ASK THE EXPERT PANEL SERIES
Real PEOPLE. Real SITUATIONS. Real SOLUTIONS.
"Having good PEOPLE SKILLS means MAXIMIZING effective and productive HUMAN INTERACTION to everyone’s benefit” – Lynn Taylor
It is often said that hard skills (technical skills) may get your foot in the door, but your people skills are what open most of the doors to come. While hard skills are a critical minimum requirement for performing a job, it is ultimately soft skills that help people become upwardly mobile in their careers.
Soft skills, also known as “people skills” are interpersonal qualities that enhance an individual's interactions with others and define a person’s work ethic and professionalism. Soft skills also determine an individual’s ability to lead, solve problems, communicate and work effectively with others in a team. In essence, soft skills are what set individuals apart from their peers. In today’s competitive environment, it is not enough to be the best in the field. Technical skills are only half of what you need to climb the ladder of success. The other half is the softer side of you – it’s the part that will be liked, admired, trusted and remembered.
You should attend this panel discussion if:
- You want to know how to measure the need for soft skills
- You are interested in learning how to invest in the development of soft skills training for your employees
- You are wondering which soft skills hold the greatest value in the workplace today
- You are dealing with difficult personalities or a lack of teamwork in the workplace
- You are seeking advice on how to strengthen your soft skills
The Power of People Skills
Location: LDC Auditorium
REGISTER NOW:
Tuesday, Jul 28, 2015, 01:00 PM
Learning & Development Center | 4501 Leeland Houston, TX 77023
Joe Turner, Director of Houston Parks and Recreation Department
Mr. Turner was appointed by Mayor Bill White and approved by City Council to serve as the Director of the Houston Parks and Recreation Department in July of 2004. When Mayor Annise Parker took office in 2010, Mr. Turner was asked to continue serving as Director of the department under her administration.Prior to joining the City, he served as Parks Administrator for Harris County Precinct 4. In the private sector, Mr. Turner worked in the retail restaurant business on a local, state and national front for more than 35 years.
As the Department’s Director, Mr. Turner is responsible for overseeing the stewardship of the City’s parkland, urban forests and greenspace, park facilities and buildings; recreational programming and activities; parks budget management and facilities management practices. He administers a staff of approximately 800 full-time, part-time, and seasonal employees. He believes in customer service, responsive government, and the preservation of parkland and greenspace for today’s park visitors and for future generations.
Director Turner has used his business experience, as well as his experience in parks management, to raise the bar for the department. He guided the Houston Parks and Recreation Department’s National Recreation and Parks Association C.A.P.R.A. Accreditation Process, which was received in October of 2008. The Department was re-accredited in October 2013 during the National Recreation and Parks Association National Congress Expo which was held in Houston.
Director Turner is a board member of the National Recreation and Park Association. He is a member of: the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, Texas Recreation and Parks Society (TRAPS), the Greater Gulf Coast Parks and Recreation Director's Association, the Heritage Society, Hermann Park Conservancy, Memorial Park Conservancy, Buffalo Bayou Partnership, Trees for Houston, and the Houston Parks Board.
Director Turner is a native Houstonian. He attended the University of Houston, graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration, and holds an Executive Master of Business Administration from the Texas Woman's University.
Scott Minnix, Director of the General Services Department for the City of Houston
Scott Minnix has been the Director of the General Services Department (GSD) for the City of Houston since November 17, 2010. Prior to joining the City of Houston, he held an executive position for the City of Seattle, as a director of facility operations in the Fleet and Facility Department.
Minnix has performed as a high-impact strategist throughout his 20-plus years of executive, operations, education/academic, and HR leadership. He brings a special ability to coach and get positive results optimizing team and individual performance.
Minnix has NIMS Training and incident management experience and has used that knowledge in his role as the director of GSD with oversight of Security, Property Management, Building Design and Construction, Real Estate and Energy Management.
A former officer in the U.S. Naval Reserve, Minnix earned a B.A. in Business Administration/Management from the University of Puget Sound and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington.
Katye Tipton, Director of the Department of Neighborhoods
Katye Tipton serves as Director of the Department of Neighborhoods. As Director, she manages a team consisting of seven divisions. They are the Mayor’s Office of People with Disabilities which advocates for Houstonians with different abilities and those caring for them; the Citizens Assistance Office houses liaisons throughout the city to connect with residents and to help them with multiple issues; the Education Initiatives Office partners with many agencies to encourage graduation and also, to promote after-school/out-of-school programs; the Volunteer Initiatives Program recruits volunteers and interns for various city events and departments; Inspections and Public Service enforces ordinances to mitigate and eliminate blight and nuisances in our neighborhoods; the Mayor’s Anti-Gang Office intervenes and prevents gang involvement with youth referred from courts and schools, and the Office of International Communities engages residents from all cultures who have earned Houston the name, “The Most Diverse City in America.”
Ms. Tipton grew up in Birmingham, Alabama and spent twenty years in Jackson County, Alabama where she had a real estate business and later managed a city. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Alabama and has been with the City of Houston for six years.
Eric Dargan, Deputy Director of the Street and Drainage Division, Public Works and Engineering
SDD consists of the Storm Water Maintenance Branch and the Street and Bridge Maintenance Branch. SDD also receives, dispatches, investigates and responds to 3-1-1 requests and maintains the 24/7 dispatch/hotshot operation responding to urgent SDD requests. Prior to joining the City of Houston, he worked for AT&T serving in various management positions including, Network, Marketing and Finance.
Mr. Dargan holds a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Prairie View A&M University and a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Michigan State University.
Click on the following link to download a printer-friendly version of this flyer:
We are the Center for Excellence!
Website: http://www.houstontx.gov/ldc/
Location: 4501 Leeland Street, Houston, TX, United States
Phone: 832-395-4900
Facebook: facebook.com/COHLDC
Twitter: @cohldc