 PAM
SYFERT
RUNNING THE BUSINESS OF GOVERNMENT
By Matt Joyner
John Tabor
introduced our own member Charlotte City Manager Pam Syfert to
Charlotte Rotary. Noting that she has the "toughest job in the room"
running a $1.4 billion company while being subject to constant
scrutiny of her email, regular publication of her salary and
answering to 12 bosses, Tabor allowed as how her childhood on a
Nebraska cattle farm cleaning up after animals prepared her well to
work with elected officials. Syfert has been with the City of
Charlotte for 30 years and was appointed to the City Manager
position in 1996.
Syfert said that Charlotte has an "outstandingly great government"
at both the city and county levels, citing a relative lack of
administrative and political scandal. Her job is to implement city
council's decision, to hire and supervise key city executives, to
prepare an annual budget for council and in general to be
accountable for the operational end of city government. The City of
Charlotte has:
responsibility for the airport, transit, water/sewer, police, fire,
garbage collection, planning and neighborhood development functions;
over 6,000 employees; an operating budget of $875 million; a $2.5
billion five year capital program; 110 municipal facilities; 2,300
miles of streets to maintain; 90,000 households for solid waste
pickup; AAA-rated general government debt.
Upon her appointment to the City Manager position Syfert adopted the
"balanced scorecard" business planning tool which incorporates a
fourfold objective of serving customers, running the business,
managing resources and developing employees. The City of Charlotte
was the first nonprofit organization to adopt the balanced
scorecard.
The most important initiative the City has taken to focus on the
bottom line has been its "managed competition" program, which has
been in place for 10 years. This requires the various city service
areas for which there is also a private service provider to compete
with the outside service providers to continue providing services to
the city. The city's 2005-09 five year competition plan identifies
eight projects valued at $30 million affecting 194 positions. The
combined impact of the program is an ongoing savings of $13 million
a year of costs reduced from the city budget.
So why Syfert's tax increase recommendation this year? Police, fire,
garbage and transportation services account for 79% of expenditures
out of the city's general fund, the fund comprised mostly of
property and sales taxes. Since 2000 the city's sales tax revenues
have decreased and the county's proportional share of property tax
revenue has increased. In order to expand the city's capital program
and add 92 new police officers over two years, Syfert recommended
the council consider tax increases. Ultimately City Council adopted
additional expense cuts, a fee increase and some improved revenue
projections to add 48 new police officers this year.
Head Table:
Harry Weatherly, Ron Kimble, Herb Harriss, John Tabor, Mac McCarley,
John Lassiter; Invocation: Michelle Fish
Visitors &
Guests:
Tom Hutchins; Health & Happiness: Leland Park; Song: Thomas Moore
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EXCELLENCE IN
MANAGEMENT AWARD |
The Charlotte Rotary Club, The
Charlotte Business Journal and the Charlotte Chamber have joined
to sponsor a community-wide search to identify the most
exemplary manager in the Region. The winner of the 18th Annual
Excellence in Management Award will be honored at the November
8th meeting of Charlotte Rotary. When nominating your choice,
list extraordinary achievements citing examples of excellence
and how they reflect credit to the manager and his/her
organization. Consider the following qualities of a good
manager:
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- Fairness in
working with all employees
- Visionary
leadership
- Consistency
in judgement and decisions
- Flexibility
to apply policy in an appropriate manner
-
Perceptiveness of employee and customer needs
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- Sharing of
values and knowledge
- Fostering
relationships among employees and departments
-
Communicating improvement / achievement
- Community
involvement
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Explain how the nominee meets
the criteria, why you feel he/she should receive this
recognition, and include a brief biographical sketch of your
nominee.
Submit your nomination online:
www.charlottechamber.com/eimaward
OR a single typed 8 ½ X 11 page and mail to:
The Charlotte Chamber, PO Box 32785, Charlotte 28232
The deadline for nominations is September 30, 2005.
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2004 Krista
Tillman
2004 Michael Marsicano
2002 Dr. Tony Zeiss
2001 Jerry Orr
2000 Dr. Billy Wireman
1999 Harry Brace
1998 John Belk
1997 Hugh McColl |
1996 Freda
Nicholson
1995 James Woodward
1994 Johnie Jones
1993 Edward Crutchfield
1992 Kenneth Iverson
1991 Byron Bullard
1990 Bill Lee
1989 Leroy Robinson
1988 A.F. "Pete" Sloan
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2005-2006
PRESIDENTIAL CITATION |
RI President Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar
asks Rotarians to move forward with a renewed commitment to
Rotary's historical ideals. Using the concept of Service
Above Self as a base,
President Carl is asking each Rotary club to conduct meaningful
activities and service projects to strengthen Rotarians and
their vocational and personal ethics, the club, the community,
and the world. The work of a Rotary club is in the hands of its
members, and it is through hands-on service and active
participation by each Rotarian in the club that our work is
meaningful and successful. This year's citation reinforces this
message by focusing on participation, planning, and quality
service. To qualify for a citation, clubs are asked to complete
the membership goal and one activity from four of the five
categories shown below. Think about how you can help Charlotte
Rotary achieve these goals….
Membership Goal (required)
- Develop and implement a membership recruitment plan to achieve
a net increase of one or more members by 1 April 2006.
Public Image
- Participate in one activity recommended by the 2005-2006
Public Image Task Force.
- Conduct a club assembly/meeting and implement a plan to
promote Rotary within the community.
- Receive significant media coverage of Rotary club events on at
least two occasions.
- Place Rotary public service announcements in the newspaper, on
the radio, and/or on television.
- Submit nominations to your district governor for consideration
for the RI Public Relations Award.
Club Service
- Ensure that every Rotarian in your club is personally invited
to actively participate in club activities this year, whether it
be serving on a project committee or taking responsibility for
some aspect of club service.
- Recognize a Rotarian in your club who actively participates in
the full range of club projects and programs with the Four
Avenues of Service Citation for Individual Rotarians.
- Convene a meeting of the club leadership, including incoming
officers, to discuss strategic goals for the next three to five
years.
- Develop and initiate a new project in support of club service.
Vocational Service
- Ask each member of your club to share information on Rotary
International and on the club's activities with their places of
business and/or their professional associations.
- Dedicate at least two club meetings to discussing the enormous
potential vocational service can offer for raising the quality
of life and upholding the strong ethics and integrity exhibited
by Rotarians.
- Conduct a literacy or education project internationally or in
your community.
- Develop and initiate a new project in support of vocational
service.
Community Service
- Join together with another local organization to conduct a
joint project in which club members contribute to planning and
hands-on efforts.
- Conduct a water project in your community.
- Contact local media to publicize Rotary's role in the Global
Polio Eradication Initiative.
- Develop and initiate a new project in support of community
service that will be carried out by at least half your members.
International Service
- Increase contributions to The Rotary Foundation Annual
Programs Fund, with the goal of meeting or exceeding US$100 per
capita.
- Help the members of your club understand the internationality
of Rotary by participating in an international exchange program
such as Group Study Exchange, Rotary Friendship Exchange, or
Youth Exchange.
- Conduct an international service project in support of water
management and sanitation. |
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Support the
Rotary Foundation
$100 EVERY ROTARIAN/EVERY YEAR |
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þ
Club members are
encouraged to head over to the airport on Friday, August
19th to welcome this year's exchange student,
Paz Carrero Tovar, as she
arrives at 7:30 pm on Flight 4803 from Atlanta. Why not join
her host family, kids from her school and others at the
baggage claim area for a grand Rotary welcome.
þ
Joey Godbold
has joined Percival McGuire Properties as head of its
brokerage company.
þ
District 7680 Rotary Foundation
Banquet will be held November 10th at the
Renaissance Charlotte Suites Hotel. Tickets will be
available for $35 and will be coordinated by President-Elect
Luther Moore. RI
Director Ken Morgan is the key note speaker. All club
members are encouraged to attend.
þ
PDG Bill Belk extends a
personal invitation for Rotarians in the Greater Charlotte
area to attend Rotary Night at the Symphony Guild Designer
Showhouse on October 12th. This year's showhouse is the
Yorke-Cannon House located at 911 Ardsley Road in Myers
Park. Tickets are $25 per person and checks should be made
payable to Symphony Guild of Charlotte. Checks should be
mailed to John and Lynn Adams, 4415 Playfair Ln (28277).
þ
The Rotary
Foundation's oldest and best-known program is Ambassadorial
Scholarships. Since 1947 more than 30,000 men and women from
100 nations have studied abroad under its auspices. Today it
is the world's largest privately funded international
scholarship program. More than 1,100 scholarships were
awarded for study in 2002-2003. Through grants totaling
approximately US$26 million, recipients from some 69
countries studied in more than 64 nations.
Pat Millen, who serves as
Chair of the District's Ambassadorial Scholarship committee,
was pleased to introduce Catherine Foster (Davidson College)
who will travel to Costa Rica next year, and Jamie Hess (Bowdoin
College), who leaves August 17th for a year's study at the
Universidad de la Paz in San Jose, Costa Rica.
þ
Rotary Scholarship Golf Classic
is in need of golfers, sponsors, goody bag items, raffle
items (valued at $25 or more), and auction items ($100 value
or more). Chief Darrel Stephens expressed his thanks to the
club for providing this benefit to families of public safety
officials. Mark Your Calendar:
Monday September 26th Cedarwood Country Club. |
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ROTARY COVERAGE
IN THE AMERICAN LIBRARIES MAGAZINE |
Dr. Carol
Jordan, Queens University of Charlotte, wrote an
article that was published in the opinion section of the
August issue of American Libraries Magazine. Keep in mind
that libraries throughout the world receive this
publication. Fantastic Job Carol!
{Charlotte Rotary made a $2000 contribution to the Room to
Read project}
"Rotary and Room to Read: When I read your interview
"Straight Answers from John Wood" in the September 2004
American Libraries (p.26), I immediately copied the article
and put it in a file of "Things to Think About." My
fascination with the story of John Wood and his passion for
providing the gift of literacy to children in developing
nations prompted me to take a copy of the article to a
Rotary meeting in the fall of 2004. As a member of the World
Service Committee, I presented the text of the interview to
my committee members. I asked if they might be interested in
my pursuing more information on Room to Read projects. My
hope was to receive approval to develop a relationship with
Room to Read and target a portion of our World Service Fund
to sponsoring at least one Room to Read library by summer of
2005. The good news is that, working with the Room to Read
staffers, and my committee of the Charlotte Rotary Club and
a president of a Rotary Club in Kathmandu, we are sponsoring
one Room to Read school library project for a school in
Napel. It is through your interview with John Wood that I
first learned of the Room to Read projects. Additionally, I
learned from the recent Rotary International Foundation
conference in Chicago that individuals who support the Room
to Read projects in the Chicago area presented the idea of
other Rotary Clubs joining and supporting the efforts of
John and his fine team. And, finally, the newly elected
president of Rotary International, Carl-Wilhelm Stenhammar,
established international literacy as one of his two major
strategic initiatives. I am eager to learn if the Room to
Read projects might fit within his focus for this year." |
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ATTENDANCE |
Attendance, as stated in the 2004
Manual of Procedure: Without placing undue emphasis on 100%
attendance, club leaders are encouraged to emphasize to club
members and prospective members: (1) the value and
significance of regular attendance; (2) the 60% attendance
rule; and (3) the importance to the club and the community
of active participation by each member in all club
activities. Make-up opportunities come in many forms,
including: attendance at a regular meeting of a Rotaract or
Interact club, Rotary Fellowship, RI convention, or any
meeting conducted by Rotary International; is present at the
usual time and place of a regular meeting of another club
(even if that club is not meeting for some reason); attends
and participates in a club service project or a
club-sponsored community event or meeting authorized by the
board; attends a board meeting or meeting of a service
committee to which the member is assigned; or participates
through a club Website in an interactive activity requiring
an average of 30 minutes of participation. Interestingly,
there is no provision for granting attendance credit to a
member who is absent from a club meeting because of (1) jury
duty, (2) compulsory attendance at sessions of a state
legislature, (3) informal gatherings of Rotarians held on
ships, (4) addressing another service club, or (5) when a
member is called away for either military service or
national guard duty.
Clarifications on the above:
The 60% rule: a member shall be counted as attending
a regular meeting if the member is present for at least 60%
of the meeting. (Remember that rule when you "scoot" out
while standing to salute the flag/pray/sing.)
In Charlotte Rotary: there are 26 meetings in each
Rotary half-year (July to December and January to June).
Meaning, you are to attend 16 meetings during each six-month
period. You should not miss more than 10 meetings without a
make-up.
Website Interactive or E-Club makeup: the club's
website has a link to the E-Club. Once reading an on-line
story about Rotary, you will complete a makeup slip. Do not
rely on the site to send the makeup slip to the Rotary
office. Do a cut and paste, file the makeup and email, fax,
or whatever necessary to get that slip to Sandy.
The following Rotarians are to be commended for maintaining
100% attendance during 2004-2005. You will be amazed at the
total year's perfect attendance for most of these people.
Please report discrepancies to Sandy.
Alan Adler -
1
David Anderson - 3
Vernon Anderson - 26
Bob Barber - 12
Alan Barnhardt - 15
Bill Barnhardt - 28
Jim Barnhardt - 34
Marilyn Bowler - 8
Catherine Browning - 2
Tom Burgess - 28 |
Bruce Darden
- 16
Bob Freeman - 5
Robert Freeman - 8
Elsie Garner - 1
Herb Harriss - 1
Mac Jackson - 52
Tony Lathrop - 9
Dale LeCount - 7
Ed Nowokunski - 1
Leland Park - 29 |
John
Phillips - 20
Ralston Pound - 55
Ronnie Pruett - 21
Tom Robertson - 19
Chip Scholz - 1
Ed Turner - 2
Bert Voswinkel - 15
Jerry Walters - 1
Martin Waters - 53 |
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Attendance
Record |
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8/16/05 |
8/17/04 |
| visitors &
guests |
14 |
16 |
| club
members |
157 |
195 |
| total
attendance |
171 |
211 |
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New Members | Resignations |
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| Roaming
Rotarians |
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Catherine Browning and Pender McElroy - Anchorage, Alaska |
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Wedding
Anniversaries |
25 Laura and Fred Brown
25 Dorrie and EK Fretwell
25 Linda and Rex Welton
26 Linda and Bob Landers
27 Emmy Lou and Robert Burchette
27 Priscilla and Joel Walters
28 Ava and Sam Spencer
29 Billie and Bill Nichols |
| Birthdays and
Birthplaces |
23 Bill Stegelmeyer, New Orleans, LA
26 Gary Scott, Wilmington, DE
26 Henry Snead, Columbia, SC
27 Don Steger, Huntsville, AL
28 Brenda Lea, Franklin Co., NC |
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