Conference Speaker Profile - Juan Garza  
 
Juan Garza

Biography: Juan was born in O’Donnel, Texas, a small town about 10 miles north of Lubbock.  He calls Cotulla, Texas his hometown, but in reality, he was raised in several parts of the  Midwest and the Southwest. He is married to Rosario and has two children, Bianca and Juan Antonio.

After completing a tour of duty in Vietnam, while in the U.S. Army, Juan went  to work for the city of Evanston, Illinois.  While working there, he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics from Loyola University of Chicago as well as a Masters Degree in Business Administration.

It was while working his way through college when at the City of Evanston, that Juan became interested in city management.  While still an Engineering Aide, an entry level position, he announced his intention to one day be a city manager. (Much to the delight of his fellow employees!)

He began developing his skills by attending as many public meetings/hearings as he could while serving in various capacities with the City of Evanston.  In his capacity as an urban planner, he piloted the creation of a special service district which showcased a number of right of way improvements that were subsequently expanded to all of the central business district, and later to a couple of secondary commercial areas.

His career has taken him to Moline, Illinois, where he served as Accounts and Finance Officer; Corpus Christi, Texas, where he served in several capacities culminating as city manager of that city; and finally to Austin, Texas, where he held the position of Director of Human Resources before being named General Manager of Austin Energy. Juan currently serves as General Manager of Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc.

His greatest reward in his public service career is the accomplishments of the employees that have worked for him. In his spare time he enjoys reading, golfing, and listening to music.


Title: Releasing the Energy of OurSpace - Working at the Speed of Many


Presentation Abstract: What is work anyway? Is it merely the production of things, the making of things?  Is it moving something from here to there?  Is it processing information?  Making a calculation?  Providing a service?  Is it drudgery, or should it be enjoyed?  Does it involve the exercise of judgment and discretion?  Or is it simply doing what your boss tells you to do?

For me, work is strictly in the realm of thinking, sentient beings.  Human work involves using judgment and discretion to resolve impediments to the production of products or services.  And I believe that it follows that to maximize the output of human work in any organization, all employees thereof must feel compelled to exercise judgment and discretion in the performance of their duties.

In my capacity as a CEO, I have dedicated my remaining years to creating an environment at work that employees look forward to coming to every day.  I want their experience at PEC to be one that they can’t wait to get to every morning. At the end of the day, I want them to go home knowing that they made a difference and eager to come back. And I want to share that experience with others. This presentation will reveal details of my efforts.