With our competition out of the way, we were determined to make the most of our remaining time at the TCMA conference. To do this, we heard from a rewarding speaker, got an Association update from the new President of TCMA, engaged in a networking lunch, and stole a few moments on the beach.
AI and City Government
Our last true session of the conference featured, Ann Marie Sastry, a distinguished mechanical engineer and entrepreneur known for her groundbreaking work in energy systems engineering and artificial intelligence. She earned her bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Delaware and a PhD from Cornell University.
Following a career in academia, Dr. Sastry co-founded Sakti3, and she currently serves as President and CEO of Amesite, an AI software company. She brought this work home to us by noting that the days of City Managers being able to ignore AI in their communications and analyses are over. She went so far to say that any company who doesn’t begin use of AI in the immediate future won’t be in business in 2030, comparing such a decision to a business in 1995 choosing not to use computers.
Her talk was well received, and for us, two things stood out, both of which are relevant to what we do. One, she mentioned that AI could write a blog in 8 seconds, which is significantly shorter than the time we take! Second, she noted that AI can easily do a PowerPoint for free; but free AI cannot do an excellent PowerPoint. And while this was a suggestion from her that City Managers should look closely at which AI companies they use, it was a reminder to us to put some old-fashioned thought and sweat equity into our blogs and our PowerPoints.
Passing of the Torch: A New President of the TCMA
The last day of the conference, Sunday, June 23, began by foreshadowing the 2025 conference in San Antonio…
…with a nice promotional video that stirred some excitement among the audience.
It also marked the passing of the torch from President Opal Mauldin-Jones to Jay Abercrombie, City Manager of Henderson.
Mr. Abercrombie became emotional as he thanked his family, Association members, and noted the passing of his father.
But he composed himself quickly, making a joke about his inability (the day before) to pronounce the word “academician.” With much fanfare, he demonstrated a successful pronunciation of the term.
In an animated speech, he highlighted some features of the Association…
…ensured everyone was aware of next year’s meeting in San Antonio, and encouraged members not to become cliquish which, he noted, they have a “tendency to do.”
And with that admonishment, the Conference ended…
…with members mingling (uncliquishly), and reflecting on a positive and productive conference.
Among those members were a group of six SHSU students, all newly minted TCMA members!
Following a grueling morning of competition and a light afternoon of sessions…
…we headed out to tour the Rio Grande Valley. Accordingly, we traveled through Brownsville, to Harlingen, into McAllen, and to Edinburg, TX. Of course, with some hikes and adventures before us, we felt it necessary to arm up with coffee and ice cream…
After a challenging competition, we sought solace in the natural beauty of the Rio Grande Valley’s parks. Our first destination, Hugh Ramsey Nature Park, introduced me to this vibrant region and marked my second hike with LEAP since last spring’s memorable time with the City Fellows at Eastham Thomason Park. It was a journey filled with delightful encounters with unfamiliar bird species, lizards, and butterflies, each adding to the day’s sense of discovery.
As we ventured along the trails, Yajaira’s keen eye caught sight of a Texas Spiny Lizard—a master of disguise amidst the flora. Its small size and effective camouflage made it difficult for us to spot even with her guidance.
Throughout our walk, the vibrant Green Jays stole the show with their emerald-green body and striking blue facial features. I found myself captivated by their beauty and unique behaviors.
Among the most memorable moments was our encounter with a Chachalaca, a large, completely brown bird that confidently strutted along the pathway, affording us a rare close-up view.
Later, another of its kind revealed itself nestled discreetly among the trees!
Our wildlife observations extended beyond bird species, including bunnies hopping along the path.
Additionally, the trails were filled with numerous butterflies…
…fluttering alongside impressively large dragonflies….
…and we saw the occasional water bird, including Black Bellied Whistling Ducks.
We also took shots of the Valley’s interesting flora, including a triangle cactus…
…an aloe plant of some sort (suggestions welcome!)…
…and a sulphur butterfly on a white flower…
Perhaps the best shot of the day came from Cinthia, who captured a Buff Bellied Hummingbird “eating” at a Turk’s Cap flower.
Estero Llano Grande State Park
Excited to explore another park, we made our way to Estero Llano Grande State Park. We spotted two park rangers gathered around a table with a container on it as we approached the entrance. Upon closer inspection, we realized it contained a tarantula! The rangers explained that they found it in the parking lot and placed it in the container to ensure its safety. Personally, not being a fan of spiders, I opted to keep my distance…
As we began walking into the trails, one of the first sights that caught our attention was a multi-family bird dwelling! I discovered that the species, the Purple Martin, often inhabits these man-made houses to build their nests. The structure was vibrant and quite charming. Stephanie elaborated on how these birds prefer such homes, which are frequently provided for them.
A House Sparrow “Squatting” in a Purple Martin Home
The prospect of encountering alligators along the Alligator Trail, mentioned by Professor Yawn, filled Olivia, Cinthia, and me with a mix of excitement and apprehension.
Walking cautiously by the river, we kept a respectful distance from the water’s edge. Despite our concerns, we were delighted to spot a baby alligator lurking in the water!
Naturally, our next question was about the whereabouts of its mother…
As we reached the expansive deck overlooking Ibis Pond, we settled in for a moment to take it all in. It was a serene conclusion to our time in South Padre, blending relaxation with learning. I cherished the opportunity to reflect quietly with the group, surrounded by the soothing sounds of nature.
The TCMA annual conference is designed for current and aspiring city managers to gain professional development and to network. But as a way of cultivating the next generation of city managers, they sponsor a “InterCollegiate Bowl” (ICB).
The ICB involves numerous components, which are described here and here, but our focus today was to highlight our (1) community service project and (2) capstone project. Our team was led by Team Captain, Olivia Discon, and members Cinthia Villarreal, Yajaira Gutierrez Marin, Chrissy Biello, Victoria Medrano, and Michelle Cardenas.
Our competition included teams of Master of Public Administration students from around the state, many of them seasoned professionals in the public admin world.
In short, we expected stiff competition, and that’s what we got!
For our Community Service project, we decided to highlight our Citizenship Preparatory Course, which was conducted in April. The five-week course, helping local immigrants learn how to pass the naturalization exam, proved to be a resounding success! With a 121% improvement in the local immigrants test scores, our project reflected the resilience of our community and a job well done. But there was an implicit success that can’t be measured, which are the relationships made through this course. Many of the people we’ve met have become friends and have come to have a true stake in the Huntsville community. Following the course, 9 of the 22 students attended a Huntsville City Council Meeting, where they were recognized by City Council for their efforts.
We approached our Capstone as we do with everything in LEAP: as a cross-disciplinary learning opportunity with the goal of serving others. Addressing issues such as infrastructure, marketing, quality of life, strategic planning, and workforce development, the project reflected individual internship experiences at the City of Huntsville to showcase substantive projects that ultimately benefitted the community.
What we hadn’t realized is that through our capstone, we caught a glimpse into what it is like to be a City Manager. Overseeing multiple projects that overlap with one another was an extraordinary learning experience that cannot be taught in the classroom.
Our opportunity to showcase these projects occurred on Saturday morning, from 7:30-10am. The presentations, which took place in the front hall, involved numerous people stopping by to learn more about our projects, and some of these were “mystery graders.” These mysterious types were actually city managers who were part of a team assessing our projects.
Following these components of our grading, we were in first place, having completed these aspects of the Bowl with about 99 percent of the possible points. Only the Jeopardy contest was left.
Jeopardy
In the final portion of the ICB, worth 750 points, was a Jeopardy-style game all about local government. To prepare for this component of the contest, we studied some 250 terms and concepts associated with city management. This was a bit of overkill, because we were not told of the categories until the first day of the conference. Once we learned these, we refined our studying to these areas: Budget & Taxes; Planning & Zoning; Economic Development; City Council and; Human Resources.
But even with the preparation, we learned some new information at the last minute. For example, our entrance was done “spirit style,” with strutting and intro music, a prospect that made us nervous.
The lead-in to the competition was done up right by TCMA, with teams showing their spirit as they came in.
SHSU entered last, a grand entrance, befitting our first-place (at the time…) status.
Whooping it up is not our style, but we did our best, with Olivia as our official team captain and Michelle as our “team spirit leader.”
It was our first time in this competition, and our inexperience was telling.
Many of the opposing teams had returning members, who not only knew the format, but also knew key tactics and, surprisingly in some cases, the questions.
This learning curve got us, and while we did not excel in this contest, we were satisfied knowing that while we might not have been the first to hit the buzzer…
…we did know the answers to about eighty-five percent of the questions (we did learn, on the spot, what a “claw-back provision” is….). And we had fun.
In the end, we finished third. The top three were close, with UNT Masters of Public Administration leading the way (1020 points), TAMU’s Masters of Public Service team in second (976 points), and the LEAP Center’s undergraduate team in third, with 930 points.
UTSA’s Masters program finished fourth with 530 points, and SFA’s Masters program served as the caboose.
Takeaways
Our goals for this contest were not related to points or placement. Rather, our goal was to do the best we could do on the individual components. We wanted to network with city officials, learning from them, and developing relationships. We wanted a broad-based curriculum in our coaching, which we accomplished, setting up meetings with a City Manager, two City Secretaries, a City Attorney, an HR Director, and a Police Chief. And we served our community by completing our volunteer project, while also learning a lot about city government, even if the Jeopardy contest didn’t fully reflect our learning. What was most important to us is that we achieved these goals while doing, we hope, good things for the community and others.
In preparing for the ICB, we had many coaches and mentors along the way, all of whom are experts in their discipline. Brian Beasley, Director of HR for the City of Huntsville provided us with a great Mock Interview; Thomas Leeper, City Attorney of Bryan generously spent time answering questions about legal aspects of municipal government; Stephanie Fors, Former City Secretary of Huntsville discussed the politics of a changing council for a charter officer (and served as a great “Team Mom”); Miranda Estrada, Economic Development Specialist of Huntsville served as a mentor and supporter; Fabrice Kabona, City Manager of Madisonville taught us much about Madisonville and City Management; Chief Kevin Lunsford, Former Police Chief of Huntsville educated us on policing and politics; Kristy Doll, City Secretary of Huntsville instructed us on agendas, organization, and parliamentary procedure; Sam Masiel, Assistant City Manager of Huntsville was a key supporter and; Aron Kulhavy, City Manager of Huntsville asked some excellent questions in a preview session. Each provided invaluable guidance for our team of young professionals. We truly appreciated the time each of these individuals put into shaping our paths for the better, and while we may not have won the TCMA ICB, we came home feeling like winners!
Our third day at the TCMA was to be our longest, at least with scheduled events. We had a full day of conference sessions, a networking dinner, and, of course, some final practice on our presentations and study for our knowledge contest. Accordingly, we were up early and, more or less, ready to take the day on.
Opening General Session: Transforming Workplace Dynamics
The conference kicked off with a compelling keynote by Michael Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work, who shared findings from a global workplace survey.
He highlighted key elements essential for a healthy work environment: high trust, pride in meaningful work, and strong camaraderie.
Drawing parallels with conquering Mount Everest, Bush emphasized the importance of believing in one’s capabilities to achieve seemingly impossible goals.
Bush classified leaders into various types, ranging from unintentional leaders who lack clarity in their roles to Level 5 leaders inspired by Jim Collins’ concept of comprehensive leadership. He underscored the transformative impact of AI on workplaces, urging attendees to embrace and leverage AI capabilities proactively.
Building a Workplace Culture for Innovation, Productivity, and Sustainability: Leading with Love
In the first of the concurrent sessions, attended by Yajaira, Michelle, Victoria, and Cinthia, the students heard from Dr. Church, whom they had met with the night before over dinner.
Dr. Church emphasized the importance of cultivating a workplace culture that fosters innovation, enhances productivity, and promotes sustainability. Executives are increasingly challenged with retaining top talent, developing future leaders, and maintaining a positive employment brand that resonates with their employees and the public.
For this to be successful, companies must leverage employee values for enhanced productivity and loyalty, implementing effective motivation techniques, and fostering a culture conducive to innovation and knowledge creation. It’s important for leader to ensure that employees’ personal goals and organizational values are in alignment, a situation that increase productivity, with people working together toward team goals.
The New City Manager: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities
Another of the concurrent sessions, “The New City Manager,” was one of our favorites, providing invaluable insights from experienced leaders stepping into new roles:
James Attaway of Quitman advised new managers to trust their teams while verifying details, stressing the importance of building a supportive organizational culture.
Terrell Smith from Marshall regretted not immediately focusing on understanding building codes and city charters, highlighting the importance of foundational knowledge. He encouraged realistic expectations about city resources and confident negotiation of their value.
Ashley Wayman from Rollingwood emphasized recognizing personal value and impact as a new manager. She highlighted the significance of understanding key stakeholders in the community for effective navigation of city dynamics.
Moderator Mayra Cantu shared a community engagement success story from Bartlett, illustrating the power of transparency and collaboration in gaining community support for city projects.
Losing the Chair: Lessons in City Management
In the session “Losing the Chair,” experienced city managers Hector Forestier and Jared Miller shared candid insights about the prospects of losing your job in the volatile city-management business:
Hector Forestier emphasized the importance of networking and understanding contracts, reflecting on his early career without a contract and the subsequent lessons learned from peers.
Jared Miller echoed similar sentiments, stressing the necessity of contract negotiation awareness and shared personal experiences, including the negotiation of favorable terms and benefits.
Paul Parker, who mentored both Forestier and Miller, provided additional guidance on navigating city management challenges and contract negotiations.
Interestingly, Forestier was the City Manager of Willis, TX, and he started an internship program there.
His first intern was Zach Goodlander, a LEAP Ambassador. Goodlander is now the acting City Manager of Fulshear, TX.
Awards
As part of our networking efforts, we attended the awards luncheon, and we were happy to see UNT Professor Robert Bland…
…receive a service award. The University of North Texas not only has an excellent reputation for their MPA program (especially City Management), they have also (spoiler alert) won every ICB ever held at TCMA. Many thanks to Professor Bland for his service.
Also, SHSU Alum and Manager in Residence, Laurie Brewer–Assistant City Manager for Georgetown–won the Mentor Award for her great service. She has been a friendly face and wonderful supporter of our team, and we congratulate Ms. Brewer.
Key Takeaways and Reflections
The conference was a great way to learn about the challenges that face city managers and other city staff, while also learning some leadership styles to overcome those challenges. We are very appreciative of the support we’ve seen here, and for the tips provided that may make us more productive and effective leaders in the community.
Following our day of travel and storm-related adventure, we were ready to get down to business in preparation of our “Intercollegiate Bowl.”
The contest is part of the larger Texas City Management Association Conference, in which City Managers (and other managers and stakeholders) come together to learn about trends in urban governance. While all the attendees will be attending sessions on employee retention, staff morale, and urban planning, we, the students, will also be preparing for the ICB.
We were greeted with a much better weather day than yesterday, for which we were grateful.
We were also thankful for the networking lunch, where we learned a bit more about the contest from Crane Petty, and we met with students from other Universities participating in the ICB. It is valuable to us meet with the other students–all of whom are graduate students, and most of whom are already in the professional field.
This was followed by a session led by “young professionals,” in which we had the chance to break into group discussions. Our group were asked questions such as “What is the biggest issue facing your community?” Or “when is a good time to bring up an issue to City Council?” Responses to the latter included comments such as, “when they understand their role better,” “when we get a new city manager,” and “when we can convince them they thought of it.”
The culmination of the day was dinner at “Louie’s Backyard,” where the opening reception was held.
We were fortunate to share a table with Trish Kordas and Dr. Maria Church, the latter of whom is speaking at the conference.
Both were interesting, and they provided tips on networking, public speaking, and promoting a culture of leadership. We are looking forward to Dr. Church’s talk!
As our first day wound down, we found new ways to enjoy it. Olivia won a gift basket, we listened to the band play oldies, and we spent time with friends and mentors, such as Aron Kulhavy and Sam Maisel, while meeting other professionals in the field.
Of course, the City Managers and other City staff did not have an ICB to prepare for, so we left a bit earlier than the others. Following a debriefing at the hotel, we renewed our studying for the Jeopardy contest, which will likely decide the ultimate winner of the title, “The Best Public Administration Program in Texas.”
Judge Hatchett was very enthusiastic as she shared her stories and words of wisdom to inspire all the attendees. Unlike other speeches, Judge Hatchett meandered around the room and asked questions of attendees. She encouraged everyone to establish professional and private goals and to stick to them!
For us, the breakout session was an opportunity to learn from senior managers at the conference.
After the breakout session, she left us all pondering her powerful message: “on the other side of fear is your freedom!” Reminding us to not be afraid to act upon our dreams and do what we are meant to do.
Receiving a standing ovation from the audience, Judge Hatchett walked off the stage to converse on a more personal level with a few of the attendees. It was then that we realized what a small world we live in when we “bumped” into Scott Wayman, who, as it turned out, is married to Diane Gottsman! For those wondering who Mrs. Gottsman is, she comes to Sam Houston State University (brought in by Career Success) every semester to teach us about etiquette, and we very much enjoy her annual visits, where we pose with her in annual selfie.
So, we did that with Mr. Wayman!
As we got ready to leave, we said our goodbyes to Ms. Breland, Mr. Wayman, Mr. Stokes, and Judge Hatchett.
We are looking forward to attending the 2023 TCMA Conference in Allen, Texas!
As we sprinted to the last day of our conference trip, we prepared for our busiest and most fulfilling day. We headed to the Lost Pines resort for a delightful breakfast and one of our last opportunities to network and learn from other city employees. Our conversations soon came to an end when the World-Renowned ER Physician and Iraq War Veteran, Dr. Sudip Bose took the stage.
Dr. Bose spoke on how to be the best leader, even when while under A LOT of pressure, which is something that various city managers have dealt with through COVID-19 and its effects. Utilizing his military background as an analogy to various situations, Dr. Bose was able to relate with the many city managers in attendance.
Dr. Bose reminded us that “challenges without support are discouraging,” stressed the importance of knowing when to let go of a situation and move on, and highlighted the importance of knowing when a window of opportunity is presenting itself.
Perhaps most important was his message emphasizing preparation, a lesson he learned in the military: “the more you sweat in peacetime, the less you will bleed in war.”
Dr. Bose’s closer was perfect lead-in to the different sessions that we would hear, involving: (1) cybersecurity and (2) how and why it is important to address mental health needs.
The cybersecurity session focused on the importance of addressing and having a multi-layered defense and an Incident Response Plan.
Ryan Burns with Texas Municipal League (TML), who is a former SHSU graduate, led this session addressing all the concerns of its attendees as well as covering what he thought was most important.
Without saying too much, Burns advised everyone on how “it takes everyone to combat a cybersecurity threat and each city must plan, prepare, and test their plans, revising as necessary.” As city managers and employees, they must be PERFECT all the time compared to a hacker who only needs to get it right once.
Morgan and Isabel reported that the session covering mental health was comforting to see so many cities focused on the mental health of their employees.
TCMA has partnered with Deer Oaks Employee Assistance Program to provide mental health support for its members. Rep. Kristina Herrera, explained the various services that will be available for TCMA members and their families and the importance of utilizing them. The concept, as with all proactive health efforts, is that providing mental health services is not only the right thing to do, but will ultimately lead to a happier, more productive work force.
The City of Austin awaited us, so we left the conference early after enjoying a quick lunch!
Daniel Arrendondo
Izabella Urbani
We had the pleasure of meeting (and, for some of us, re-meeting) a passionate artist, Daniel Arredondo, whose work entranced us for almost two hours. One of most prevalent themes in his work is “what lies beneath,” the idea that what is beneath the surface is often more important than what is on the surface.
It may be appropriate, then, that his work often depicts trees. But he also showed us his landscapes and, in a new twist for him, his recent, more abstract pieces.
Arredondo’s passion was apparent throughout our visit. We asked him how he knew when a painting was done, and he simply described it as a gut feeling.
Morgan seemed to gravitate toward the pieces that were more southwesterly in appearance, a bit reminiscent of Georgia O’Keeffe landscapes. Jessica was fond of his signature style paintings of “what lies below,” landscapes of trees and their roots growing underneath–so much so that she bought one of them!
We also got to see him in action! Arredondo demonstrated how he starts an abstract painting and described why he chooses the media that he does. He mentioned multiple times that he has never done a demonstration in front of others; it was such a treat! I loved how passionate Arredondo was, how detailed he was in his descriptions of his process, and the hospitality with which he welcomed us. Today was filled with so much laughter, great conversations, and fellowship. It was a great day to start the end of our trip!
At the end of our stay, Arredondo gifted us with pieces that will serve as reminders. Some of his earliest works adorned the front of the cigar boxes, and he was kind enough to let us choose ones that spoke to us.
Many, many thanks to Daniel Arredondo for showing us was art is from the other side of the canvas.
Capitol Tour
Morgan Robertson
We switched gears from the roaming hills of West Austin and headed for the heart of Austin, the Texas State Capitol.
We began our capitol tour much like we do others, by commenting on the interesting or unique architectural features and designs. Professor Yawn walked us around the groups and explained that the extensions to the structure were fundamental in accommodating our Texas-sized legislature and staff. While the extensions and supporting features are new, they did not distract from the aesthetic of the Capitol established in 1885.
The red limestone exterior of the Capitol seemed to glitter in the setting sunlight, and we made our way into the north entrance. Upon opening the front doors, we of course stopped to look at the 7-pound door hinges, detailed with the Texas Seal.
We posed with Elizabet Ney’s rendering of a young Sam Houston…
…and pondered on the surrender of Santa Anna.
But, of course, from the rotunda, the most interesting piece is the interior of the dome, which is beautiful.
And we also followed toured the floors viewing the different governors throughout history, settling on our favorite.
As we were leaving the sun was just setting under the tree line and we snapped our final photos.
Kayaking
Isabel Behm
After a lovely tour of the capital and a relaxing drive around Austin, we were ready to kayak and spend some time on the peaceful water of the Colorado River.
And while Jessica and Izabella accomplished a peaceful journey, that certainly was not the case for Morgan and me.
I knew it might be a bit rocky when Morgan began our ride by saying, “Isabel…I’ll do my best not to yell at you.” Part of our problem is that we thought I, sitting in front, should be steering, when, in fact, that was Morgan’s job. (Editor’s note: both parties lacked any semblance of navigational skills, exacerbated by the fact that Morgan is often flummoxed by even simple directions.)
Our meandering, inefficient paddling, however, did not prevent us from seeing a beaver casually swimming along the shoreline!
While we worked just to paddle forward, Jessica and Izabella enjoyed a leisurely tour along the river, using what Jessica referred to as the “slow-and-steady approach.” Although we aren’t ones to judge, it did appear that Bella was allowing Jessica to do much of the work….
Around 8:30 pm we began to paddle to the dock. The trip back was where Morgan and I experienced the most action. We attempted to convince Jessica and Bella to tow us into the dock, but they selfishly refused to play along. This left us to our own devices which, at one point, rendered us fighting limbs and the shoreline, running aground (and encountering a spider–eek!) as we ineffectually tried to return to the dock.
Despite these misadventures–or perhaps because of them–we very much enjoyed our time on the water, and it was a fitting and madcap ending to a wonderful day.
…who introduced our keynote speaker for the general session, Nora McInerny, whose talk, “Terrible, Thanks for Asking” played on themes she discusses in her podcast and books.
She displayed her dry, witty sense of humor while also touching on loss, grief, change, and new beginnings. Most importantly, she addressed the ability to genuinely answer the question, “How are you?” I think we often answer with the word “fine,” which is okay, but sometimes, it’s okay not to be okay.
Following McInerny’s inspirational words, we had a chance to meet her and discuss her talk.
She was very generous.
Today was a unique day with their awards luncheon! Once the doors opened, we scurried off to get a table and save Huntsville’s City Manager, Aaron Kulhavy, a seat next to us. For most of the luncheon, we were conversing with Aaron to get to know him and learn more about city management.
Our entrée for lunch consisted of Ham with Barbeque sauce, and grits, accompanied by a variety of vegetables such as corn and some delicious carrots. Once we finished our main dish, we started on our dessert which was a delicious fruit tart with oranges and strawberries. Countless city officials were recognized for their outstanding work and accomplishments throughout the years. It was truly an amazing and rewarding experience.
Once the luncheon was over, Aaron Kulhavy took us around and introduced us to multiple people from the surrounding areas before we split off to the breakout sessions.
Isabel enjoyed the economic development conference presented by Imelda Speck, the Economic Developer in Irving, Texas, which is Isabel’s hometown! Speck along with the other panelists talked about the effects the Covid-19 pandemic had on their cities and small businesses. Isabel found it interesting to hear about the programs the City of Irving implemented to try and soften the blow. Jessica found this session particularly easy to understand and follow thanks to her Finance Internship with the City of Huntsville.
In ways, her internship with the Finance Department helped her understand things in different sessions such as previously mentioned and the strategic plans session. However, this can also be said of Morgan after interning with the City Secretary.
Morgan’s favorite conference, All Disasters are Local, Your Emergency Program Should Be, Too, by Nim Kidd. Kidd talked about three new technologies that they are putting in place to cover more bases regarding emergency management. It was also intriguing to know how they are also starting the first academy in the nation for emergency management and will be placing 100 new agents in 100 new counties.
Despite many good sessions today, my all-time favorite was the opening session with Nora Mclnerny.
Dinner in Downtown Bastrop
Isabel Behm
Once the conference wrapped up for the day, we were beyond excited to explore downtown Bastrop and eat at a local place. On our way to Piney Creek Chophouse, we took a moment to admire the various bookstores, coffee shops, and beautiful homes in their downtown. Piney Creek Chophouse is a nice neat little local restaurant that has a unique architectural design and interior that adds to the character of the place.
Often Professor Yawn forgets to feed us, but makes up for it when he treats us to a fancy steakhouse. Never failing to get us appetizers to hold us over until our entrees arrive, we ordered Crab Cakes, Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms, and Bruschetta.
We were also provided with a delicious, crafted artisan bread accompanied by butter. The crab cakes were bursting with flavor, and we even convinced Jessica, who isn’t a fan of crab or seafood, to try a bite! We couldn’t get her to try a mushroom, but maybe we’ll have some better luck next time.
As we waited for our main entrees, Professor Yawn gave us a quick crash course about dining etiquette. Soon enough, our main entrees were brought out to us, Morgan and Izabella shared a Filet Mignon served with Mashed Potatoes and Haricot Verts. Jessica and I both shared a New York Strip accompanied by Mashed Potatoes and Haricot Verts as well.
Professor Yawn enjoyed a Strawberry Salad and a side of fried Brussel Sprouts which we all absolutely loved.
Each dish had its own quality that made it special, and each dish was full of different flavors. We all had our own unique experiences. After our main dish, I was sure I was full and had no room for dessert…. I was wrong.
Dessert included an exquisite Bread Pudding, A Molten Lava Cake, and Banana Foster. I found the Banana Foster the most interesting since our waitress brought the dish out covered in flames which certainly made for a cool and unique presentation. The Banana Foster had a very strong cinnamon taste and a slight hint of coconut, it was one of the favorites and there was not a single piece left on the dish. The Bread Pudding had more of a sweet, rich taste and the Molten lava cake was very neatly presented, and the brownie was super rich and paired with the ice cream, it made for a wonderful combination.
We all had a great time at dinner, and it was the perfect way to end a long eventful day.
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 