Although, he’s been active in the profession for a long time, Townsend says he doesn’t notice very many changes. “The profession hasn’t really changed that much. The profession is providing local government administration services that the public wants, needs, and is willing to finance. Only the tools have really changed, not the profession.”

“As challenging as it is right now, this is also an exciting time to be in local government. This is the level of government where the people feel they are still in control of what happens to them. It is our obligation to renew their confidence and develop better ways to work as partners with residents and the private sector to improve communities as a team and not just as a bureaucracy.”