100-Day Plan

City of Sallisaw 100-Day Plan

Overview

I present this DRAFT plan within any constraints or wisdom that may limit pursuing the actions described.

Beyond the mandated job requirements of the Sallisaw City Manager, with my department heads and their staff, I will begin:

(i) improvements in transparency,

(ii) the building of collaborative relationships,

(iii) identification of operational improvement areas such as financial controls and human resources and,

(iv) elevate OSHA safety compliance by employees on behalf of themselves and our citizenry.

Short-Term Goals

  • Re-establish community trust and confidence

  • Address poorly executed projects
  • Execute quick-hit wins

100-Day Plan (Timing)

Click Image to enlarge.

  • 100-day Plan
    Figure 1. 100-Day Plan

100-Day Plan (Descriptions)

  • Section A.

    I will perform the City Manager job requirements.

    1. Execute laws and ordinances.
    2. Prepare an annual budget and implement approved initiatives.
    3. Submit a monthly finance report to the Board.
    4. Attend the Board’s meetings to advise and provide recommendations.
    5. Assume accountability for city departments except those listed in the job posting.
    6. Delegate responsibilities to department heads for executing processes, sound practices, and problem-solving using an open and participative management style.
    7. Enroll and attend statutorily required training for new officials, such as that provided by or similar to the OML (Oklahoma Municipal League, 2024).
    Section B

    I will engage department heads.

    1. Emphasize a baseline of organizational ethics related to fraud, waste, and abuse, such as promoted by the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI, 2024) for government agencies and the Oklahoma Code of Conduct encouraged by the OML for all department heads (Oklahoma Municipal League, 2024).
    2. Benchmark spending to similar municipalities. Implement standardized accounting controls in all departments, if not already in place.
    3. Identify and begin corrective actions required to comply with the Oklahoma Open Records Act (51 O.S. §24A) and direct each department head to confirm compliance with government organizational standards (Justisa US Law, 2024).
    Section C

    I will build relationships.

    1. I will meet with Council members individually or as directed to understand ward-specific priorities. I will seek a better understanding of the Council members constituents’ expectations.
    2. Establish a working relationship with Sallisaw’s Mayor, City Attorney, City Treasurer, Municipal Judge, Police Chief, and others.
    3. Begin introductions and familiarity with leaders of the Cherokee Nation, educational institutions, non-profit service entities, the Sallisaw Chamber of Commerce, and similar organizations impacted by or benefiting from the City of Sallisaw’s results.
    4. Send a brief personal letter of introduction to OML District 2 Municipalities.
    5. Host two or three presentations in a question/answer format event for community engagement within the first 100 days – enlisting citizen ideas and suggestions.
    6. Following the Council’s review, report progress through the city’s website.
    Section D

    I will introduce operational leading practices.

    1. Introduce or reinforce project control practices and identify a current employee with PMP or CAPM certification (PMI, 2024) or an internal candidate for gaining CAPM.
    2. Introduce concepts of process maturity and the decision-making approach for different situations (CMM, 2024; Vroom & Yetton, 1973). The Department of Defense and the University of Pittsburgh develop these, respectively, and are widely considered best practices in government enterprises for ongoing, daily business processes.
    3. Introduce (or confirm the use of) the hierarchy of safety controls for all departments, but immediately with the fire, electric, and street departments (OSHA, 2024).
    4. Compare Sallisaw’s current-state procurement practices to best practices for public procurement (Curry, 2023, pp. 3–4).
    5. Identify an internal candidate for NIGP procurement certification (NIGP, 2024, p. 15) or a similar accreditation such as ASCM (2024).
    6. Catalog the vendors and outsourced functions for review beyond this first 100 days.
    7. Examine the current state department’s process, rationale, and controls for purchasing, procurement, and outsourced functions (Curry, 2023, pp. 3–4; NIGP, 2024).
    8. Examine the city’s IT cybersecurity, privacy, and stakeholder engagement policies drawing from NIST (2024) guidance. Review plans for a paperless workflow.
    9. Collaborate with the City Treasurer to triage gaps in city departmental financial controls, if any, identified by the Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector (OASI, 2024). For example, credit cards are subject to improper use without appropriate controls.

    Long Term Strategy is Needed

    While my 100-day plan accomodates the short-term goal …

    … A long-term strategy is necessary for robust and sustainable improvements. I have begun thinking through my (long-term) ideas, but a meaningful (and doable) strategy requires input from others—residents, businesses, community leaders, city leadership, legal advisory, and city employees.

    Discussions and collaboration with Sequoyah County, the railway, and state officials will be necessary for some possibilities.

 

Example Strategy Experience

Service Corporation International (SCI), Fortune 500

Service Corporation International provides essential funeral goods, services, and cemetery property.

County of San Diego, Government

As of the 2020 census, the population of San Diego County was 3,298,634, making it the second-most populous county in California and the fifth in the United States.

Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Government

The TVA is a U.S. government agency focused on generating electricity, managing the Tennessee River, and supporting economic development in the southeastern United States.

Magna Energy Services, Small-Medium Business

At Magna, our team implemented a two-year strategy that collectively lifted topline revenue from $75 million to $124 million in twenty months. The collaborative effort resulted in increasing the company’s EBITDA from under five million to $25 million during that time.

Titan Solutions, Startup

The leadership team from Magna successfully launched Titan Solutions, diversifying service lines and achieving $50 million in topline revenue through a strong collaborative approach.

Xbig6, LLC, Startup

I co-founded Xbig6 while contributing to Key Energy Services. Initially launched part-time in 2008 and transitioning to full-time in 2013, our collective efforts led to over two million in revenue before the decision to pause operations to relocate to Sallisaw.

CloudSpace USA, Startup

I partnered with the founder and CEO during the startup phase, working closely to define market positioning and messaging. This teamwork contributed to the firm’s growth into several million-dollar medium business.

Central Region, Key Energy Services, Fortune 500

Recruited to lead Key’s central region (TX, LA, AR, OK, KS), I collaborated with stakeholders to craft a marketplace strategy. Our unified approach generated a record $225 million in revenue, even amidst market challenges, guided by the dedication of my core team and 1,200 region employees working towards shared goals.