize innovative ideas each year at our annual employee value awards celebration.  At the end of the day, innovation thrives in a culture where people feel safe to fail.  This is hard to accomplish in the public eye. We are working on it.

What motivated you to run for ICMA President?

I have had a wonderful career, representing communities in several states as a city attorney and serving three cities as a city manager.  In recent years, the value of the profession and the network of colleagues across the globe has become increasingly meaningful to me.  As I have come to know local government professionals from all parts of the United States and the world, I realize that we all have the same challenges.  The ICMA Executive Board members, our executive director, and staff are  doing great work to  lift up colleagues at all stages of their careers, to support  the next generation of local government professionals, and to provide value to every member.  I want to be a part of that good work and to facilitate the work of the board as it demonstrates and deepens the value of membership in ICMA.

What do you hope to accomplish as ICMA President?

For me, the truth is that the ICMA President cannot “accomplish” a specific thing but can set the tone for public service.   As city managers, we all have days when trouble is afoot, when our issues can feel overwhelming and we wonder why we are doing this when it would be far easier to be a consultant.  What the ICMA President can do, and what I want to do, is be a messenger, reminding us of the sacred value of the work we do every day. Who else gets to impact the lives of so many people in the most mundane and important activities of their lives?  Even on the hard days, we are the lucky ones who make a positive difference for real people. Every. Single. Day.

What do you believe is the greatest challenge local government leaders face today?

This is not a new thought: our challenge is the cynicism that is rampant among people across the spectrum, that government is ineffective, that nothing will change, that no one is listening.  But this is why I think that local government leaders are the lucky ones—because we have the ability to actually impact someone’s life in a very direct way, maybe tomorrow. We are proximate to the problems and to the people. If we are listening, we can hear them, we can address their concerns, and we can show we are worthy of their trust.

Can you describe a mistake you made early in your career and how that has helped you become a better leader?

Ugh. I hate to even think about this. A number of years ago, shortly after I moved into the role of city manager, I was really frustrated with the performance of our development services team. Everything was taking too long and there were complaints. (There are always complaints!) So, I had the bright idea that I would bring everyone together and give them a “pep talk” about customer service.  But it was really a criticism of an entire department and it was not fair. Of course, it fell flat and it is an embarrassment to me even today. Don’t do that. Today, I would work with the department director and managers to understand what might not be working, attempting to fix the roadblocks that staff was encountering in the review process. 

What advice would you give to a first-time CAO?

Listen to the people, all the people.  Your elected officials, your colleagues and staff members, your residents. Go slow. Do not assume that the former CAO was either a savior or a jerk, because we are all both. If there is low hanging fruit, take advantage of it, but don’t make big changes for several months until you really know the what and the why of the way it is. Be kind. Be kind.

What do you do to continue to grow and develop as a leader?

Every year I think about what fun development opportunity I can take advantage of.  I love to attend my state association’s annual conference—a chance to see colleagues and learn what’s going on across our state.  Our organization holds a semiannual development opportunity for graduates of the University of Virginia LEAD/SEI programs to focus on keeping the spirit of high-performing organizations alive. For many years, I attended the Transforming Local Government conference and the BIG Ideas conference hosted by the Alliance for Innovation. I encourage anyone who can attend to do so; these are great development opportunities. Since others in my organization are now taking advantage of those opportunities, I have been challenging myself to go outside my comfort zone and read about issues of racial equity, white privilege, and anti-racism.  We are committed to leading this work in Boulder; it is hard work. And this year, I am excited to be attending the ICMA Williamsburg Leadership program!

What is your morning routine?

Alarm clock! Feed dogs; get ready; drink coffee; go to work.  Repeat as often as necessary.

Learn more about how President Brautigam fell in love with local goverment!

To celebrate Public Service Recognition Week in 2018,  the Local Gov Life podcast series featured a series called “Making a Difference.” In episode 3, Brautigam discusses how she "fell in love" with local government, as well as the challenges of diversifying a community and creating more affordable housing. She also discusses what being a professional local government manager means to her. Listen to the entire podcast here.