In this episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom is joined by Joseph Lujan, author of Reflective Resonance, A Quiet Spark Approach to Authentic Leadership, and creator of the CAMP OUT Method.

Joseph shares his perspective on authentic leadership, generational change in the workplace, employee motivation, and the importance of leaders staying consistent, self aware, and emotionally present. The conversation explores how workplace culture has shifted since COVID, why autonomy and trust matter, and why leaders must be willing to reflect on their own influence before trying to improve the people around them.

Joseph also discusses his background in county probation, federal probation, and leadership, explaining how working with people under supervision shaped his understanding of human behavior. He shares practical lessons about individualizing leadership, building trust, avoiding robotic communication, and helping employees feel seen, valued, and heard.

The episode also breaks down Joseph’s CAMP OUT Method, which focuses on consistency, authenticity, mindfulness, purpose, optimizing leadership, upshifting, and transforming leadership practices. These concepts provide a practical framework for leaders who want to grow, strengthen their teams, and create healthier workplace cultures.

Joseph’s final takeaway is simple but important. Leaders need to show up authentically and genuinely. Employees notice more than leaders sometimes realize, and the way leaders communicate, respond, and carry themselves can shape the culture around them.

Resources

Reflective Resonance Website

Reflective Resonance Worksheets

Reflective Resonance Book

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction to Reflective Resonance and Authentic Leadership

00:02:47 Workplace Culture After COVID

00:05:20 Autonomy, Trust, and Accountability

00:07:32 Employee Motivation and Finding Purpose

00:10:05 Joseph Lujan’s Leadership Journey

00:12:53 Emotional Intelligence and Human Behavior

00:15:12 Common Leadership Failures

00:17:43 The Story Behind Reflective Resonance

00:22:11 Consistency in Leadership

00:24:14 Authenticity and Effective Leadership

00:25:31 Mindfulness in Leadership Communication

00:28:54 Purposeful Leadership and the Why

00:31:09 Optimizing Leadership Through Reflection

00:33:35 Upshift and Transform

00:36:15 Continuous Growth and Feedback

00:39:21 Final Takeaway, Showing Up Authentically

Connect With Clear Career Professionals

Clear Career Professionals is a Texas based municipal executive search firm specializing in City Manager search services, municipal executive search, and local government leadership consulting for cities and counties across Texas and the United States.

Clear works with communities to recruit City Managers, City Administrators, Assistant City Managers, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Finance Directors, HR Directors, and other senior municipal leaders.

Clear partners with city councils, county commissioners, and public sector leadership teams seeking experienced municipal professionals who can guide growing communities, manage complex organizations, and deliver strong public service outcomes. 

Career Opportunities

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Mayor Alejandro Flores from Los Fresnos, Texas joins The Clear Voice for a PositionCast™ focused on the City Manager opportunity there.

Los Fresnos is a growing South Texas community with strong local identity, respected schools, regional access, and major opportunities ahead. In this episode, Mayor Flores discusses his connection to the community, the City Council’s priorities, the organization, and the type of leader who can be successful in the role.

The conversation highlights responsible growth, infrastructure planning, budget management, communication with council, staff relationships, community involvement, and the importance of preserving the close community feel that makes Los Fresnos special.

Kent Myers, the recruiter for this search, also provides context for candidates. He discusses the stability of the organization, the strength of the existing staff team, the long tenure of the outgoing city manager, and the opportunity for the next City Manager to help guide the city through meaningful growth.

This PositionCast™ is designed to help prospective candidates better understand the community, the organization, the role, the City Council’s expectations, and the leadership fit needed in Los Fresnos.

This role can be found at https://clearcareerpro.com/clear-news/los-fresnos-city-manager-posting

Chapters

00:00:00 Cold Open: Why Candidates Should Look at Los Fresnos

Connect With Clear Career Professionals

Clear Career Professionals is a Texas based municipal executive search firm specializing in City Manager search services, municipal executive search, and local government leadership consulting for cities and counties across Texas and the United States.

Clear works with communities to recruit City Managers, City Administrators, Assistant City Managers, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Finance Directors, HR Directors, and other senior municipal leaders.

Clear partners with city councils, county commissioners, and public sector leadership teams seeking experienced municipal professionals who can guide growing communities, manage complex organizations, and deliver strong public service outcomes. 

Career Opportunities

LinkedIn

Jim Devlin joins James Groom for Part 1 of a 2 part conversation on leadership, accountability, culture, and the move from Police Chief to City Hall.

Jim serves as Assistant City Manager for the City of Hewitt, Texas, after nearly three decades in law enforcement, including more than a decade as Chief of Police. In this episode, he discusses dynamic leadership, correcting people without tearing them down, building trust inside an organization, and why culture matters in public service.

The conversation also covers Jim’s decision to move to Hewitt, the challenge of helping reshape an organization, the value of community connection, and how police leadership can prepare someone for broader municipal leadership.

00:00 Introduction to Jim Devlin

02:39 Dynamic leadership in law enforcement

07:00 Accountability and relationships

10:20 Correcting people without tearing them down

16:55 Taking on the challenge in Hewitt

23:04 Building community trust

26:10 Succession planning and leadership development

29:04 Culture fit in recruitment

32:02 Problem solving in local government

35:33 Moving from police chief to city hall

40:51 Part 2 Coming Soon Announcement

Connect With Clear Career Professionals

Clear Career Professionals is a Texas based municipal executive search firm specializing in City Manager search services, municipal executive search, and local government leadership consulting for cities and counties across Texas and the United States.

Clear works with communities to recruit City Managers, City Administrators, Assistant City Managers, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Finance Directors, HR Directors, and other senior municipal leaders.

Clear partners with city councils, county commissioners, and public sector leadership teams seeking experienced municipal professionals who can guide growing communities, manage complex organizations, and deliver strong public service outcomes. 

Career Opportunities

LinkedIn

The City of Caldwell, Texas is searching for its next City Administrator, and this PositionCast™ episode gives candidates a deeper look at the community, the organization, and the leadership expectations behind the role.

James Groom, Host of The Clear Voice and Retired Chief of Police, is joined by Brad Stafford of Clear Career Professionals, outgoing Mayor Janice Easter, and incoming Mayor John Rychlik for a conversation about Caldwell’s future. The discussion covers Caldwell’s small town identity, growth pressures, downtown opportunity, infrastructure priorities, full service city operations, community partnerships, and the type of leader who can build trust with staff, council, residents, and regional partners.

Caldwell is described as a close knit Texas community with strong civic pride, a growing local economy, a historic downtown, major community events, strong parks and recreation assets, and a council focused on responsible growth. The next City Administrator will enter an organization with meaningful opportunities in communication, modernization, infrastructure planning, economic development, and community engagement.

This episode is especially useful for candidates who want to understand not just the job description, but the people, expectations, and leadership environment behind the opportunity.

For more information about this role by check the job posting: https://clearcareerpro.com/clear-news/caldwell-city-administrator-posting

Connect With Clear Career Professionals

Clear Career Professionals is a Texas based municipal executive search firm specializing in City Manager search services, municipal executive search, and local government leadership consulting for cities and counties across Texas and the United States.

Clear works with communities to recruit City Managers, City Administrators, Assistant City Managers, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Finance Directors, HR Directors, and other senior municipal leaders.

Clear partners with city councils, county commissioners, and public sector leadership teams seeking experienced municipal professionals who can guide growing communities, manage complex organizations, and deliver strong public service outcomes. 

Career Opportunities

LinkedIn

In this PositionCast™ episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom and Michael Boese talk with Debbie Munoz, Executive Director of the Texas Municipal Retirement System, about the Human Resources Director opportunity at TMRS.

Debbie explains TMRS’ mission to provide secure lifetime income to members across 946 participating Texas cities, the organization’s statewide impact, and the culture that makes TMRS a meaningful place to work. The conversation covers the role of the next HR Director, including employee engagement, HR modernization, succession planning, learning management, leadership development, and the need for an authentic, people centered leader.

The episode also highlights TMRS’ Austin location, compensation and benefits, TMRS retirement participation, the Clear Career Professionals recruitment process, and why this role offers a unique opportunity to support the people who serve public servants across Texas.

More Information:

00:00:00 Introduction to TMRS and the Human Resources Director recruitment

00:03:21 Understanding TMRS, mission, structure, and statewide service

00:06:45 What makes TMRS unique for cities and members

00:11:47 TMRS funding, stability, and fiduciary responsibility

00:14:51 TMRS culture and employee engagement

00:19:14 The HR Director role, reporting structure, and team size

00:22:14 Rebranding HR and building employee trust

00:24:21 Modernizing HR systems, knowledge transfer, and AI

00:25:52 Training, continuing education, and learning management

00:26:16 Candidate traits, communication, and leadership presence

00:27:17 Why city HR leaders should consider TMRS

00:29:33 Measuring success for the next HR Director

00:32:25 Why this opportunity stands out

00:33:32 TMRS office location and working in Austin

00:34:55 Living in Austin and the community environment

00:37:33 Compensation, benefits, and TMRS retirement participation

00:40:06 The Clear Career Professionals recruitment process

00:41:37 Upcoming TMRS Governmental Relations Director recruitment

00:42:24 Sneak peek at the Governmental Relations Director role

00:45:29 Final message for candidates considering TMRS

00:47:12 Closing and how to learn more

Connect With Clear Career Professionals

Clear Career Professionals is a Texas based municipal executive search firm specializing in City Manager search services, municipal executive search, and local government leadership consulting for cities and counties across Texas and the United States.

Clear works with communities to recruit City Managers, City Administrators, Assistant City Managers, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Finance Directors, HR Directors, and other senior municipal leaders.

Clear partners with city councils, county commissioners, and public sector leadership teams seeking experienced municipal professionals who can guide growing communities, manage complex organizations, and deliver strong public service outcomes. 

Career Opportunities

LinkedIn

Katie Hagen, CEO of CPS HR Consulting, joins Host of The Clear Voice James Groom and Clear Career Professionals President Michael Boese for a conversation about public sector HR, workforce challenges, organizational change, and the future of public service.

Katie brings decades of public sector leadership experience, including senior roles in California state government, where she worked in HR, civil service reform, organizational turnaround, and change management. In this episode, she discusses why hiring challenges are often about more than salary, how agencies can reduce barriers for applicants, why professional development still matters, and how public organizations can use technology without losing the human side of human resources.

James and Michael join Katie to explore recruitment, candidate communication, civil service systems, organizational assessments, public sector partnerships, and the importance of helping agencies move forward before problems become crises.

Topics include public sector HR, workforce challenges, hiring barriers, candidate experience, salary and flexibility, public service motivation, organizational turnaround, change management, civil service systems, AI, technology, professional development, organizational assessments, workforce planning, internships, apprenticeships, and keeping people at the center of public service.

Learn more about CPS HR Consulting:

Learn more about Katie Hagen:

Contact Katie Hagen:

00:00 Introduction to Public Sector Challenges

Connect With Clear Career Professionals

Clear Career Professionals is a Texas based municipal executive search firm specializing in City Manager search services, municipal executive search, and local government leadership consulting for cities and counties across Texas and the United States.

Clear works with communities to recruit City Managers, City Administrators, Assistant City Managers, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Finance Directors, HR Directors, and other senior municipal leaders.

Clear partners with city councils, county commissioners, and public sector leadership teams seeking experienced municipal professionals who can guide growing communities, manage complex organizations, and deliver strong public service outcomes. 

Career Opportunities

LinkedIn

The City of Victoria, Texas is recruiting its next Deputy City Manager, and this PositionCast™ episode gives candidates a closer look at the opportunity, the organization, and the leadership environment.

James Groom, Host of The Clear Voice, is joined by Kelly Kuenstler, retired city manager and recruiter for this position, and Jesús Garza, City Manager for the City of Victoria. Together, they discuss why Victoria is creating this Deputy City Manager role, what the City needs from the successful candidate, and why this opportunity may appeal to experienced local government executives.

Victoria is a regional hub of approximately 65,000 residents, located between San Antonio, Houston, Austin, and Corpus Christi. The community offers a strong mix of big city amenities and small town character, with retail, restaurants, outdoor recreation, access to the Guadalupe River, and proximity to the Texas coast.

A major theme of this episode is stability. Victoria operates under a council manager form of government, with a seven member City Council that includes the Mayor. City Manager Jesus Garza describes a governing environment marked by alignment, professionalism, and a shared focus on the entire community. That stability matters for candidates who want to join an organization where elected officials, staff, and the public are generally moving in the same direction.

This Deputy City Manager role is designed to support continuity of progress. Victoria has seen recent internal promotions and leadership transitions, and the City is being intentional about strengthening executive capacity for the future. The position is not framed around finding one candidate who can do everything. Instead, Victoria is considering two clear candidate pathways.

One pathway is for an experienced public safety leader. A candidate with this background may bring value in areas such as police, fire, municipal court, dispatch, emergency management, civil service, collective bargaining, and public safety operations. Victoria recently brought multiple public safety functions into a new 70,000 square foot public safety headquarters, creating new opportunities for coordination, collaboration, and strategic planning.

The second pathway is for an experienced economic development or growth focused leader. A candidate with this background may help advance the City’s Growing Victoria initiative, support population and tax base growth, strengthen the use of the City’s Type B economic development corporation, and help move major strategic priorities forward.

Victoria is not requiring candidates to have both public safety and economic development experience. Either pathway may be the right fit. The goal is to find an experienced executive who complements the existing leadership team and brings depth, judgment, and leadership capacity in one of these key areas.

The episode also covers Victoria’s full service municipal operations, including water, wastewater, landfill services, residential trash collection, tourism, public safety, parks, infrastructure, and other core city functions. The City has 656 authorized full time employees and a fiscal year 2026 operating budget of approximately $255 million.

Candidates will also hear about Victoria’s workplace culture, employee retention efforts, new public safety investments, strategic planning, master planning, infrastructure work, downtown improvements, parks improvements, and the Victoria 2035 comprehensive plan. Jesus also discusses his leadership style, which he describes as mission driven, transformational, and focused on developing the next generation of leaders.

For candidates preparing for the interview process, the advice is straightforward. Do the research. Victoria has major plans, priorities, and investments already in motion. Candidates who understand the community, the organization, and the opportunity will be better prepared to show how their experience can help Victoria continue its momentum.

Learn more about the Victoria Deputy City Manager opportunity here:

https://clearcareerpro.com/clear-news/victoria-deputy-city-manager-opportunity

Connect With Clear Career Professionals

Clear Career Professionals is a Texas based municipal executive search firm specializing in City Manager search services, municipal executive search, and local government leadership consulting for cities and counties across Texas and the United States.

Clear works with communities to recruit City Managers, City Administrators, Assistant City Managers, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Finance Directors, HR Directors, and other senior municipal leaders.

Clear partners with city councils, county commissioners, and public sector leadership teams seeking experienced municipal professionals who can guide growing communities, manage complex organizations, and deliver strong public service outcomes. 

Career Opportunities

LinkedIn

In this episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom and Michael Boese talk with Darren Mann, leadership coach, speaker, and author of Rise Above Routine. Darren shares lessons from his project management career, early leadership failures, and transition into coaching. The conversation covers daily leadership habits, asking for help, mentoring, building support systems, servant leadership, failure friendly cultures, and the importance of communication that actually connects with people.

Connect with Darren Mann:

https://dmanncoaching.com/

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

Connect With Clear Career Professionals

Clear Career Professionals is a Texas based municipal executive search firm specializing in City Manager search services, municipal executive search, and local government leadership consulting for cities and counties across Texas and the United States.

Clear works with communities to recruit City Managers, City Administrators, Assistant City Managers, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Finance Directors, HR Directors, and other senior municipal leaders.

Clear partners with city councils, county commissioners, and public sector leadership teams seeking experienced municipal professionals who can guide growing communities, manage complex organizations, and deliver strong public service outcomes. 

Career Opportunities

LinkedIn

In this episode of The Clear Voice, host James Groom sits down with Sam Toles, founder of CiviSocial, to discuss why local government social media is failing and how agencies can rebuild trust through modern communication strategies. With experience in both public office and digital media leadership, Sam explains why traditional approaches like polished graphics and static posts no longer resonate in today’s fast-moving, video-driven environment.

The conversation focuses on a shift toward authentic, human-centered content, what Sam calls “neighbors serving neighbors.” Instead of institutional messaging, agencies must show real employees doing real work in simple, unscripted ways. This approach not only builds trust but also improves engagement and strengthens recruitment in a competitive hiring environment.

Sam also breaks down platform strategy, why Facebook should no longer be the primary focus for most local government organizations, and how agencies can move beyond the negativity of the same small group of critics by creating shareable content that reaches the broader community.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samtoles1/

Connect With Clear Career Professionals

Clear Career Professionals is a Texas based municipal executive search firm specializing in City Manager search services, municipal executive search, and local government leadership consulting for cities and counties across Texas and the United States.

Clear works with communities to recruit City Managers, City Administrators, Assistant City Managers, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Finance Directors, HR Directors, and other senior municipal leaders.

Clear partners with city councils, county commissioners, and public sector leadership teams seeking experienced municipal professionals who can guide growing communities, manage complex organizations, and deliver strong public service outcomes. 

Career Opportunities

LinkedIn

When a school district prepares for a bond election, they aren't just asking for funding; they are asking for community trust. In an era of strict legislative oversight, accidental planning can sink a project before it starts.

Host James Groom and co-host James Hopper (retired superintendent) sit down with Derek Bird (Director of Operations, Central Texas for AG|CM) and Jason Burdine (Texas education leader) to break down the "Two-Year Runway" for successful planning.

James Hopper introduces the 75% Rule: Without an Owner’s Representative, a superintendent will spend 75% of their time managing construction instead of education. A professional Owner’s Rep handles the high-stakes paperwork so leadership can stay focused on students.

Successful bonds aren't built in a semester. Derek Bird recommends a 24-month planning cycle to address:

Legislative Compliance: Navigating the Attorney General’s guidelines and Senate Bill 843.

Facility Assessments: Identifying true infrastructure needs (HVAC, roofs) over "wants."

Long-Range Strategy: Planning for fast-growth districts without sacrificing build quality.

Jason Burdine explains that you can’t sell a "cure" (the bond) until the community is convinced of the "disease" (aging infrastructure).

The Naysayer Strategy: Invite your biggest critics to the Community Advisory Committee.

Site Visits: Let skeptics see outdated facilities firsthand to turn vocal opponents into informed stakeholders.

Education over Advocacy: Bridging the gap on how schools are funded (M&O vs. I&S).

Unlike architects or contractors, the Owner’s Rep has 100% loyalty to the district.

Audit and Oversight: Verifying that the work in place matches the billing for 20+ subcontractors.

Cost Control: Escalating budgets for 2-3 years out to mitigate inflation and supply chain volatility.

Staff Augmentation: Providing scalable expertise without the need for permanent full-time hires.

As birth rates shift, many districts are pivoting from new construction to maintenance and consolidation. Using facility assessments ensures existing roofs and HVAC systems are prioritized for the long term.

The link between facilities and the classroom is undeniable. When you tie facility needs to student achievement, you show the community that the investment is about the kids, not just brick and mortar.

Resources and Connections

Official Website: AG|CM Project Management

LinkedIn: AG|CM, Inc. on LinkedIn

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction: School Bonds and the 75% Rule

02:51 The 10-Year Plan: Why Bonds Fail Without a Runway

06:05 Building Community Trust Before Asking for Funding

09:29 Transparency: Convincing the Community of the Need

13:38 Engaging the Naysayers: Advisory Committee Strategy

16:19 Linking Bricks and Mortar to Student Achievement

17:40 Why Superintendents Can't Be Project Managers

18:57 Quick Wins: Delivering Results in the First 60 Days

22:11 The Owner's Rep: Who is Actually on Your Side?

25:56 SB 843 and the New Landscape of Bond Transparency

29:59 Social Media and Modern Bond Communication

33:53 Declining Birth Rates: When Bonds Mean Consolidation

37:42 Final Thoughts: Invigorating Teachers and Students

Connect With Clear Career Professionals

Clear Career Professionals is a Texas based municipal executive search firm specializing in City Manager search services, municipal executive search, and local government leadership consulting for cities and counties across Texas and the United States.

Clear works with communities to recruit City Managers, City Administrators, Assistant City Managers, Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, Finance Directors, HR Directors, and other senior municipal leaders.

Clear partners with city councils, county commissioners, and public sector leadership teams seeking experienced municipal professionals who can guide growing communities, manage complex organizations, and deliver strong public service outcomes. 

Career Opportunities

LinkedIn