Succeeding at succession: a portfolio approach Jay T. Spurgin, P.E. Deputy Public Works Director City of Thousand Oaks, California Presenter, 2012 APWA Congress
ransitioning from a graying workforce to the next generation of leaders is much like running a relay race—the runner about to receive the baton must begin running before the handoff. If your next generation of leaders is standing still when it’s their turn to run, the organization is likely to fall behind. The City of Thousand Oaks has taken a portfolio approach to get the next runner sprinting before handing off the baton. Although succession planning may take time, the need for it can be seen from a long ways away. The average age of our public works staff is 48 years old. Furthermore, over
54 percent of these employees are eligible for retirement within the next five years. While this news may be cause for alarm in some cities, Thousand Oaks has established programs to ease the transition.
Internship Program Over the past four years, the Public Works Department has had 22 interns and an even larger number of volunteers, some of whom have become full-time permanent employees. Too often, internship programs are viewed as an obligatory handout to imminent college graduates or a community service project at the expense of the City. In reality, both parties are better served
when the City’s interests are put first. The end goal to any internship program should be to identify the best talent available and retain them as employees. Being able to test-drive potential job candidates as interns before diving in headfirst with a new permanent hire will ensure your city gets the best that the applicant pool has to offer. The work given to interns is equally as important as selecting the right intern. To truly assess whether an intern is capable of handling complex assignments, they must be given those assignments. Using interns to repetitively perform routine tasks does not give the intern an opportunity to demonstrate their skills set. In the past year alone, our department has used interns to help establish the City’s Green Business Program, develop an Energy and Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan, and expand the department’s GIS database.
Thousand Oaks Leadership Academy
The 2011-2012 graduating class of the Thousand Oaks Leadership Academy (TOLA). Seven of the 15 graduates are from the Public Works Department. 42 APWA Reporter
August 2012
The Thousand Oaks Leadership Academy (TOLA) is a six-month program designed to give employees exposure to various functions of the City, develop working relationships among the participants from different departments, and learn how to make a formal presentation to City Council. For one day a month, the participants learn about the City’s various functions, which includes visits to various public works sites, police and fire training
