Ohio Certified Public Manager (OCPM) Program

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Alumni Profile Series 

Meet Paul Solanics
Director, City of Solon's Water Reclamation Department

What Academy did you graduate from? When?
I graduated from Public Management Academy in July 2010

Tell us a little bit about your organization.
I work at the City of Solon Water Reclamation Department. Solon's population is approximately 24,000 people, and increases to 37,000 during the workday. Solon Schools are ranked #4 in the state and #137 nationally. The reputation of the schools is one of the primary reasons people choose to live here in addition to our excellent city services. The median household income is $95,320.00 and the median home value is $272,000.00

Tell us a little bit about what you do.
I am the Director at the City of Solon Water Reclamation Department and am in charge of the operations and maintenance of the wastewater treatment plant and the collection system. Our facility treats wastewater for the residential, industrial, and commercial customers in Solon. Wastewater treated at our facility discharges to Tinkers Creek, which flows into the Cuyahoga River, which flows into Lake Erie where it is recycled for our freshwater supply.

What was the most memorable part of the program?
Our cohort was dropped by the State after a month into the program. Cleveland State University decided to continue this program on their own and re-named it NEO-Smart. Since the majority of the participants in the cohort were administrative staff from the City of Wooster, we decided to hold class at Wooster's Administration Building, meeting twice a month for two years. Despite these setbacks, everyone put their best foot forward to make this a very successful learning experience. I still keep in contact with my friends at Wooster, and have developed a long-lasting partnership with Rob Ziol and Dr. Sanda Kaufman at CSU. This partnership initiated my participation in Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs's mentoring and internship programs, as well as the Student Design competition.

What was your favorite part of the Academy?
My favorite aspect of the program was the projects portion. They were beneficial to our individual organizations. The entire program was developed to help you identify, strategically plan, and carry out projects to completion. I also appreciated that I was able to dedicate the time to work on these projects away from work, so I was not distracted by everyday interruptions. It was much easier to think outside of the box and open my mind to new ideas.

What lessons did the Academy equip you with?
Strategic planning, management, performance management, decision making, and public sector leadership.

How has the Academy positively impacted/added value to your professional life?
It provided me with the tools to manage, and take my career to a whole new level. It allowed me to look at things with a new prospective instead of just doing things the way it was always done.

During your time in the program, what's one thing you learned about yourself that surprised or challenged you?
I learned that the struggles I experienced were very similar to others. People are unique. We have different ideas and values to measure success in our lives and career. The program provided universal tools to achieve success in the workplace.

In your opinion, what does a good public manager look like? In your opinion, what does a good public leader look like?
Public managers differ from private managers because they work for the social good of their community or public organization as a whole. Public managers are not profit driven. In today's society, the public manager utilizes practices similar to the private industry to secure contracts and solicit the lowest and best prices. This ensures public money is spent wisely and to the benefit of all constituents.

A good public leader has a strategic vision for their organization. They must able to promote and sell this vision to their staff and stakeholders to accomplish the goals and objectives. Good public leaders have a roadmap of how and when they will accomplish those goals and objectives. Two, five, and 10-year plans are very important in establishing budgets in the public sector. Communities need to plan their financing for projects, which could result in higher taxes or applying for federal grants and loans.

Why are professional development opportunities important?
Professional development opportunities are important because they open your eyes to different ideas and concepts that you may be able to use some day. Many tend to get locked into routines – because that is the way it was always done. In order to be successful, you need to be open to change and new ideas. The world around us is constantly changing, and you need to be able to evolve and adjust to those changes.

What's one piece of advice you'd like to pass along to your fellow public managers?
The process for purchases and getting things done in the public sector is painstakingly slow. If you can get over that you will have a great career ahead of you. I have worked for a public agency for over 30 years, and it has been one of the most rewarding jobs I could have ever imagined. Knowing that our daily operations not only affects or community, but has an overall impact on Northeast Ohio is truly amazing. If you get satisfaction working for the benefit of others, public management is a very good career option.

In your opinion, what's Ohio's best-kept secret?
I love the outdoors and nature, so I recommend a visit to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. There are so many great things to experience there. I have been visiting the park for years, and still find new places to explore. In addition, the scenic Cuyahoga River flows through the park. It's been 50 years since the river caught on fire, and it is very rewarding to see how the aquatic habitat and wildlife have returned to this historic river. I am proud that what we do here at the water reclamation facility is directly related to its recovery.

Anything else you'd like to share?
I would like to thank my friends at Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs for the wonderful partnership that we developed over the years. Networking and developing relationships are such an integral part of being successful in your life and career. I have been fortunate to be involved with the Maxine Goodman Levin School of Urban Affairs mentoring and internship programs. We have hired several interns to work for Solon through these programs. Through this partnership, I was able to connect Cleveland State University with the Ohio Water Environment Association (OWEA) to participate in various seminars and events. We developed the Student Design Competition which has become part of the curriculum for Dr. Kaufman's Environmental Science class. We recruited the young professionals at OWEA to participate with students on beach clean-ups, Earthfest and Resume Reviews. My sincere thanks to Rob Ziol, Dr. Wendy Kellogg, Dr. Sanda Kaufman, Dr. Julie Wolin, and Dean Roland Anglin for all the work they do to provide the students with learning alternatives outside the standard classroom curriculum.

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