The Clear Voice

47:21

#89 - Now Hiring: Visit McKinney Executive Director

The Clear Voice ·

2026/10/09

The City of McKinney, Texas is searching for the next Executive Director of Visit McKinney, the city’s convention and visitors bureau.In this PositionCast, James Groom is joined by McKinney City Manager Paul Grimes, Visit McKinney Board member Brian Medina, and Clear Career Professionals President Michael Boese to give prospective candidates a closer look at the opportunity. The conversation covers the Visit McKinney team, organizational structure, leadership culture, community partnerships, major

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31:20

#88 - Lubbock Director of Utilities: Leading a...

The Clear Voice ·

2026/10/07

The City of Lubbock is searching for its next Director of Utilities, and this role sits at the center of one of the city’s most critical operations.In this PositionCast episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom is joined by Lubbock Assistant City Manager Erik Rejino to discuss the scale of the utility system, the leadership profile the City is seeking, the organization’s long-range water strategy, and the major infrastructure projects that will shape Lubbock for decades. Erik explains why the role is

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42:37

#87 - Attorney Opportunities at Messer Fort...

The Clear Voice ·

2026/10/05

Messer Fort is growing, and that growth is creating four opportunities for attorneys who want to build their careers serving Texas cities.In this episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom sits down with Andy Messer, Julie Fort, and Patricia Adams of Messer Fort, along with Clear Career Professionals President Michael Boese, to talk about the firm, its culture, and what makes municipal law such a unique practice. The conversation explores Messer Fort’s growth from a small municipal

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47:04

#86 - From Military Leadership to Montana's Capital

The Clear Voice ·

2026/09/30

What happens when leadership experience forged in the military is carried into local government?In this episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom talks with Alana Lake, City Manager of Helena, Montana, about her path from military leadership and counterintelligence to managing a state capital. Alana shares how her military experience shaped the way she thinks about leadership, trust, accountability, teamwork, and public service. She also discusses the transition from military to civilian leadership,

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56:30

#85 - Before It Breaks: How Leaders Build and Repair...

The Clear Voice ·

2026/09/22

Trust is not simply a leadership quality. It is the infrastructure supporting everything else in an organization.In this episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom and James Hopper are joined by Dr. Gearl Loden, superintendent of Nixa Public Schools, executive coach, and author of Before It Breaks: The Seven Pillars of Trust Every Leader Must Build. Gearl explains how trust erodes through small inconsistencies, unresolved conversations, unclear expectations, and promises that are never closed. He

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64:18

#84 - Leading Through Change with Dee Maddox

The Clear Voice ·

2026/09/16

In Episode #84 of The Clear Voice, James Groom sits down with Dee Maddox, founder of DMX Consulting, to talk about leadership, communication, workforce development, and what it really takes to lead people through change.Dee brings more than 30 years of experience working with people and organizations, including a long federal career and service with NASA during the transition of the Space Shuttle Program. She shares what that experience taught her about communicating through uncertainty, taking

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49:30

#83 - Sansom Park, Texas Police Chief PositionCast™

The Clear Voice ·

2026/09/08

In this PositionCast™, James Groom is joined by Sansom Park Mayor Jim Barnett to discuss the city’s search for its next Chief of Police.Mayor Barnett shares his background in Sansom Park, law enforcement, and public administration, along with what candidates can expect from the community, City Council, and city leadership. The conversation also covers the police department’s accreditation, Drone as First Responder program, K9 unit, staffing, culture, recruiting, and long-term priorities. James adds

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51:09

#82 - Put Your Mask on First: Wellness Starts at the Top

The Clear Voice ·

2026/09/02

Dr. Wes Blair, Chief of Police at Memphis International Airport, joins The Clear Voice to talk about his career across multiple states, the move from traditional municipal policing into airport law enforcement, and why wellness has to start at the top.Wes shares how airport policing is still police work, but in a very different environment with travelers, tenants, airlines, federal regulations, security expectations, and customer service all layered together. The conversation also turns to officer

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45:45

#81 – Frisco, Texas Fire Chief PositionCast™

The Clear Voice ·

2026/08/25

The City of Frisco, Texas, is searching for its next Fire Chief.In this PositionCast™, James Groom and Clear Career Professionals President Michael Boese are joined by Frisco City Manager Wes Pierson, Deputy City Manager E.A. Hoppe, and Interim Fire Chief Clay Carpenter for an inside look at the department, the community, and what Frisco needs from its next fire service leader. Frisco’s next chief will inherit a high-performing department with significant resources, talented employees, a strong

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42:56

#80 - Better Leadership Starts With Better Followers

The Clear Voice ·

2026/08/18

Organizations spend enormous time and money developing leaders, but how much attention do we give to developing better followers?Rick Chambers, author of Inspired: A Story of Leading, Following, and Changing and creator of Followership Works, joins James Groom to explore why followership may be one of the most overlooked pieces of organizational success. Rick explains how strong followers use critical thinking, self management, coachability, managing up, and constructive dissent to help their

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35:41

#79 - Denison Director of Development Services...

The Clear Voice ·

2026/08/14

The City of Denison, Texas, is searching for its next Director of Development Services during a period of significant growth and development.In this PositionCast™, Interim City Manager Renee’ Waggoner discusses the opportunity, Denison’s leadership culture, the Development Services team, and what the successful candidate will need to bring to the role. Topics include: • Leading planning and zoning, building permitting and inspections, neighborhood services and code compliance, and historic

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49:30

#78 - Rowlett, Texas City Manager PositionCast™

The Clear Voice ·

2026/08/11

The City of Rowlett, Texas is searching for its next City Manager. In this PositionCast™, Rowlett Mayor Jeff Winget joins James Groom, The Clear Voice host, and Michael Boese, President of Clear Career Professionals and lead recruiter for the search, for an in depth conversation about the community, the organization, and the leadership opportunity ahead. Rowlett is a community of nearly 70,000 residents on the shores of Lake Ray Hubbard in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. The city is entering an

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50:17

#77 - Plano Grace: Protecting a Community Through Crisis

The Clear Voice ·

2026/08/04

This episode is dedicated to Zackery Mehlman, July 19, 2004 to March 22, 2021, and the more than 350,000 lives lost to the opioid crisis. May their memories strengthen our commitment to preventing further loss. This episode includes discussions of mental health, substance abuse, fentanyl, overdose deaths, and family trauma. Listener discretion is advised. A community crisis cannot be solved by one department, one program, or one enforcement strategy. Aubrey D. Paul, also known as A.D. Paul, joins

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42:49

#76 - Next Meters Is Making Smart Water Beautifully...

The Clear Voice ·

2026/07/28

Ben Jarrett has spent his career around water, first as a professional bass fisherman, then in the boating industry, and now as a Regional Sales Director for Next Meters USA.In this episode of The Clear Voice, Ben joins James Groom to discuss his unconventional career journey and the lessons he learned from fishing, competition, hard work, and conservation. The conversation then moves into the challenges facing municipal water utilities. Ben explains how aging meters can miss usage, how hidden

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41:50

#75 - Modern Infrastructure Mapping with BHC

The Clear Voice ·

2026/07/21

What if a city could inspect roads, drainage systems, water tanks, utilities, and other hard-to-reach infrastructure faster, safer, and with more detail than a traditional field survey?In this episode of The Clear Voice, Host James Groom talks with Craig Kerkhoff, PE and Dr. Robert Hendricks of Birkhoff, Hendricks & Carter, LLP about how LiDAR, drones, remote sensing, 3D mapping, and artificial intelligence are changing municipal engineering. They explain how LiDAR creates detailed 3D models

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50:37

#74 - Getting to the Point with Justin Atherton

The Clear Voice ·

2026/07/14

In Episode #74 of The Clear Voice, host James Groom sits down with Justin Atherton, President of Training and Operations at Proactive Leadership, bestselling author of How to Get to the Damn Point, and a nationally recognized leadership and investigative interviewing instructor. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience in corrections, patrol, investigations, SWAT, supervision, and leadership development, Justin shares practical strategies for becoming a more effective communicator and leader. The

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40:39

#73 - Chief of Police | Pampa, Texas PositionCast™

The Clear Voice ·

2026/07/10

In this episode of The Clear Voice, we highlight the Chief of Police opportunity in Pampa, Texas. Host and recruiter James Groom visits with City Manager Shane Stokes and Assistant City Manager Dustin Miller about the community, the police department, the city’s leadership culture, and the type of servant leader Pampa is seeking for its next Chief of Police. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to the Pampa Chief of Police Opportunity 02:51 Meet City Manager Shane Stokes 03:50 Meet Assistant City Manager

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31:44

#72 - City Manager | Denison Texas PositionCast™

The Clear Voice ·

2026/07/07

Denison, Texas is searching for its next City Manager, and this PositionCast™ gives candidates a closer look at the community, council, staff, and leadership environment behind the opportunity. In this episode of The Clear Voice, host James Groom is joined by Mayor Robert Crawley and Clear Career Professionals President Michael Boese to discuss Denison’s historic character, award-winning downtown, access to Lake Texoma, strong community partnerships, and major development momentum. The conversation

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44:36

#71 - HR Serves the People Who Serve the Community |...

The Clear Voice ·

2026/06/30

In this episode of The Clear Voice, James Groom sits down with Matt Wright, Human Resources Director for the City of Buda, Texas, to talk about employee retention, organizational culture, and the human side of public service. Matt brings a unique perspective to the conversation after transitioning from a long career with the Austin Police Department into municipal HR. The discussion explores why good employees leave public sector organizations, why culture often matters as much as compensation, and

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58:08

#70 - Director of Governmental Relations | TMRS...

The Clear Voice ·

2026/06/23

In this episode of The Clear Voice, guests Debbie Munoz, Executive Director of the Texas Municipal Retirement System, Dan Wattles, former TMRS Director of Governmental Relations, and Michael Boese, President of Clear Career Professionals, join host James Groom to discuss an important executive leadership opportunity with TMRS. TMRS is recruiting for its next Director of Governmental Relations, a role that sits at the intersection of public policy, relationships, pension governance, and public

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