Current and retired members of the California City Management Foundation (CCMF) engaged with academia on Friday, May 1st at the California State University, Fullerton (CSUF) Town Hall Meeting.

The university-wide Town Hall Meeting is part of CSUF’s curriculum for several Intro to American Government courses. Students choose public policy research topics and present their findings and policy recommendations in a town hall discussion setting. City managers who attended the meeting were able to engage with the students and discus the practical implications of their research.

CSUF reached out to CCMF for partnership in this event because they have enthusiastically participated in previous town hall meetings and have been among the most engaging moderators in attendance at these events.

“City managers are the daily practitioner of public policy, they see the practicality of policy implications and can be some of the most involved guests we have at these events,” said Adjunct Professor Karalee Etheridge-Watson.

CCMF Executive Director Ken Pulskamp commented, “Engaging with academia is just one of the many ways CCMF promotes and encourages excellence in city management. These kinds of events are great opportunities for CCMF members to interact with possible future city managers and help them learn about the intricacies of the profession.”

Over 600 students participated in this year’s Town Hall Meeting. Etheridge-Watson noted that the CCMF community was a very important part of the success of this event, and looks forward to future partnership opportunities.