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Established in honor of former ICMA Executive Director Mark E. Keane, the Award for Excellence recognizes an outstanding local government administrator who has enhanced the effectiveness of local government officials and consistently initiated creative and successful programs. The first of the two 1999 recipients is Randy Gustafson, city manager of Sterling, Colorado.
Sterling, Colorado (pop. 125,000) was a very different place in 1986 than it is today. A collapse in the agricultural and oil-based economy on which the city had depended resulted in a 15-percent decline in population. These economic woes contributed to operational and infrastructure deficiencies. Morale and productivity within the city were also poor. Thanks to Mr. Gustafson's wisdom and persistence, the Sterling of today-both inside and out-is in the midst of a renaissance.
When he took over as city manager in 1986, Mr. Gustafson addressed employee morale. He put into place...