Glendale, AZ - News

Assistant City Manager Pam Kavanaugh Honored

At the recent Arizona City/County Manager's Association winter conference, Assistant City Manager Pam Kavanaugh was awarded the inaugural ACMA Outstanding Assistant's Award, an honor given to only one person each year in the state of Arizona.

ACMA's Outstanding Assistant's Award

The Arizona City/County Management Association (ACMA) this year announced the addition of
the Outstanding Assistant's Award as a new annual professional achievement award for its members. This award is designed to recognize members who contribute to the profession, their organization, and the ACMA, at an Assistant rather than at the CEO level. The award will be conveyed annually to the successful recipient at ACMA's annual Winter Conference beginning in 2007.

Pam has been employed with the City of Glendale since 1980 and has served in several senior administrative positions since that time. Since March 2003, Pam has served as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Glendale and is currently responsible for overseeing internal operations and directly supervising four deputy city managers, the offices of the elected officials, and Human Resources. 

Prior to that, Pam served as a Deputy City Manager for Community Services for two years and as the Director of Council Management Services for ten years. In these various roles, Pam has worked directly for the City Manager’s Office and has been responsible for administration, budget preparation, and city-wide project coordination.

Pam began her career with the City of Glendale as the very first management intern and she has continued to hold progressively responsible positions since that time. Pam’s demonstration of exceptional leadership have provided for the foundation for such a lengthy and successful career in Glendale. Throughout her tenure as the Assistant City Manager, Pam has demonstrated her willingness to tackle new projects, proactively address areas of concern, and implement various programs and policies that enable the city to operate effectively and efficiently. 

Most recently, Pam coordinated the implementation of a comprehensive Ethics program for all City Employees.  The creation and implementation of this program included conducting research with employees in a focus group on the ethical issues that are encountered, identifying appropriate courses of action, and implementing a training program that tied everything together.  In order to keep the program alive and interactive, current information, articles, and ethical questions are posted to the City Manager’s intranet web page.  Over the years, Pam has implemented other programs that have had a positive impact on the community and city operations to include developing a Neighborhood Partnerships Office, Glendale University, Risk Management department, Employee Benefits division, employee wellness program, and strategic planning programs.

In addition to all of Pam’s hard work for the City, she is also a dedicated member of several organizations outside of the city.  Pam is currently a board member for ACMA and Sun Valley Animal Shelter (AKA Sun City Animal Rescue). In addition, Pam has served on several committees and boards in the past for the International City/County Management Association (ICMA).  Her service to these organizations has created a positive force in her career and value to both the City of Glendale and the participating organizations.

One recent example of how Pam’s commitment to the community and Glendale has created value to her reputation and the profession is a recent cooperative effort that has been dubbed – the “Fido” bags project.  This endeavor came about after hearing stories of families whose homes had caught fire and the fire rescue personnel on scene were unable to effectively administer emergency aid to the animals that had fallen victim. Through Pam’s work in the community with Sun Valley Animal Shelter, she coordinated a partnership to secure funding to provide “Fido” bags containing CPR masks, small oxygen kits, and burn treatment kits that are specifically used for domestic animals.  Her efforts have provided for Glendale fire units to be equipped with this live-saving equipment.

Pam possesses a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Portland State University and a Master of Public Administration degree from Arizona State University. She is a great mentor and example to other employees within the organization with regard to continued professional development through education and life-long learning. Pam is one of the few employees that have been with the City of Glendale for more than 25 years and truly worked her way up through the ranks. 

Pam’s incredible reputation for professionalism and extremely high degree of ethics is exhibited throughout her interactions with staff, elected officials, and the community.