OV Town Talk: With new Town Manager Jeff Wilkins
Published on September 20, 2023
It is such a pleasure to be here in Oro Valley. I am very happy to serve the residents of Oro Valley, and I’d like to thank our Town Council for putting their trust in me. I began serving this beautiful community on June 12, 2023, and I’m closing in on my first 90 days with the Town. In that time, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many community leaders and stakeholders. The theme I consistently heard is that everyone cares about the future of Oro Valley, and we all want Oro Valley to be an excellent community in which to live, work, play and raise families.
In my short time here, I’ve already noticed that Oro Valley is fortunate to have dedicated volunteers, advisory committees and community organizations. We support volunteerism, whether that’s serving on a board or commission, volunteering with the Police Department or other department committees. It takes ALL of us, working toward the same goal, to ensure the success of this community. I offer my sincerest thanks to volunteers, past and present, for being part of our Town’s story.
We also have an experienced and knowledgeable leadership team and staff who work to plan for our future neighborhoods, parks, infrastructure, water sustainability and service improvements. Staff has also developed collaborative relationships with our partners at other levels of government, nonprofits and community organizations that work to make Oro Valley a special place. We’ll identify opportunities to collaborate and support our partners in areas where we share common goals.
We’ll continue providing high quality core services to Town residents, and supporting our local businesses through the Business Retention and Expansion Program and working to help employers find expansion assistance and employee training.
With talented staff, volunteers and quality services already in place, I am ready to help lead this organization into the next chapter. But before I dive into that, please allow me to tell you a little about myself.
I’ve had a dedicated career in local government for 27 years, serving in communities during fast growth, slow growth and redevelopment. In that time, I’ve had the pleasure of serving as a County Administrator in Kendall County, Illinois; City Manager of Buchanan, Michigan; Assistant Town Manager in Fishers, Indiana; and Director of Administration and Treasurer for a regional authority in Greater Columbus, Ohio.
While the local needs and challenges in Arizona differ from those in the Midwest, there are some universal values when it comes to public service, regardless of location: leadership, collaboration, efficiency and transparency.
My leadership philosophy is “servant leadership,” and my management style is based on “we,” including partnerships with our community stakeholders. My 27 years in public service have helped me develop strong skills in strategic planning, intergovernmental relations, economic development, capital planning, budget and finance, team building and staff development.
There are always opportunities for improvement when it comes to running a transparent and efficient organization, so I’ll be fine-tuning some of our operations and processes. I've asked each department to develop operational performance measures related to customer service and/or business efficiency, which will then be provided to Town Council and the residents we serve. In addition to improving efficiency, my goal is that these efforts will also increase transparency and public understanding of the work we do in serving the public.
I am also looking into some of the challenges and opportunities facing our community. For example, did you know that a high percentage of our residents commute to jobs outside of Oro Valley? In addition, a high percentage of jobs here in Oro Valley are filled by workers who commute from other parts of the metro area. We’ll continue working to attract major employers as well as listening to our current employers on ways we can support their efforts to employ a talented workforce right here in Oro Valley.
One of the opportunities I’m already working on is the Vistoso Trails Nature Preserve. It didn't take long for me to understand how passionate Oro Valley is about the Preserve, and I applaud the efforts of our residents who raised over $1.8M to secure the land purchase. I know this is important to you. I believe it is critical to receive additional input from nearby residents, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and Town Council before we proceed with implementing construction improvements. Each of these groups will have the opportunity to participate in a planning exercise to create an implementation plan that best meets the needs of our community.
2024 is the Town’s 50th Anniversary. I encourage every citizen and community group to think creatively to develop activities for your group’s 2024 programs related to your civic pride or the Town’s 50-year history. Let’s show our community pride.
In the weeks and months ahead, I will continue learning from the community so that I can lead more effectively with the Town Council. Oro Valley is a community of choice for residents and businesses, and I will strive to ensure it remains that way.