With the New Year in full swing, it’s a great time to unlock your potential by completing Lean Six Sigma training and professional certification. You can do that when you enroll in the Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt Certification Course that starts Feb. 5.
Imagine a workplace where goals are achieved faster, processes are seamless and every action adds value to an organization. That is the power of Lean Six Sigma, a proven approach to driving organizational efficiency and reducing waste.
The Glendale Lean Academy offers training and certification programs to help the city thrive while also elevating employees’ professional development with skills that make them sought-after problem solvers. Lean Six Sigma certification helps establish leaders who deliver results
The Department of Organizational Performance celebrated Lean practitioners in all departments at its inaugural Lean Summit last month at the Civic Center.
Several Lean Academy participants are featured in the photos celebrating their accomplishments
Join the ranks of innovators transforming our city. Visit the Glendale Lean Academy webpage TODAY via the link below, found in the Organizational Performance section of the GRID
LEARNING AND GROWTH IN GLENDALE
GAIN TOOLS TO TACKLE MOVE IT MARICOPA CHALLENGE
Don’t forget about an opportunity to learn fun ways to enhance your health when Chris Powell, a fitness expert, TV personality and author, leads the Move It Maricopa Kickoff from 10 to 11 a m in the Main Library Auditorium
A book author, former host of the ABC TV show “Extreme Weight Loss” and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Powell will lead attendees in a 5minute routine that can boost physical and mental health during this kick-off to the Move It Maricopa Challenge.
Register for this event through NEO Gov Learn in the link below or visit the GRID calendar.
HOLIDAY IS CHANCE TO GIVE BACK, HONOR MLK’S LEGACY
Remember that on Jan. 20 the city offices will be closed in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It’s an official day of service to celebrate the late civil rights leader’s legacy and life.
Looking for ways to make an impact in the community? Click this MLK Day Volunteering website to discover volunteer opportunities near you.
PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON SERVICES, ENTER GIVEAWAY FOR GOODIES
Our Internal Services departments are here to support you as we all work together to serve our community.
To ensure they are meeting your needs effectively, city employees are asked to fill out an anonymous survey with their opinions on what is going well and what could be improved by Jan. 24.
All employees who complete the survey have a chance to enter a giveaway for some great Glendale items! To participate, take a screenshot of your “Thank you for completing the survey” page and enter the photo at this link. To take the survey itself, click the link below.
TUNE IN TO SONGWRITING, ENJOY LIVE MUSIC AT SPECIAL EVENT
Music lovers can gain inspiration at the Arizona Songwriters Gathering from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Main Library.
Performers, writers and any music lovers are encouraged to attend to see 120+ live performances on four stages, participate in song-sharing circles and take part in workshops that Jason Blume, Sandy Ramos and other experts will lead.
The Arizona Commission on the Arts, Main Library and Arizona Songwriters Association are supporting this harmonious gathering. To learn more about the event, call 623-930-3573 or visit the link below.
SONGWRITERS
MORE GREAT EVENTS IN GLENDALE
Get ready for a fun display of live music, classic cars, plein air painting demonstrations, a barbecue competition and more entertainment at the FREE Downtown Glendale Arts & Culture Fest: BBQ, Rhythms, and Rides! from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 5750 W Glenn Drive in the Downtown District walkways and in the Civic Center Plaza.
The city and the Southern Arizona Arts and Cultural Alliance are hosting this unique event that will include a classic car show with 20+ judging categories, diverse bands performing, as well as a beer garden, trolley tours of downtown and artisan vendors selling auto and recycled art and crafts
SAVOR DIVERSE TREATS, WINE, FAMILY FUN AT CHOCOLATE AFFAIRE
& 16
Satisfy your sweet tooth at the Glendale Chocolate Affaire from 10 a m to 5 p m both days at the Civic Center
Expect 50+ chocolatiers selling their scrumptious treats, along with wine tastings, food demonstrations, interactive family-friendly experiences and live music Admission and parking are FREE
GET ON THE RIGHT FOOT WITH FITNESS AT WALK/RUN, WELLNESS
Grab your sneakers and water bottles and get ready for the The WellStyles Move More 5K Run/Walk and wellness fair from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Foothills Recreation and Aquatics Center.
Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Arizona is partnering with our city to offer this run/walk that will allow participants to enjoy the views of three parks and Skunk Creek Wash. All ages and fitness levels are welcome and attendees will receive a bib, timing chip, medal and snacks.
Those who register by JAN. 28 will receive a T-shirt. Inside FRAC, the wellness fair will provide lots of health-related goodies and information, including Glendale Community College exercise science students giving fitness tests. The Phoenix Suns Gorilla will even visit. Register for the 5k Run/Walk below.
SPRING BREAK CAMPS OFFER FREE FITNESS AND OTHER FUN
Looking for a fun, safe and educational place for your children to socialize with other kids during the Glendale Elementary School District spring break?
Check out our Parks and Recreation Department’s Spring Break Youth Program for those ages 6 to 14 from 7 a m to 5:45 p m at Glendale Community Center, O’Neil Recreation Center and Rose Lane Community Center
Kids will engage in a variety of activities, including sports and arts and crafts projects St Mary’s Food Bank will provide FREE breakfast and lunch to youths. Registration starts Feb. 3 for Glendale residents and Feb. 5 for non-city residents. Visit the link below to register.
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN GLENDALE
DIVE IN TO JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT CITY POOLS
Do you know someone who would like to make a splash in the city while earning a paycheck and enjoying Glendale’s pools?
Our city is looking for energetic, reliable people to work as lifeguards and swim instructors for the 2025 season at our Rose Lane and Foothills Recreation and Aquatics Centers. There are approximately 100 aquatics employees needed for the season. The starting pay for lifeguards is $25 an hour and the starting pay for swim instructors is $26 an hour.
Applicants must hold specific certifications to ensure safety and professionalism in these positions. Lifeguards in the city must have a certification that includes training in CPR, First Aid and Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for the Professional Rescuer. Applicants can obtain these certifications through the city by registering here.
Swim instructors in Glendale are required to have Water Safety Instruction (WSI) certification. Classes were held for potential swim instructors to earn that certification in December.
Anyone who would like to apply for a swim instructor or lifeguard position can check out the link below starting next month.
AQUATICS JOBS
IMPORTANT POLICY UPDATES COMING SOON
The city is making important updates to several Human Resources & Risk Management Policies that will take effect in February. These updates are designed to enhance our practices and ensure compliance with the latest state and federal regulations.
Stay tuned for more details and upcoming training to review and acknowledge the updated policies once they are available.
LEARN ABOUT ADA
Two classes offered through NEOGOV share details about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) That’s a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities NEOGOV provides the EEO Laws: Title I of the ADA class, as well as the EEO Laws: Supervisor Responsibilities course To learn more, visit NEOGOV at the link below
NEOGOV
GOOD NEWS IN GLENDALE
CITY SCORES WITH QUICK WORK HOSTING WILD CARD GAME
While the Los Angeles Rams upset the Minnesota Vikings 27-9 in their NFC Wild Card playoff game at State Farm Stadium on Jan. 13, our city employees showed they are the champions. Our City Manager Kevin Phelps, along with our Police, Fire and Transportation departments secured wins for the city when it came to touting the benefits of the big game moving to Glendale and keeping residents and visitors safe and traffic moving smoothly around the stadium.
And our Video Team scored a touchdown for videos it produced and posted on Facebook tied to the game. The videos captured excited fans gathering at Westgate to gear up for the game and Phelps explaining how the city quickly coordinated and planned how to host the playoff game after the wildfires in Southern California forced the huge event to relocate here. This game had originally been scheduled to be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
Our Police Sgt Bryan Hoskin also did a great job in an interview with AZFamily 3-TV/CBS-5 sharing how the city was happy to help football fans from California enjoy an escape from the devastation of the wildfires in their home state and to offer excellent customer service to visitors and residents
Thank you to everyone in the city who got in the game and helped Glendale once again play host to a fun, major sporting event!
BUDGET FORECAST DEVELOPMENT UNDERWAY
It’s the time of year when the city starts crunching numbers to plan the upcoming budget in order to best serve residents and support employees
Our Assistant City Manager Vicki Rios and our Director of Budget and Finance Levi Gibson recently did an excellent job explaining how they are working on a budget forecast during an interview with “The Glendale Star.” Their budget forecast will be presented to the City Council at its next workshop, which starts at 12:30 p.m. on Jan. 28 at the Civic Center. There will be several budget presentations over the next few months and the City Council is tentatively expected to adopt a final budget on May 13.
Our city works on a five-year financial forecast as the first of many steps in the months-long process of developing the fiscal year 2026 budget. The forecast is an estimate of future city revenue, expenses and capital expenditures for the coming five years, created using data in the current budget and other sources to calculate the potential capacity to pay for city activities.
Some good news is that our city anticipates earning 3 5% more in revenue next fiscal year than it did last fiscal year
You can learn more about our budget by visiting: Budget Information - City of Glendale
