Because lasting progress starts with the people doing the work and the people being served. A people-centered leadership strategy ensures that our decisions aren’t based on assumptions, but grounded in real experiences, insights, and needs. It helps us build trust, strengthen engagement, and create a workplace and community where innovation, service excellence, and continuous improvement can thrive. In short, it’s how we turn good intentions into real, measurable outcomes — and ensure Wilson’s future is shaped by those who know it best.

This framework reflects not only best-in-class performance management from ICMA but also the brand essence: growth rooted in empathy, strategy anchored in community, and leadership that listens before it leads. By emphasizing co-creation, storytelling, and adaptability, this strategy ensures the City of Wilson isn’t just measuring progress—it’s living into its values.

To set the foundation for people-centered leadership, we will focus on communicating with, growing, and celebrating our employees; to set the foundation of stewarding resources, we will focus on developing tools to plan and track actions that foster community prosperity; we will achieve this while encouraging a culture of innovation within the city b y the start of fiscal year 2026.

This framework reflects not only best-in-class performance management from ICMA but also the brand essence: growth rooted in empathy, strategy anchored in community, and leadership that listens before it leads. By emphasizing co-creation, storytelling, and adaptability, this strategy ensures the City of Wilson isn’t just measuring progress—it’s living into its values.

To build a future-ready performance management system that not only tracks outcomes, but uplifts the City of Wilson’s people-centered values by aligning metrics with meaning. This strategy aims to make performance data both relevant and actionable—fueling smarter decisions, celebrating excellence, and driving a culture of continuous improvement across every department.

• Develop and implement an internal communication strategy that meets employees where they are throughout the organization.
• Develop and implement a program for employee training and development to encourage employees to grow with us.
• Design and implement a culture strategy to celebrate employee accomplishments and build pride across our workforce.
• Develop and implement a capital improvements strategy to enhance infrastructure and resources (include inventory of current projects and commitments?)
• Develop a system for tracking our performance with relevant and timely data that informs our decisions.
• Develop a system to identify the city's strategy partners and on-going methods of collaboration.
• Modernize service delivery across all city functions.

Great question. People-centered leadership means your voice matters. You’ll be involved through regular check-ins, feedback surveys, team discussions, and collaborative goal-setting. We’re building this framework together — your insights will help shape how we work, grow, and serve our community more effectively. This isn’t just something being done to you; it’s being done with you.