 |
It was October 1, 1952, and I was sitting in the San Francisco office of Westinghouse Electric for sales in Northern California. Don Fletcher was there. He suggested that I apply for an “Internship in Public Affairs” sponsored by the Coro Foundation. I was single, owned my car, and had $2,000 in the bank, so I quit Westinghouse. Coro seemed like the stepping stone that would give me entry into city management, my choice for a future career.
Sure enough, Coro launched my 35-year career in city management through the power of the Coro network. I had submitted job applications for several positions in the Los Angeles area. None were going anywhere. It was when I stopped in to see Bill Parness, Coro ’50, city manager of Claremont, that I learned there might be an opening for an administrator in the town next door—Glendora.
I got that job, at age 27, with a very slim resume that included the Coro training. After a few months as the City Administrator—a position set forth by resolution—I submitted an ordinance for a council-manager form of government. It passed! So I was the first city manager of Glendora.
Coro helped me a lot during those years of rapid growth—from 1954 to 1958 when the town grew from 6,666 to over 18,000. One of my Coro assignments was in the S. F. Planning Department, which helped me grasp the importance of long-range planning.
|
I hired Gordon Whitnall & Assoc. to give us direction for creating the first comprehensive land use plan. Concurrently, I hired the first City Planner of any city in the East San Gabriel Valley, except Pomona.
I learned a lot in Coro. The internship assignments all served me well. The month in the S.F. Finance Department—while not making me an accountant—gave me a solid frame of reference for those first budgets I was responsible for in Glendora, and subsequently in four other cities. My assignment in S.F. Parks & Recreation helped me formulate park development plans.
My career path led me northward, first Roseburg, Oregon, then Yakima, Washington, followed by Lewiston, Idaho, and closing with Florence, Oregon.
Since retiring in 1991, I have had four consulting assignments to aid in the “democratization” of city governments in former communist countries: Bulgaria, Poland, Russia,and Lithuania. Back home, I have organized and directed a Leadership/Florence program to urge citizens to run for public office—using some Coro techniques in experiential learning. For the last six years, I have chaired the Heceta Head Coastal Conference which “informs and educates the public on the need for a healthy, productive, and resilient marine ecosystem.”
I had several occasions to connect with Don Fletcher after leaving the Coro Internship. One stands out. On a business trip to Portland, about 1970 I believe, Don invited me to come there and share a lunch. The visit made me feel I was a worthy “Exturn” of Coro.
Craig McMicken
Class of 1954 |