Parting is such sweet sorrow

Shakespeare was the man when it came to comedy and tragedy. His ability to make people feel the intense emotions of the characters is still imitated today. The past few months have been filled with a bit of excited anticipation at City Hall as several longtime and high-level employees have found new roles in other acts. I’m here to borrow some Shakespearean lines, the first being from Ophelia, “We know what we are, but know not what we may be.” (Hamlet)

The first of the departures were the city planner and the parks and recreation director. They both had decades of experience in Boulder City, and retired to do all the wonderful things retirees do – and without an alarm clock waking them each day! “I feel within me a peace above all earthly dignities, a still and quiet conscience.” (Henry VIII)

We should always strive for better. When the city’s public works director recently announced his resignation, I thanked him for his service and wished him well. He accepted an offer from a private firm, calling it an offer he couldn’t refuse. As Hamlet said, “This above all: to thine own self be true.”

The biggest departure comes from the top. City Manager Taylour Tedder accepted a job in a beautiful beach community on the East Coast. Taylour was hired at the end of the pandemic, moving from his home state of Kansas to a city that he had seen one other time. He worked hard to become a part of the community. Watching him leave next week will be difficult, as he has been such a great leader during a unique time of transition. “Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” (Twelfth Night)

When I started working as a young man, many of the older people that worked around me had held the same job for years – even decades. Change is constant, and much has changed over the years. I think about the upper-level management team in Boulder City over the past 20 years. I see hard-working, dedicated staff looking to keep our community a great place to live, work, play and retire. I also have noticed over the years as directors and managers have moved on or retired, there is little to no impact on city services. Why?

The sure sign of a good manager is that when he or she leaves an organization, no one notices.

Things continue to run smoothly. That’s because good leaders train their staff to lead. They give them the tools they need for success. They constantly grow the next generation of supervisors.

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players. They have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts.” (As You Like It) Here in Boulder City, the entrances and exits are a part of running government effectively and efficiently. I believe in the staff in City Hall, and I have every confidence that they will continue to provide the excellent service we’ve come to know.