PM sat down with longtime friends TC Broadnax, ICMA-CM, city manager of Austin, Texas, and Ronnie Guest, a former city manager who is currently the senior program manager of military outreach at ICMA. 

Their shared experience growing up in humble beginnings has shaped their approach to community service and team building in their careers as city managers.

How did you first get to know each other?

Ronnie:Our journey goes back 50 years, growing up together on the same block in Topeka, Kansas, USA. We’ve known each other since we were 4 or 5 years old. We spent many of our days riding bikes and playing football, and every summer our bond was strengthened on the basketball court at the Boys and Girls Club. Our friendship remains equally as strong today, even as adults and professionals.

How did the interest in local government take root for you both?

Ronnie: My first understanding of local government is rooted in my father being a Topeka police officer. I didn’t know that was even considered part of local government. All I knew was that he served the community and helped keep us safe. After high school, I went into the United States Army, and after my military career, I worked several years in the corporate arena. 

After relocating to San Antonio, I joined the police department as a senior management analyst and my passion for service began to blossom. My first several years working in the police department and other city departments lit such a fire inside me that local government and serving others became all I sought to do professionally.

TC: My interest in local government started in college after taking several political science and public administration courses. I served as an intern in the economic development department of the city of Topeka, which allowed me to fully understand the many things local governments were responsible for. After that, I knew I wanted to be a city manager and have been blessed to work with so many incredible individuals and serve communities in several large cities throughout the country.

What do you have in common as local government leaders?

Ronnie: Something TC and I have in common is that we both care about people at our core and truly understand the challenges that many are faced with, as we both grew up with humble beginnings. We also know the importance of building an effective team around you in order to be successful. This began at an early age for us. When we played basketball, we would take into account each player’s skills to build a winning team. In local government, city managers equip their teams with staff that have the right skills to support the organization and provide the best services possible to the community.

How have you leaned on each other throughout your careers?

Ronnie: I’ve reached out to TC on numerous occasions over the years, especially when I first became a city manager. I believe he was more excited than I was at that moment. When you’re the CAO, there is not one person in your community with the same job as you. You need a strong peer network of those in your profession who you can reach out to, bounce ideas off of, and vent frustrations to. The friendship that TC and I had growing up as kids and young men has helped us better understand what the other is going through on the job.

TC: I would often reach out to Ronnie, particularly during the pandemic, to discuss community response issues. While we were both city managers, we managed different sized cities, so hearing a different perspective was beneficial for us both. Broadening the tent and inviting others into our circle within the local government profession has made both of us stronger and more resilient. This is our foundation for building a strong network of dedicated professionals and furthering the pipeline of future local government leaders, especially in the city manager ranks. 

So, I ask, “who’s on your bench?” Who in your pipeline is ready to take the next step when you decide to step aside from your career in local government?

Our careers have been forged through a dedicated commitment to serving others and giving 100% of our ability to make a difference in the lives of those we serve, no matter what community we’ve been blessed to lead.