Thoughts about Newton & Patrick Ibarra

Although I have written enough blogs to satisfy the course requirements, I felt the need to write about how ASU's course on Organizational Change and Development (PAF 529) has heightened my appreciation of the City Management in "my little town."  As you have probably guessed from my previous blogs, I think Newton is fortunate to have its current management team.  Patrick Ibarra teaches this on-line course and our first written assignment was to assess the present conditions at our current job (or internship, in my case).  I would think that it would be easier to find areas needing improvement if your job was in the private sector or in a larger city.  In my case, it proved to be the opposite as Assistant City Manager Lunda Asmani actively practices organizational change and development; he has implemented changes relative to HR while iinteracting frequently with the supervisors of those subunits he oversees.  As the Finance Director, Lunda prepares the Annual Adopted Budget Book; he also prepares a "Popular" version for the City Commission and interested residents with a condensed version which is easier to read and understand by all.  There appears to by a healthy blend of top-down and bottom-up management interaction.  Of course, the final decisions are always made by the the City Manager or one of the two Assistant City Managers.  The City Manager, Randy Riggs, has charged Lunda with making my internship meaningful...and he has.  This has been a wonderful experience for me and it has certainly provided me with a "real world" perspective on city management.  I would highly recommend doing an internship with a small community as you are able to experience a broader scope of city services.  I would also recommend taking PAF 529 from Patrick Ibarra as it makes one think below the surface of the organization.  Patrick Ibarra is even more dynamic in person as he spoke in one of my classes, but he is still good on-line.  Before I started this internship, I had determined that I would either really love or hate Newton....I still love my "little town."  I hope you all are enjoying your internships too.