Juan Ganum
Chair, Ethics Committee
What motivated you to join the ranks of municipal management? Think back to what led you to choose the path that brought you to the chair you occupy today—whether in a city, village, township, or county. While each of us has our own personal reasons for pursuing a career as a municipal manager, I believe that one of the common threads among the members who form our statewide association is the virtues of selflessness and service.
Without exception, every one of you who I have had the privilege and pleasure to meet has demonstrated, through words or actions, an overarching commitment to bringing about a better tomorrow for the communities you manage. My sense is that this deeply rooted feeling—call it altruism if you will—is shared among the whole of our organization. It is a feeling that is born not from a desire to enrich ourselves and seek our names to be spotlighted, but rather from the idea that public service should be guided by the pursuit of the well-being of others. We seek choices that align first and foremost with the public interest—not those which bring about personal gain.
A selfless approach to decision making involves considering the broader implications for the communities we manage so that upholding public trust never falls out of focus, which is at the core of the ICMA Code of Ethics, by which we are bound. While a number of other professions, such as social work, nursing, and education, are also characterized by individuals who possess “the heart of a servant,” ours is quite unique in the scope it encompasses. Entire communities rely on our commitment to transparency, accountability, and fairness—all ethical principles that are underscored by a genuine desire to serve and advance the best interests of all.
I am proud to be a municipal manager, a profession that has granted me the opportunity to pursue my aim of making the world—or at least, a very small corner of it—a better place for those who live and work there. As I reflect on our shared ethical tenets and the profound sense of service that binds us, I invite each of you to take a moment and ponder the unique impact you have made in your own communities. Let’s celebrate the collective dedication that fuels us, ensuring that a legacy of selfless service continues to thrive within the Michigan Municipal Executives.
Juan Ganum
Chair, Ethics Committee