Curtis Cannon of the City of Oxnard – The Importance of Economic Development

Curtis Cannon is the former Community Development Director in the City of Oxnard. He is a visionary and a change agent who has built up a reputation for himself as an experienced professional in the public sector. Curtis Cannon served in the City of Oxnard for 16 years and has an interest in economic development. He has provided professional and technical oversight in the development and implementation of city-wide projects within the Public Works Department.

According to Paul Peterson, “local governments are primarily interested in maintaining the economic vitality of the area for which they are responsible.” Firstly, economic development is important for both cities and states, and can be competitive in the earnings per capita it offers its residents. Local and state policies should take into account the goal of economic development as it has a direct effect on the quality of life provided to its residents. It provides avenues to analyze public sector goals so that they are pursued with strong development plans.

Secondly, economic development provides better job opportunities to local residents. Most residents have strong ties to the places and people in their community; however, they will move to another location in search of greater economic success if need be. Economic development provides better jobs in the community and helps local residents increase their earnings while at the same time preserving ties to the local community. Economist Paul Courant believes that having a place in the local community is a valuable asset, which is often labeled as “a sense of place”. Economist Roger Bolton says, “A sense of place [is] a concept widely used by geographers, architects, and planners. It refers to a complex of intangible characteristics of a place that makes it attractive to actual and potential residents.”

Local economic development creates more and better jobs for the local community and allows residents to live better lives, enhancing the “sense of place” – an important component of human well-being.

Curtis Cannon City of Oxnard, former Community Development Director in the City of Oxnard holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from California State University, Northridge.

Source: ​http://investinginkids.net/2010/12/16/why-local-economic-development-is-important/

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Curtis Cannon, Former City of Oxnard, California, Community Development Director – Improve Your Technical Writing

Curtis Cannon, formerly a City of Oxnard, California, Community Development Director, has led teams that required technical writers several times during his decades of experience in public sector work. To succeed in teams like the ones Curtis Cannon has led for organizations like the City of Oxnard, technical writers must strive to improve their writing skills. Even if you do not have much experience with technical writing, the following tips will make the task easier:

• Be concise. Don’t use too many words. If you can express something in fewer words, do it. Redundant mentions of words and pointless phrases will make a quality document unprofessional and sloppy.
• Eliminate jargon. Unless you’re writing specifically to a technical team, using jargon will make your writing confusing. Consider your audience. Consider what words they are familiar with. Do not use words that they would need to look up to understand.
• Be clear. Do not add unclarified statements to your writing. Instead of writing “the new energy technology increases plant energy output by a notable degree,” write “the solar panels increase energy output by 30%.” This prevents questions, confusion and wasted time.
• Use active voice. Active voice refers to something or someone acting instead of having an action done to them. You can use fewer words with active voice and you’ll answer questions for the readers instead of leaving them wondering. For example, instead of writing “mistakes were made that caused the project’s progress to slow,” write “we made mistakes that hindered project progress.”

Though Curtis Cannon City of Oxnard was not a technical writer during his time at the City of Oxnard, experienced managers like him know good technical writing when they read it. These tips will help you produce content that professionals like Cannon will approve of.

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Curtis Cannon of the City of Oxnard – Different Roles of a Change Agent

Curtis Cannon served as the Community Development Director in the City of Oxnard for several years. He graduated with honors with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of La Verne, La Verne, California. A change agent who seeks to implement organizational change has to wear various hats. They need to demonstrate extraordinary flexibility and possess a broad range of skills. Here are some of the roles a change agent will be expected to play in an organization.

Detective

Implementing changes in an organization is not as straightforward as other executive activities. The change agent has to deal with the attitudes and behaviors of different people, which usually requires digging below the surface to properly understand the dynamics of the company or organization. The change agent will have to look for signs that show what is preventing the organization for changing so that he can help remove obstacles and hindrances and bring about change. The change agent has to be observant and analytical in order to come up with steps that can help the organization change.

Advocate

Every organizational change agent has to play the role of an advocate and speak in favor of the changes that are required to be implemented. They will need to gain support from key players in the organization to implement the necessary changes. The change agent will need to be persistent with the elements of change.

Counselor

The change agent will need to encourage and counsel individuals to change their behaviors, attitudes, and activities. Change always creates mixed emotions, and the change agent has to work with individuals to stabilize their emotions and help them move out of their comfort zones. He will have to take into consideration personal implications of those who are involved. The change agent acts as a counselor who listens and encourages.

Facilitator

The change agent is a facilitator and is experienced in finding ways to help individuals change. They are experienced in clarifying the change and making it easier to implement it. As a facilitator, the change agent will need to design forms, tools, systems, and enable individuals to change and succeed. He will have to be creative and helpful to facilitate an easy transition in implementing change.

Curtis Cannon, former City of Oxnard, Community Development Director has had several years’ experience in being a change agent for various government and other organizations.

Curtis Cannon, Former City of Oxnard, California, Community Development Director – Project Management Development Phase

Curtis Cannon, formerly a City of Oxnard, California, Community Development Director, is an experienced project management and public sector professional. During his decades in the industry and 16 years for the City of Oxnard, Curtis Cannon has honed his project management skills and built a reputation for himself as an efficient and organized leader. If you’re new to project management, building a name for yourself as Cannon has might sound impossible, but it’s a matter of following phases and exercising careful management.

Basic project management is broken down into six phases. These phases include initiation, definition, design, development, implementation and follow-up. The initiation, definition and development phases will handle the project’s outline and concepts, and once they are finished, it is time for the development phase. During the development phase, you’ll arrange everything needed to construct and implement your project.

Arranging the development phase usually includes some or all of the following steps:

• Order materials and tools required to develop the project.
• Contact or contract necessary suppliers and subcontractors.
• Make a comprehensive development schedule.
• Issue instructions to team members.

The development phase is completed when the team members have everything needed to construct the project result. Hold a meeting with all involved team members to ensure everyone is ready to move on from the development phase.

Some small projects do not need a large development phase, but cutting corners and eliminating the phase entirely is not the way to a well-run project. Even if the development phase only lasts for a single meeting, include it in your plans to ensure your project is well-orchestrated. This thorough manner of management is how professionals such as Curtis Cannon achieve high-ranking positions in large organizations like the City of Oxnard.

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