Manager Management
Resume:
William R. Ross Telephone: 517-***-****, home:
**** ******** ***** *****: **********@***.***
Jackson, Michigan 49203-3812
EDUCATION
B.A. Political Science University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
M.A. Municipal Administration, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
Certificate, Senior Executive Institute, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
Credentialed Manager, ICMA Credentialed Manager Program 2003-2008
QUALIFICATIONS
x Experience in diverse urban and high growth suburban communities.
x Experience in maintaining and enhancing the financial condition of the city.
x Experience in intergovernmental relations and joint service provision.
x Experience in successful economic development.
x Experience in communities with major entertainment venues.
x Experience in personnel, labor relations and team building.
x Experience in developing and implementing creative and innovative solutions to complex
local and regional issues.
x Experience in long range community planning.
x Experience in the operation of utilities including electric utilities.
PROFESSIONAL
EXPERIENCE
September, 2004
To Present
City Manager, City of Jackson, Michigan (population 36,600). Jackson is a mature, cen-
tral city with a diverse population located in south central Michigan. Jackson is a full ser-
vice community including providing water and sanitary sewer to four adjacent townships.
Jackson has a traditional industrial base that is making a successful transition to a service
and health based economy. Jackson has 310 full-time employees represented by four la-
bor unions. The adopted 2009-10 fiscal year budget exceeds $61,000,000. Successful
management accomplishments include: negotiating a wastewater treatment agreement
with Blackman Township that brought in $2,750,000 for the General Fund, implementing
Brownfield redevelopment programs, negotiating the sale and redevelopment of the for-
mer Hayes Hotel in downtown, negotiating labor agreements with Fire and Police unions
without binding arbitration, developing and implementing staff and operational sharing
agreement with three township fire departments, implementing joint economic develop-
ment efforts with five public and private partners, completing the process of converting
the first State Prison to an artists colony (this project was chosen the best community de-
velopment project in Michigan by the Members of the Michigan Municipal League at the
2008 Annual Conference), completing economic development projects that preserved or
brought over 1,000 jobs to the community and completing the $10,500,000 remodeling
and modernization of the City Hall.
July, 1997
to April, 2004
City Manager, City of Auburn Hills, Michigan (population 20,000). Auburn Hills is a rap-
idly growing suburban community in the Detroit metropolitan area. The daytime popula-
tion of Auburn Hills exceeds 70,000 persons. The community is home to Chrysler Corpo-
ration, Comerica Bank, EDS, Siemens, The Palace at Auburn Hills (home of the Detroit
Pistons and one of the top five venues in the country), Great Lakes Crossing Mall, Oakland
University(18,000 students), Oakland Community College, Borg-Warner Corporation and
numerous other technical and industrial businesses. Auburn Hills has been one of the fast-
est growing and most successful communities in Southeast Michigan. Auburn Hills has a
mixture of high end technical and research facilities, diverse retail opportunities, educa-
tional institutions, entertainment venues and a variety of housing. The City has 187 full-
time employees who are represented by three unions. The City provides a broad range of
services including police, fire, water, sanitary sewer, public works, community develop-
ment and planning, senior citizens, library, parks and a championship golf course. The
adopted 2004 fiscal year budget totaled $63,154,592. The taxable value of the community
is approximately $2,000,000,000 which is among the highest per capita in Michigan. Sig-
nificant management accomplishments include: developing and implementing a one and
five year capital improvement and financial planning program, constructing a Public Safety
Center of approximately 53,000 square feet at a cost of $12,000,000, developing and im-
plementing a master plan for the Village Area which is an older commercial area includ-
ing a 833 unit privately developed new urbanism housing development, developing and
implementing a street paving and maintenance program, developing and implementing a
neighborhood planning process to address specific neighborhood planning and develop-
ment issues, restructuring the organization to better address the issues of rapid growth and
development, implementing a system of interest based bargaining with the labor unions
and reducing the property tax rate by over 10%.
March, 1983
To March, 1997
City Manager, Yankton, South Dakota (population 13,250). Yankton is a medium sized
community located in southeastern South Dakota on the Missouri River. Yankton was in-
corporated in 1862 and is the oldest community in the Dakotas. The community is a mix
of four national historic districts contrasted with numerous newer homes, commercial and
industrial areas. Yankton has 132 full-time employees and provides a broad range of ser-
Resume-William R. Ross
Page 2
vices including police, fire, public works, parks and recreation, a golf course, a community
recreation center, water, sanitary sewer collection and treatment and regional airport.
Yankton and Yankton County jointly operate several services including a public safety
center, regional jail, enhanced 911 dispatch center, library, senior citizens center, solid
waste disposal, recycling center and emergency government. The 1997 budget was
$18,500,000 including capital improvements of $7,500,000. Significant management ac-
complishments include: conceptualizing, assisting in gaining voter approval and imple-
menting a $21,000,000 complex jointly with the Yankton School District including a new
senior high school, community recreation center, community events center and an aquatic
activities center, redevelopment of Riverside Park including boat launching facilities and
docks, an award winning amphitheater, irrigation, river walks, and other facilities, devel-
opment of 2,400 new jobs in the community through both the expansion of existing busi-
nesses and attraction of new businesses, creation of a downtown business improvement
district to allow improvements to the Central Business District and participation in the Na-
tional Main Street Program, assisted in the development of various arts programs including
Summer Arts Festival, Summer Concert Series, and the renovation of the Dakota Theater,
implementation of a tax increment district which included the purchase of 640 acres of
land and the development of the land with an eighteen hole municipal golf course, an in-
dustrial park, a mixed use commercial area and an affordable housing project utilizing
HOME Funds, assisting in the conversion of the bankrupt Yankton College to a minimum
security Federal Penal Camp, development of a privately financed and operated solid
waste to energy conversion project that won first place in the 1990 National League of Cit-
ies Innovations Awards Program, implementing a program to annex over 900 acres of land
to the City, strengthening the intergovernmental relationship of the City with Yankton
County, adjacent cities and counties and the State, and implementation of an organization-
wide computer system. Additional accomplishments include: planning and construction of
major storm water drainage improvements, construction of water treatment plant improve-
ments, developing and executing a bridge replacement program, and improving the finan-
cial status of the City while maintaining the lowest total tax rates among the cities over
5,000 in South Dakota.
February, 1977
To February, 1983
Village Administrator, Sussex, Wisconsin (population 8,500).
Sussex is a rapidly growing, outer ring suburb in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Sussex
is experiencing most of the challenges that accompany high rates of growth and develop-
ment. Sussex has experienced the highest rate of growth in population and tax base in the
Milwaukee area for the last twenty five years. Significant management accomplishments
include: completion of first comprehensive planning process including reaching a commu-
nity consensus on development and growth alternatives, including growth management,
development of capital improvements program and financing methods, negotiation and im-
plementation of a police services contract with Waukesha County, development and im-
plementation of economic development program resulting in the creation of over 3,000
new jobs and $183,000,000 in new tax base, creation and implementation of three tax in-
crement districts to allow implementation of community and economic development plans,
preparation and implementation of plans to annex approximately 250 acres of land into the
Resume-William R. Ross
Page 3
Village, creation of first personnel rules, position descriptions, and personnel system, en-
couraging Village, township, and county cooperation on issues such as police protection,
fire protection, library services, and sanitary sewer service, development and implementa-
tion of a "package" budget system to limit tax increases while maximizing service levels
and obtaining Federal grants in excess of $5,000,000.
June, 1970
To January, 1977
Administrative Assistant, Grand Island, Nebraska (population 41,500).
Grand Island is a full service, independent city in the Platte River Valley of central Ne-
braska. Grand Island provides a broad range of services including electric generation and
distribution. Significant management accomplishments include: obtaining state and Fed-
eral grants for sanitary sewer construction, developing park facilities, and police communi-
cations, conducting negotiations with four labor unions, reorganizing the central stores and
maintenance operation, implementing safety programs and implementing a personnel
evaluation program.
BACKGROUND
EXPERIENCE
A broad range of professional experience including service in three independent, full-
service cities and two rapidly growing suburban communities. Experience in tax increment
financing. Experience in the operation of an electric utility. Experience with extensive in-
tergovernmental service provision. Experience with economic and community develop-
ment and redevelopment programs. Experience in a community with a major entertain-
ment venue. Experience in maintaining and enhancing the financial status and revenue
base of the city government. Experience in planning and constructing major community
improvements. Experience in planning and coordination of activities with Federal, re-
gional, state, county, and private entities. Experience with environmental programs and
projects. Successful implementation of new or expanded services while controlling costs
and taxes. Ability to view the future and assist the community in preparing for that future.
Ability to develop and implement creative and innovative solutions to community chal-
lenges. Successful implementation of computer applications to municipal operations.
Proven ability to work interactively with elected officials, community groups, the public
and municipal employees to develop and implement programs furthering the established
goals of the community. Stability in employment status. Intelligence and drive to get the
job done!
Resume-William R. Ross
Page 4
PROFESSIONAL AND SERVICE AFFILIATIONS
Full Member-International City/County Management Association
2003-ICMA Credentialed Manager (to be renewed 2009)
1998-99-Member-Strategic Planning Committee
1993-Member-Task Force on the Council-Manager Plan
1993-Chair-Subcommittee on the Evolution of the Council-Manager Plan
1991-Member-1992 Conference Planning Committee
1988-Member-1989 Conference Planning Committee
1987-89-Member-Public Policy Committee
1986-Member-1987 Conference Planning Committee
Member-Michigan Local Government Management Association
2007-Present Member Board of Directors
1997-Member Winter Conference Planning Committee
1998-Present-Member-Ethics Committee
2001-2002-President-Oakland County Managers Association
Member-Great Open Spaces City Management Association 1983-97
1987-88-President
1986-87-Vice President
Member-Wisconsin City Management Association 1977-83
1982-Vice President
1982-Secretary-Treasurer
1981-Member-Board of Directors
1979-Member-Nominating Committee
Member-Nebraska City Management Association 1970-77
1976-77-Vice President
1975-76-Secretary-Treasurer
Memberships in Jackson
Member-Jackson Local Development Finance Authority
Member-Jackson Brownfield Redevelopment Authority
Member-Jackson City Planning Commission
Member-Region II Planning Commission Executive Committee
Member-General Employees Pension Board
Member-Act345 Police and Fire Pension Board
Member-Old Police and Fire Pension Board
Member-Board of Directors-Jackson Chamber of Commerce
Member-Board of Directors-Enterprise Group of Jackson
Member-Michigan Municipal League-Legislative Affairs Committee
Member-Michigan Municipal League-Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Member-Auburn Hills Optimist Club
Resume-William R. Ross
Page 5
2001-2003-Member-Board of Directors
Member-Yankton Jaycees 1983-84
Member-Sussex-Lisbon Jaycees 1977-83
1982-83-State Director
1978-83-Member-Board of Directors
Member-Yankton Rotary Club 1983-97
Member-First United Methodist Church (Jackson)
2006-Present Lay Delegate to Annual Conference
2008-Present Member-Conference Committee on the Episcopacy
Member-St. Paul s United Methodist Church
2001-2004-Member-Administrative Council
2001-2004-Secretary-Program Committee
2003-2004-Lay Delegate to Annual Conference
Member-First United Methodist Church (Yankton)
1992-1993-Chair-Administrative Board
1991, 1995-Chair-Council on Ministries
1989-Vice Chair-Administrative Board
1985-1997-Member-Administrative Board
1983-1997-Member-Finance Committee
1986-Chair-Finance Committee
1983-Chair-Stewardship Campaign
South Dakota Law Enforcement Standards and Training Commission
1988-1997-Member
Southeastern South Dakota Drug Task Force
1990-1995-Member-Board of Directors
Governor's Task Force on Essential Air Service
1987-89-Member
South Dakota Municipal League
1993-1997-Trustee-Board of Directors
1988-1996-Member-Resolutions Committee
1990-1994-Chair-Municipal Administration Policy Committee
1989-Vice Chair-Municipal Administration Policy Committee
1985-1997-Member-Municipal Administration Policy Committee
1984-Member-Intergovernmental Relations Policy Committee
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