After almost 24 years as the City of Williamsburg’s manager, Jack Tuttle has been recognized by an international organization of his peers with its highest honor.
Tuttle, city manager since 1991, is the recipient of the 2014 Award for Career Excellence from the International City/County Management Association. To be considered, nominees must have a demonstrated commitment to their profession — at least 10 years at a senior level of service — and endorsement of a past elected official.
It was Williamsburg Mayor Clyde Haulman who nominated Tuttle for the honor. Having worked with the Baltimore native for more than a decade — Haulman was elected to City Council in 2000 before starting his term as mayor in 2010 — he has a keen awareness of Tuttle’s devotion and expertise.
He said the ICMA award is likely the greatest honor a city manager can earn from his peers, and one Tuttle deeply deserves.
“To be recognized with [ICMA’s] highest award says volumes about Jack and about what he’s done in Williamsburg,” Haulman said.
Haulman pointed to the Performance Management Dashboards — an online tool where the public can track city metrics of success and employees can view their progress — as one of the many innovations Tuttle has used to empower staff to succeed in their jobs. He said such efforts make Williamsburg an example for communities across the globe.
Tuttle’s great strength, Haulman said, is his ability to see creative possibilities with the constraints of a city budget.
“I think Jack has really done that masterfully. … He’s a superb budget manager,” he said.
Those creative possibilities became realities in the dashboard system, technology updates, and the city’s Goals, Initiatives, and Outcomes strategic planning process.
Tuttle, a retired Navy Captain, gives the credit to the city staff.
“Anyone that knows the organization knows that this is a team down here,” he said.
He expressed gratitude for being a part of Williamsburg’s accomplishments for the community, and said nowhere else in the country are there more dedicated stewards.
“I feel very fortunate to have spent a career as an ICMA member and to do the job of professional management of local government, and even more to be able to do that for going on 24 years in a place like Williamsburg,” he said. “I’ve been unusually fortunate as far as folks in my profession – you can’t ask for much more.”
Tuttle has also been honored for his work in improving town-gown relationships with the College of William & Mary. This spring he was given the school’s 2014 Prentis Award for individuals whose civic involvement is a boon the resident and collegiate community.
ICMA will present Tuttle with the 2014 Award for Career Excellence in Memory of Mark E. Keane at its 100th annual conference in September in North Carolina.
