Public Administration Advisory Board
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Patrick Cann, CPRP |
As Director of the Leisure Services Department, Patrick Cann manages 40+ full-time employees and a $5 million budget. A passionate problem-solver, he increased revenue 110% to more than $600,000 the past 9 years. Patrick is an entrepreneurial leader who enjoys mentoring others on the path to enhance the quality of life for all in Wilton Manors. Under his supervision, Wilton Manors became the 17th City in America to earn "Community Wildlife Habitat." He sets high performance measures, collaborates and partners with diverse enthusiasts and stakeholders to bring parks, trails, waterways, open spaces, nature and cultural events and recreation programs, amenities and services to local, regional, national, and international guests. He was Project Manager of the $6.3 million Historic and Nature Park and completed the design build with $4.8 million in grants. Patrick and his team operate and maintain 15 parks, a library, 13 miles of waterways, 42 medians/right-of-ways, and 25 public buildings and facilities with more than 69,500 SF of facility space. Patrick is a Certified Park and Recreation Professional and earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Management from Saint Leo University and a master’s in Management from Saint Thomas University. |
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Greg Chavarria |
Greg Chavarria joined the City of Fort Lauderdale in September 2020. One of the contributing factors hat attracted him to Fort Lauderdale, is the melting-pot of professionals, communities, and cultures that exist in the metropolitan City. Prior to joining Fort Lauderdale, Greg was the City Manager for the City of Hallandale Beach, a vibrant coastal community of South Florida. Greg is a public servant professional with more than 23 years of experience in municipal local government. He holds a dual engineering degree in Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering from the University of Miami and a Master of Science degree in Management of Information Systems from Florida International University. His portfolio includes supporting core services of notable communities like City of Miami and the City of Doral as well. Some of his accomplishments include completing smart city initiatives for water works, implementation of public safety technologies, managing infrastructure and public facility projects, and providing ongoing support for improved economic development outcomes for the South Florida region. Greg is a constant advocate for innovation and transformational leadership and looks forward to further support strategies for enhancing the quality of life of communities and business growth. |
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Alex Dambach, AICP |
As Supervisor, Alex Dambach leads the Planning unit for Oakland Park, FL. The City’s downtown and culinary district is currently undergoing an exciting redevelopment, a major step toward raising the City’s visibility as a South Florida destination. Skilled at zoning and land use policies, economic development, and urban design, Alex is a planning and community development professional with experience in redevelopment of urban and inner-suburban areas. He facilitates public engagement and legislative processes. Alex was Division Chief, Land Use Services for the City of Alexandria, Virginia for more than eight years prior to his move to Florida. Previously, he spent eight years as City of Newark’s Acting Supervising Planner. In between, Alex was Director of Community and Economic Development for the City of Des Plaines, IL, a town adjacent to O’Hare International Airport. In less than a year, he took the retail section of the downtown from 70% vacant to 80% occupied. Collaborating with the real estate community and property owners, he leveraged TIF district funds to recruit new key businesses to act as anchors to re-ignite pedestrian traffic. Alex is certified by The American Institute of Certified Planners, and earned a bachelor’s degree in History from the College of Charleston and a master’s in City and Regional Planning from The Ohio State University. |
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Jennifer Frastai |
Jennifer Frastaiserves as the Assistant City Manager for the City of Oakland Park, Florida. Jennifer began her career as a Crime Victim Advocate, later serving as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County. After working as a prosecutor, she pursued a position as an in-house Deputy City Attorney with the City of Hallandale Beach. There, she transitioned from law into municipal administration, and later promoted to Deputy City Manager, and eventually became Interim City Manager. Jennifer has been at the forefront of bringing programs and improving residents’ quality of life through innovative funding approaches such as public-private partnerships, grants, and smart fiscal management. She helped build government facilities and improve access to services for low-income residents. Projects she worked on span in range from state-of-the-art public parks, fire stations, and community centers to multi-modal transportation hubs. Jennifer received a Harvard University certificate of completion for the Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Florida and Juris Doctor degree from American University. She is a licensed member of the Florida Bar and received the ICMA Credentialed Manager designation in 2016. |
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Kathleen Gunn |
Kathleen Gunn is a proven and experienced municipal executive with 20+ years of leading, managing and serving cities with populations from 50,000 to 175,000 in the states of Florida and New York. City Manager Gunn is responsible for day-to-day operations of a full-service municipality. Tamarac is a majority minority community of more than 72,000 residents located in the heart of west-central Broward County. The FY 2023 budget is $242 million and the City of Tamarac has a bond rating of AA. In the latest community surveys, residents and businesses report satisfaction rates of 73% and 78% respectively, exceeding state and national averages. The City of Tamarac has been recognized by the International City Management Association (ICMA) as a leader in Performance Measurement and Management. For the last eight years, Tamarac has won the Digital City in America Award for cities under 75,000 population. In 2022, the City of Tamarac won the International Public Management Association for Human Resources Small Agency Award for Excellence. In her tenure as City Manager, Ms. Gunn’s primary achievements include major investment in economic development by private investors, the implementation of innovative public safety community engagement efforts, and in expanding employee wellness initiatives including meditation rooms at the BSO district and in City Hall. Kathleen’s strengths lie in shaping and executing a city’s vision through strategic planning and implementation, completing capital improvement projects on time and on budget, teambuilding, organizational and individual employee development and project management. Throughout her career Kathleen has successfully steered cities to find their niche, leverage their unique character and attract investors, while working to facilitate the expansion of existing businesses. Her extensive experience in working on complex projects to reach mutually established goals helped negotiate a deal with Broward County on the expenditure of $102 Million in CARES Act funding. Kathleen has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Pace University. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Pastoral Ministry from St. Thomas University. She is immediate past Vice President of the Broward County City Manager’s Association and is a memberships of the International City/County Management Association and the Florida City and County Management Association. |
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Tammie L. Hechler |
Tammie Hechler directs the Human Resources department for the City of Hollywood, Florida. She has special expertise in Workplace Safety/OSHA and Labor Unions. She began her career as Employment & Diversity Coordinator at Owens Community College in Perrysburg, Ohio, before moving on to the role of Human Resources Manager at Behavioral Connections of Wood County in Bowling Green, Ohio. Before moving to Florida, she was Human Resources Director of Grant County in Washington State for six years. Hechler holds SHRM-SCP, IPMA-HR CP, SPHR and CLRP certifications. |
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Chris Lagerbloom |
As City Manager, Chris Lagerbloom is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the City of Fort Lauderdale. He began his career with Fort Lauderdale as Assistant City Manager, overseeing the Parks and Recreation, Public Works, Sustainable Development, and Transportation and Mobility departments. During his tenure, Chris spearheaded major projects, such as advancing the massive “Go Big, Go Fast!” water and sewer infrastructure improvement project. Previously, Chris served as City Manager of Milton, Georgia, building a progressive and dynamic city government from the ground up focusing on cutting-edge service delivery, innovative problem-solving, and results-driven operational strategies. Under his leadership, Milton captured numerous national accolades: the city with the “Best Quality of Life” in Georgia; one of America’s 100 Safest Cities; a Certified Green Community; and a Certified City of Ethics. As Interim Milton City Manager, Chris helped establish the inaugural Public Safety Department and served as its first Police and Fire Chief. He earlier served in the Police Department of the City of Alpharetta, Georgia, where he worked his way up the ranks from Police Officer to Police Captain. Chris earned the International City/County Management Association Credentialed Manager (ICMA-CM) designation, graduating from the University of Virginia Senior Executive Institute. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Georgia State University and a master’s in Public Administration from Columbus State University.
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Rosalind Osgood |
Dr. Rosalind Osgood, is a Broward County native and graduate of Fort Lauderdale High School. She has earned both a Master’s and Doctoral Degree in Public Administration from Nova Southeastern University. In 2001, the late preacher extraordinaire, Dr. Mack King Carter licensed Dr. Osgood as the first female preacher in the history of the New Mount Olive Baptist Church. In 2002 she was ordained and in 2007, she earned a Master’s of Divinity Degree from New Orleans Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. She currently serves as an Associate Minister at New Mount Olive Baptist Church. Additionally, and is the Founder of Dr. Rosalind Osgood's Ministry International and an anointed itinerate preacher. Dr. Osgood has over 21 years of experience in non-profit management. For the past 18 years, she has been the CEO of the Mount Olive Development Corporation (MODCO). She was also an Adjunct professor at Nova Southeastern University Huizenga School of Business, where she taught Leadership and Public Policy Evaluation in the Masters of Public Administration Program. In 2012, she was elected to represent District 5 in the Broward County School Board, and served as the Chair twice; first in November of 2015 and again in November 2020. Amid tumultuous times, Dr. Osgood helped the school district navigate through the Marjorie Stoneman Douglas tragedy and the confusion and frustration endured by the coronavirus crisis. Dr. Osgood is the author of two academic articles and two books titled, “The Story Behind the Story” and “Influential Women Leader”. Her leadership extends to the Boards of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Fort Lauderdale Chapter of the Links, Inc., Broward Health Coalition Board, and the Circuit 17 Juvenile Justice Board. In 2013, Dr. Osgood became the First Female Chaplain for the City of Fort Lauderdale Police Department. She also received the JM Families African American Achievers Award, highlighting her commitment to community service. Currently, Dr. Osgood proudly serves as a member of the Florida State Senator representing District 33, where she brings a fresh perspective and commitment to building a stronger community through faith, compassion and hard work. Overcome Obstacles by Optimizing Opportunities and Obtaining Outstanding Outcomes. |
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Daniel J. Stermer |
Daniel J. Stermer is Managing Director of Development Specialists, Inc., a leading provider of management and consulting services on behalf of lending institutions, secured and unsecured creditors, shareholders, bondholders, and business owners. DSI specializes in corporate finance, turnaround consulting, and forensic/litigation accounting. Previously, Stermer served as Mayor of the City of Weston, FL, as well as City Commissioner. During his terms in office, the City of Weston achieved a Triple A rating from Standard and Poor’s and Moody’s, consistently had the lowest ad valorem tax rate in Broward County, and maintained reserves in excess of $50MM. For nearly 10 years, he was a principal at Lewis B. Freeman & Partners, Inc., a forensic accounting and consulting firm. Before joining Lewis B. Freeman & Partners, Inc., Daniel served in the Economic Crimes Litigation Unit of the Florida Attorney General’s Department of Legal Affairs, where he commenced and participated in all facets of civil enforcement pre-complaint investigations and litigation, including bankruptcy litigation, related to Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act and Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act, from the inception of investigation through trial. While with the Office of the Bronx County, New York, District Attorney’s office, he served as Special Assistant United States Attorney in the Organized Crime Unit and as Assistant District Attorney in a federally funded task force prosecuting high-volume narcotics trafficking and related violent crime. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the State University of New York and his Juris Doctor degree from Touro College. As an adjunct professor at St. Thomas University School of Law, Daniel regularly teaches “Receivership Practice and the Inter-Relationships between the Legal, Accounting, and Business Worlds.” His professional and community involvement includes his participation in local bar associations and the Florida Fiduciary Forum. |
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Denise Yoezle |
Denise Yoezle worked in public works for more than thirty-five years. Public Works and Emergency Management functions include maintenance and capital projects related to streets, solid waste, parks, utilities, landscaping and arboriculture, building maintenance, grant writing and administration, along with storm preparation, training, and recovery. The Public Works Department is also the liaison with both public and private sector entities, such as the Florida Department of Transportation and Broward County Engineering. She ended her career as a Public Works Director and Emergency Manager, serving as the Incident Commander for multiple hurricane events in southeast Florida. She worked for municipalities of varying land size, population, and resident diversity, providing her an opportunity to lead as many as 80 employees in providing local government services at many levels. Her boots-on- the- ground approach led to effective and successful citywide implementations of multi-million dollar operational programs. Denise built trust and credibility with businesses, residents, and civic associations which resulted in successful collaborations and support for neighborhood improvements. Denise focused on employee development and training, team management initiatives, and fiscal responsibility. Denise earned a Bachelor of Science in Management and a Master of Business Administration from Florida Atlantic University. She is a member of the American Public Works Association (APWA), International City Managers Association (ICMA), and holds the credentials of Licensed Plumber in Broward County, Certified Arborist, and multiple FEMA credentials. She remains active in the University of Florida IFAS continuing education program as an instructor for the Florida Green Industries program. Denise is an out and proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. |
