May 16, 2024
County Commissioners
County of Bernalillo, NM
c/o Bernadette Perez, Human Resources Director
Bernalillo Human Resources Department
Re: County Administrator position for the County of Bernalillo, New Mexico
Dear Commissioners:
I am writing to introduce myself and request your consideration for the position of County
Administrator for Bernalillo County. I believe you will find my work history, skill set, and
collaborative management style match the qualifications you are seeking in this important
position with your management team. Throughout my career I’ve kept my passion for local
public service and am used to working in an open and energetic teamwork environment. As
a seasoned senior manager, with public and private management experience, I believe I have
the following to offer in filling the County Administrator’s role and responsibilities:
o Complex public organization management experience with ability to remain
professional and apolitical providing governing body support and staff oversight,
even when community debate may be heightened; experience includes leadership in
cities experiencing change or demanding circumstances;
o Extensive background in strategic project development and implementation
alignment, including through intergovernmental partnerships; known for being vision
driven and persistent in pursuing organizational goals;
o Track record of deftly implementing high-profile initiatives through controversial or
difficult circumstances;
o Collaborative and analytical by nature with a history of creative, interest-based
problem solving;
o Experience in intergovernmental, community outreach and media relations;
o Accomplishments in negotiation and mediation, including labor and
intergovernmental funding agreements;
o Land use and infrastructure development experience; and
o An economic development and business planning approach to service delivery,
financial management, and brand development.
My professional work experience has been distinct in that I’ve often been asked to manage
high profile and sensitive issues or address organization difficulties while honoring the policy
direction and organizational capabilities of the governmental entity or private client I served.
In each case, I made the effort to learn the underlying interests of the key participants or
stakeholder parties and worked to create viable, consensus solutions. To be effective, this
problem-solving approach requires an inclusive and adaptive style of team management, a
strategic level of analytic ability and visible adherence to professional standards of conduct.
The success of one initiative in Central Texas, mediating a potentially contentious public
planning effort, resulted in the General Manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority, a
Travis County Commissioner and I sharing a Peacemaker Award from the Travis County
Dispute Resolution Center. I learned this interest-based approach to problem solving to lead
labor negotiations as an Assistant City Manager for the City of Austin, Texas. I’ve applied it
since, including in the last two years as the City of Ashland, Oregon’s first permanent City
Manager. It proved effective in helping me be successful in Ashland’s active and often
contentious political environment.
I recently completed my service transitioning the City of Ashland to the council-manager
form of government and am now seeking a new public service opportunity. My primary
focus in Ashland was to stabilize the organizational culture and build a sense of momentum
through accomplishments that could rebuild community trust in their local government.
During my tenure with Ashland, my more notable accomplishments include collaborating
with the City Council to adopt new vision, values and strategic budget priorities; resolving
the 2021-2023 biennial budget deficit; business plan conversion of the Fire Department’s
regional ambulance service to single-role EMS; establishing an Emergency Operations
Center in partnership with Southern Oregon University and the Ashland School District;
addressing homelessness issues, hiring to fill the Deputy City Manager and long standing
vacancies of Finance Director, Community Development Director, Human Resource
Director, and Deputy Police Chief; reducing staff turnover from a high of 22% to a
manageable standard of 8%; and facilitating community outreach through a Citywide
Townhall, annual Business Roundtable with community businesses owners and Economic
Roundtable with local elected and major employer leaders.
Prior to joining Ashland, my private sector work was closely associated with local government
entities, helping to implement multi-jurisdictional community initiatives that called for an
appreciation of local community dynamics. This work included intergovernmental negotiations,
extensive community outreach, real estate development, regional transit financial planning and
soliciting public-private partnerships (P3s) to develop workforce housing.
During my almost ten years as Assistant City Manager for the City of Austin, I held the
responsibility of overseeing, at one time or another, over half of the then designated city
departments. These included the city’s public safety, public works, utility and enterprise
departments as well as departments associated with planning and land development,
environment, and economic development. I joined the City during a time it was experiencing
a difficult management environment; difficult even by the standards of this politically active,
state capital city. Issues addressed during this period included managing economic
development and growth issues and implementation of a Total Quality Management (TQM)
initiative for increased efficiency and cross-functional collaboration and, to build a customer
service brand. The TQM effort also served to build an open, teamwork organizational culture
out of one then characterized as splintered and often defensive.
Throughout my public and private sector work experience, I believe I have demonstrated the
ability to deftly meet the responsibilities of County Administrator with an open approach that
meets business needs and community expectations. I strive to bring integrity, creativity, and
perseverance to every undertaking for which I am responsible. Keeping the following
thought in mind reminds me to be open and serve with an appreciation for multiple points of
view:
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot
change their minds cannot change anything. ― George Bernard Shaw
I hope you will find my varied background in public and private sector management of value
and my application an indication of my sincere interest in serving Bernalillo County. Thank
you for your consideration and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Joseph L. Lessard
Joseph L. Lessard
Summary
• Vision and goal-oriented leader with a strong emphasis on positive team building/alignment.
• Known for creativity, attention to detail and perseverance in pursuing objectives.
• Skills in change management, negotiation, communication, intergovernmental relations, and
collaborative problem solving for balanced solutions to community issues.
Public Sector Experience
City Manager (Jan. 2022 – Dec. 2023) City of Ashland, Ashland, Oregon
Charged with managing the City’s transition to the Council-Manager form of government in an
environment of changing economic circumstances. Issues managed include addressing a city budget
structural imbalance, loss of staff and low organizational morale, negotiating four labor union
agreements, unauthorized public camping, increasing climate change/wildfire risk, a newly fragile
tourism economy, and the need to establish local problem resolution partnerships. Efforts on these
issues placed the City organization and community at-large on a strategic path of direction and action
under newly adopted City Council vision, values, and strategic priorities statements. FY 2023-2024
budgeted expenditures include approximately $43 million in general fund operations, $60 million
in water/wastewater, electric, and fiber network enterprise operations, $38 million in capital
budget expenditures and 264 full time employee positions (budget figures are net of Oregon PERS
liability allocation and intragovernmental transfers; City population is 21,607). New strategic
priority initiatives include:
• Established multi-entity joint emergency operations center under the City’s new Emergency
Operations Manager and increased joint efforts to prepare for potential emergency events
• Initiated single-role EMS in the county assigned extra-jurisdictional ambulance service area
under a business plan to improve response times and in-city firefighter availability
• Reestablished City outreach and communications efforts, including a budget options survey,
annual townhall, annual business and economic roundtables and City newsletter
• Reinvested to modernize the City’s fiber network utility under a new business plan
• Established homelessness initiatives, including acquisition of new shelter facility for severe
weather and to address Governor’s emergency declaration of homelessness
• Partnered to establish an early childhood daycare and development initiative to support the
local service economy and retain community’s family-oriented quality of life
• Set an organizational focus on addressing the backlog of deferred facility maintenance needs
Assistant City Manager (9.4 yrs.) City of Austin, Austin, Texas
Leadership responsibilities during tenure included, at one time or another, over half of designated
City departments. Work included oversight of all the City’s enterprise (electric, water/wastewater,
solid waste, convention center and visitors bureau, and aviation), public safety (police, fire, and
emergency medical service), development (planning, environmental services, economic
development, and housing) and infrastructure (public works/real estate) operations. City
management issues addressed during this time included reorganizing and continuous improvement
implementation for customer service and increased efficiency, and to build an open, teamwork
culture out of one characterized as splintered and often defensive. Peak annual budget
responsibilities of up to $537 million in operating budget expenditures, $507 million in revenues,
$585 million in capital budget and 2,900 full time employee positions (City population grew
from 466,000 to 613,000 during tenure). Strategic/economic development accomplishments
with the City of Austin include:
• Developed a deferred street maintenance funding approach, including new Transportation
User Fee, negotiation of $60 million support from the Capital Metro Transportation
Authority and a successful street reconstruction bond election
• Established CDBG affordable housing initiative (1,000 units repaired or built annually)
• Austin Convention Center construction & reestablished Austin’s visitors bureau
• Intergovernmental Administration and funding plan to create a 30,428-acre regional multi-
species preserve (Balcones Canyonland Conservation Plan under a USFWS 10(a) permit)
• Redevelopment of Bergstrom Air Force Base into Austin-Bergstrom International Airport,
including public vote for $400 million of airport bonds and small/minority business outreach
• Negotiation of City’s first Civil Service (Fire and Police) collective bargaining agreements
• Implementation of the City’s continuous improvement, total quality management initiative
Assistant to the City Manager (1.7 yrs.) City of Dallas, Dallas, Texas
Responsible for managerial support to the City Manager and Deputy City Manager. Oversight
assignments include establishment of the City’s new Risk Management Office, conducting the
annual city employee survey and City Council agenda process. (City population over 904,000
during tenure)
Management Assistant / Interim General Manager (2 yrs.) City of Dallas, Dallas, Texas
Management Assistant to an Assistant City Manager with temporary assignment as Interim
General Manager responsible for operation of the only municipally owned commercial radio
station in the United States. (WRR radio staff of approx. 10 FTEs)
Private Sector Experience
Independent Consultant – Strategic Initiatives (7.9 yrs. career total) Austin, TX
Consultant practice offers expertise in organizational & strategic project management,
governmental/community relations, mediation, land development and community
growth/economic development issues. Private entity work experience includes soliciting public-
private partnerships (P3s) for affordable housing on half of private equity real estate investors,
marketing services for an electric grid demand response service provider and, negotiating
endangered species mitigation for a 4,000-acre land development with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service and Travis County, Texas. Public entity project experience includes conceptual drafting
of the Travis County, Texas conservation development ordinance, conducting the Southwest
Travis County Growth Dialog (community planning effort), and funding plan development for
the Hays County Regional Habitat Conservation Plan.
Senior Planning Director (11.2 yrs.) Knudson, LP, Austin, Texas
Consultancy focuses on providing public sector clients with intergovernmental
relations/coordination, economic development, strategic project management and organizational
alignment services. List of clients includes the Lone Star Rail District for its 119-mile LSTAR
passenger rail line and, the City of Austin for its Urban Rail and Project Connect regional high-
capacity transit planning initiatives.
Senior Vice President – Land Development (3.8 yrs.) Kucera Management, Inc., Austin, Texas
Responsible for the management of a diverse set of commercial and residential land development
projects. The firm’s land division specialized in entitling and managing properties with unusual
or difficult development circumstances. Managed projects totaled $52 million in estimated
entitled raw land value.
Vice President (3.8 yrs.) Folsom Investments, Inc./Sabre Realty, Inc., Dallas, Texas
Responsible for financial and business planning functions for real estate ownership/management
business covering forty-two apartment and condominium communities (8000+ apartments).
Education
Master of Public Affairs (Public Finance Concentration)
School of Public and Environmental Affairs, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
Bachelor of Arts: Business Administration (with Economics Minor), and
Bachelor of Arts: Political Science (Public Administration Option)
Washington State University, Pullman, Washington
Affiliations & Awards
• International City/County Management Association (1983-Present); Fund for Professional
Management Committee (1997-1998)
• Ashland Chamber of Commerce, Board Member (2022-2023)
• Oregon City/County Management Association (2022-2023)
• Congress for the New Urbanism
• Urban Land Institute
• American Association of Airport Executives (1997 – 2014, Certified Member)
• Board Member, Envision Central Texas (2010 – 2014); Treasurer & Executive Committee
(2011-2013)
• Citizens Advisory Committee Member, Balcones Canyonland Conservation Plan (12+ years;
Chair 2008 – 2011)
• Fellows Appointee, Center for Public Policy Dispute Resolution, University of Texas Law
School (2006)
• Peacemaker Award, Travis County Dispute Resolution Center (2005)
