It was my great pleasure to deliver a keynote address on "Fostering a Sustainable Culture for Good Governance" to municipal asset managers at their national conference this week in Kelowna, BC. Hosted by the Canadian Network of Asset Managers, the conference included presentations and workshops from leaders in the field highlighting the latest innovations and successes from the best and brightest minds in asset management.
My task was to link asset management to good governance, sustainable service delivery, human well-being and the preservation of our local democracies. It was an opportunity to remind us all that community building, after all, is a human-centred project and assets only exist to ensure that our communities and the people within them flourish. This requires the fostering of the type of organizational and community culture that is itself sustainable and supportive of democratic governance and stewardship.
I'm very appreciative of the wonderful feedback in person and online. For samples, see below and on the Twitter feed @CNAMAssn.
This healthy, collaborative and innovative culture was alive and well at the conference. Asset managers have chosen long-term stewardship over short term gain. They have chosen a sustainable future over dangerous uncertainty. Essentially, they have chosen community over chaos. It is my belief that this sense of higher and common purpose contributes to the remarkable ability of these leaders to make continuous improvements and engage in exhaustive peer-to-peer learning and information sharing. The conference was a deeply enriching and encouraging experience.
Thank you to the conference organizers for a remarkable event. Special thank you to Kate Cheney for her excellence in planning and ensuring that every possible arrangement was made for a remarkable experience for conference participants. Thank you also to conference MC Joel Shaw who combined humour and professionalism to keep everyone engaged from start to finish.
Congratulations to Valerie Williams, CNAM Chair and Halifax Water Manager for winning the contest for a complimentary copy of the Municipal World exclusive edition of Save Your City: How Toxic Culture Kills Community & What To Do About It!
Congratulations also to Kristi deVries, Community Advisor for the Yukon Government for winning the contest for the complimentary Sustainable Culture Starter Kit!