The FCCMA Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Mike Crow: Storm Ready in Tallahassee (FMEA Public Powercast Special Feature) Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

Steve sits down with Mike Crow, Assistant General Manager for Power Delivery at the City of Tallahassee, for a timely conversation recorded in April 2026 as hurricane season preparations ramp up. They open with a proud local note: Tallahassee's recent win at the FMEA Florida Lineman Competition.

Mike pulls back the curtain on what utility hurricane preparedness looks like day-to-day, walking through thetabletop exercise process and why the "cone of uncertainty" demands flexibility. A storm can shift at any time, and being a responsible mutual aid partner means staying ready regardless. He also draws a clear distinction between preparing for a hurricane versus a tornado, two threats that require very different playbooks. With 20 years in the industry, Mike reflects on the biggest shift he's seen: customers now expect real-time information during outages, and communication has become a core part of the restoration process, not an afterthought.

Kevin Guthrie: Prepare to Recover (FMEA Public Powercast Special Feature) Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Kevin Guthrie, Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), discusses the 2026hurricane season with a straightforward message: "Be ready for your one."

Guthrie unpacks Florida's "Let's prepare to recover" philosophy, covering the practical steps that bring it to life: filling out forms correctly, providing required documentation, and F-ROC (Florida's Recovery Obligation Calculation), a toolaimed at making recovery more proactive and the public assistance program faster and more streamlined. He also clarifies what FMEA members should and should not do to prepare for hurricane season.

Guthrie closes with a reminder that often gets overlooked: don't forget about your employees.

Episode #231: Brooks Williams – Turning Around a Divided City in Ferris, Texas Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Brooks Williams, City Manager of Ferris, Texas, joins hostSteve Vancore to share one of the more remarkable turnaround stories in recent local government memory. When Brooks arrived, Ferris had cycled through 12 citymanagers in 10 years, council members had come to blows, and a widely read article had dubbed it "the town where everyone hates each other." Despite sitting alongside a major Texas interstate, the city was not growing.

Brooks walks through the approach he took to change theculture, including getting out of the office and into the community to build relationships, using plain language to rebuild public trust, breaking down organizational silos, and requiring every public employee to complete a basic public administration course. He reflects on the importance of having people willing to stand with you when difficult, unpopular decisions must be made, and what it takes to transform division into momentum.

Episode #230: Steve Williamson – The Intersection of Strategy and Infrastructure in Key Biscayne Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

Steve Williamson, Village Manager of Key Biscayne, joinshost Steve Vancore to discuss the unique infrastructure challenges of managing a barrier island community of 15,000 residents on just one square mile, accessible only via a seven-mile causeway. Williamson shares how Key Biscayne completed a decades-long project to remove all septic systems in 2024, an initiative that began in 2005 and reflected residents' genuine understanding of the connection between water quality and how waste is managed on small lots.

The conversation explores what Williamson calls the "soft side of infrastructure" and the village's ResilientInfrastructure and Adaptation Program (RIAP), which organizes community resilience around five lines of operation: stormwater system improvements, roadway upgrades, undergrounding utilities, shoreline protection, and the policy and zoning work that ties it all together. It is a thoughtful look a how small but complex communities can take a comprehensive, strategic approach to long-term infrastructure planning.

Episode #229: Dr. James Poag – Organizational Leadership and a New Chapter in Florida City Aug 28, 2026

Show notes

Dr. James Poag, City Manager of Florida City, joins hostSteve Vancore to discuss his first seven months leading a city that recently transitioned from a strong mayor form of government to a commission/manager structure. Drawing on his Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership and Higher Education Management and his prior experience as Strategic Administrative Officer at Miami Gardens, Dr. Poag shares what it takes to step into a new leadership role and hit the ground running.

Dr. Poag discusses the similarities and differences betweenhis previous role and leading a team of 147 in Florida City, and how he stays as accessible to the community as possible while managing the demands of thejob. He credits time management and a strong staff as the keys to balancing both. The conversation also covers the city's shift to a four-day, 10-hour workweek, which has extended service hours and improved community access, a practical example of how thoughtful organizational changes can benefit residents directly.

Episode #228: Mark Nutsch – Leadership Lessons from a Green Beret Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

Mark Nutsch, featured speaker at the 2026 FCCMA Conference,joins host Steve Vancore for a conversation about leadership under the most demanding conditions imaginable. A former U.S. Army Special Forces commander, Mark led a 12-man Green Beret team that was among the first deployed toAfghanistan in the days following the 9/11 attacks, an experience later portrayed in the film 12 Strong, where he was portrayed by Chris Hemsworth.

Mark reflects on the leadership principles that guided himthrough that mission and how they apply to organizations of any kind. He makes a compelling case for collaborative partnership over going it alone, capturing it simply: if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. It is a powerful conversation about trust, technical proficiency, and what it truly means to lead a team.

Episode #227: Norton Bonaparte – Community Engagement and Building the Next Generation of Leaders in Sanford Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

Norton Bonaparte, City Manager of Sanford, joins host SteveVancore to share lessons from nearly 15 years of leading the city. Norton is passionate about volunteerism and serves on numerous community boards, viewingthat engagement not as an add-on but as a core responsibility of being city manager — meeting residents where they are rather than always expecting them to come to city hall.

The conversation covers Sanford's growing population of over70,000, the financial challenges of adding a new fire station to keep pace with that growth, and an ongoing campaign to help residents better understand what services their property taxes fund. Norton also discusses a workforce development initiative built in partnership with the HR director to create a training pipeline for current and aspiring supervisors, ensuring they have the tools they need before stepping into leadership roles.

Episode #226: Carolyn Stone – Culture as Infrastructure in Palm Beach Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

Carolyn Stone, Deputy Town Manager of Palm Beach, joins hostSteve Vancore for a conversation about leadership, talent, and what it means to build a thriving government culture. Now in her fourth year as deputy town manager, Carolyn brings a background in parks and recreation and a deep passionfor performance management and talent recruitment.

Carolyn reflects on why parks and recreation are often achild's first introduction to local government, and how that early connection shapes her philosophy today. She and Steve discuss the importance of giving the next generation meaningful, fulfilling work that lets them see their effortscome to life. Carolyn also shares some of the unique operational realities of Palm Beach, including why the town maintains three fire stations for roughly 9,500 residents, given the town's long, narrow geography.

Episode #225: Jessica Savidge – Meeting Residents Where They Are in Palm Beach Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

Jessica Savidge, Administrative and Communications Manager for the Town of Palm Beach, joins host Steve Vancore to discuss how the town has professionalized its communications strategy to reach residents on their own terms. Jess shares how the town uses tools like the Axios "Smart Brevity" model and the CivicReady app, which uses geolocation technology to notify residents of emergencies.

The conversation covers creative outreach efforts, such as the "bring your own device open house," where the town's technical team helps residents install apps and navigate digital tools. Jess also discusses the unique challenge of communicating for a town that carries both local and national attention as the home of President Trump, and how the team stays grounded in their guiding principle: “WIIFM,” or “What's in It For Me,” ensuring every message is directly relevant to residents.

Episode #224: Mike McGlothlin – Managing Growth, Recovery, and the Business of Running Palm Coast Jul 16, 2026

Show notes

Mike McGlothlin, City Manager of Palm Coast, discusses the opportunities and pressures that come with explosive growth. Palm Coast has grown from 32,000 to over 115,000 residents since 2000, and Mike shares how the city recently completed a $300 million utilities bond project to help keep pace with that demand.

Drawing on his experience managing hurricane recovery in Redington Shores, where he oversaw recovery efforts for four storms in 18 months, Mike offers practical lessons on pre-storm planning, establishing multiple debris disposal sites, and keeping both community members and workers safe throughout the process. The conversation also addresses Palm Coast's 80-20 residential-to-commercialrevenue split, the potential budget implications of proposed increases to the homestead exemption, and Mike's positive experience contracting for law enforcement services through the Flagler County Sheriff's Office.

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