This is the last article I will write as a City Manager. I have spent forty years in public administration, twenty-two as a City Manager, fifteen of those years here in Coconut Creek. I am indebted to this City and am greatly humbled by the opportunity and the experience that it has given me.

It was my rare and good fortune that the Commission that appointed me also gave me the gift of their unwavering trust and confidence. Rarer still, that good fortune has been a cornerstone of my relationship with every Commission. With their cooperation and encouragement, civility then became the cornerstone of the corporate culture of the City itself and the reason we have become so successful.

I was recently interviewed by a writer doing research for a book on management guidance for corporate executives. He asked what qualities did a chief executive or manager need to be successful. For me, it’s all about passion and compassion. We were all conceived and born in an act of passion and our death will also be an act of passion. Do we not then have a responsibility to conduct ourselves accordingly with the precious time we have on this tiny little planet? We also have a responsibility to act compassionately with those with whom and for whom we work. Looking out for others can be strangely addictive. It really does feel good!

I crave and have enjoyed here an environment that is competitive, risk-taking, and challenging. It has provided optimal conditions for me to be effective and productive. I could not have endured a stagnant workplace that would limit me to one year of experience repeated fifteen times. I suffered through such a scenario in a previous employment as a City Manager and would never subject myself to those conditions again. There I was relegated to simply being a manager. The inept City Commission had no vision and, lacking vision and leadership, it internalized its frustration, bickered, and floundered. It restricted resources, countermanded my authority, and diminished my responsibility. Today, the State of Florida, which clearly suffers from a similar lack of vision and effective leadership, is now imposing those same negative conditions on all the cities and counties of Florida and, I predict, it will have the same demoralizing and debilitating long-term effect on public employees and services throughout the State. It would be refreshing if all the college-educated elected officials in Tallahassee had the common sense to stop shoveling as the hole around them keeps getting deeper. Instead we get another knee-jerk tax-cut proposal-of-the week reaction to an increasingly man-made crisis (Lucky us that they were distracted long enough to pass bills on creationism and take your gun to work).

This City has been a leader in promoting the environment and energy conservation through education and practical application for more than a dozen years now. From hybrid and pure electric vehicles to telecommunications, WiFi, and Wildlife habitat certifications, we walked the walk while others were just learning to talk it. This will be an enduring legacy and a challenge as we are faced with unprecedented growth in the MainStreet area. It is reasonable to expect the construction value within that 400 acre site over the next twenty years to be between 5-8 billion dollars (Hopefully, despite the intervening efforts of our inept State Legislators, some of it will remain taxable). Over the short or long term view, I expect this City will be successful because of the strength of the combined commitment of our elected officials, the talent of an extraordinary workforce, and the support and involvement of our community.

Last month I closed by saying that our destiny awaits us. It does, but we should not wait for destiny. As William Jennings Bryant said: “Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not something to be waited for; it is something to be achieved.”

I am confident that the extremely capable and dedicated people that will lead this City will continue to make the right choices and that a wonderful destiny will certainly be achieved. Thank you all for letting me be a part of it!

It has been a unique privilege and my great pleasure to serve you!

Slainte!

John Kelly