CITY CELEBRATES STRONG LEADERSHIP, FORGES INTO FUTURE
City employees came out in droves to celebrate Kevin Phelps’ positive impact on Glendale during his last meeting as city manager, and to welcome our new leader, Patrick Banger.
In a heartfelt speech, Phelps said his decade of service as our city’s leader was the highlight of his career. Assistant City Manager Vicki Rios provided a budget update and thanked employees for their contributions to Glendale's significant economic recovery. Kevin raffled off special commemorative footballs and a basketball from the Men’s Final Four, which was won by Library Support Assistant Alexandra Cobian, who had decorated her shirt with the Glendale logos for this occasion. Kevin didn’t go home empty-handed; his parting gifts included a special fire helmet and an American flag presented by the Police and Fire chiefs.
Watch our special video: Driving Glendale Forward: A Decade of Progress.
GREAT NEWS IN GLENDALE
DAILY DATA PRACTICES EARN CITY COVETED CERTIFICATION
Numbers tell a story, and our city is thrilled to be celebrating a new chapter in success. Many employees attended our recent awards ceremony to mark Results for America awarding Glendale the Bloomberg Philanthropies What Works Cities platinum certification for establishing outstanding data capabilities to inform policy, allocate funding, improve services, evaluate programs and engage residents.
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The What Works Cities Certification standard reflects the practices, policies and infrastructure municipalities must maintain to effectively harness data for better decision-making. Our Department of Organizational Performance, led by director Jenny Durda, was instrumental in our city obtaining this prestigious honor. Glendale joined What Works Cities in 2017 to help the city become a more data-informed organization. Employees may download a special logo highlighting the certification for their email signatures here. Right click on it to save it.
DRIVING
Cassandra Johnston, our Traffic Education Program Manager, was invited to present to the Women in Transportation (WTS) Phoenix-Metro Chapter, an international organization focused on advancing women in transportation and shaping the industry for the public good.
At the meeting, Cassandra highlighted the Alive at 25 defensive driving program that was launched in 2022 and is now implemented across all nine Glendale high schools. She also shared crash data demonstrating how the program, along with other transportation initiatives, have contributed to improved roadway safety. About 70 transportation professionals from across Arizona attended the event, including Glendale Transportation employees, and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, who delivered opening remarks. The event provided a valuable opportunity to showcase our city’s commitment to roadway safety initiatives.
EMPLOYEES HUDDLE, SCORE TOUCHDOWN WITH FIESTA BOWL
Our city’s employees tackled increased traffic, public safety enforcement and communications projects tied to the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl with ease and great teamwork.
Many TV stations and newspapers produced stories about how the big game impacted Glendale. Digital Content Specialist Justin Susan created a video capturing fans’ excitement ahead of the big game. Check it out to the left. Click the TV station and newspaper links below the video to see how our employees kept their eyes on the ball to prepare for this major event.
GETTING MOBILE IN GLENDALE
GEAR UP FOR FRIENDLY COMPETITION, GET MOVING
It’s time to get your game face on! As a reminder, join Team Glendale for the 8 Annual Move It Maricopa City vs. City Challenge! th
Our city will compete against the cities of Buckeye, Chandler, Goodyear and Surprise, as well as the Tempe Elementary School District and Gila River Casino as part of this challenge from Jan. 20 to Feb. 22. Help us win the Golden Shoe Trophy back from Chandler! The top prize will go to the team that logs the highest group average number of steps taken. “Winter Sports Around the World” is the theme. With this challenge, participants engage in exercises that take them virtually around the world for different winter wonderlands and snow activities. Meet the goal of taking 7,000 steps per day and earn 5,000 bonus points in WellStyles. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona sponsors this challenge. Register for the challenge here.
Check out the fun video our videographers Luis Jacinto and Shaun Mockoski created to pump up employees for the challenge.
ENRICHMENT FOR EMPLOYEES
GAIN PAIN RECOVERY TIPS
Do you struggle with ongoing joint or muscle pain?
Learn how to handle it in the WellStyles webinar, Why Your Pain Persists and What You Can Do About It from 4 to 5 p.m. on Jan. 28. In this Zoom webinar, Hinge Health will share scientific information that will help employees learn what pain really is, why it shows up and what influences the way people experience it. Participants will learn small, targeted steps to take to begin supporting recovery and movement.
Register here for this webinar.
LEARN ABOUT RETIREMENT
As a reminder, there is a great event where you may get your questions about retirement answered.
The retirement seminar will be held from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 28 at the Main Library. Representatives from Empower Retirement, the Social Security Administration, Medicare, Public Safety Personnel Retirement System and Arizona State Retirement System will provide information. Whether you’re just starting to think about retirement or coming close to this milestone, this session offers excellent information. Register for this seminar via NEOGOV.
ENJOY DESERT DIAMOND DEALS
Looking for a fun concert or sports event to attend at a great price?
City employees may enjoy exclusive ticket offers for suites at Desert Diamond Arena this month and in February and March. There are a limited amount of suite tickets available. Click here to learn more and buy tickets.
FOCUS ON FITNESS
HAVE FUN AT WALK/RUN, WELLNESS FAIR
The early registration deadline is fast approaching for the WellStyles Move More Walk/Run & Wellness Fair on Feb. 28 at Foothills Recreation and Aquatics Center (FRAC).
Register by Jan. 28 and you will be guaranteed an event T-shirt WellStyles and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona offer this event, which is open to all city employees, as well as their family members, friends and the public.
It will feature a 3.1-mile (5K) run/walk that starts at 9 a.m. and a 1mile walk that begins at 9:05 a.m. There will be a FREE Community Wellness Fair from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and a FREE rock-wall climb from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. inside FRAC. The top three male and top three female 5K finishers will obtain awards. Register for the event here.
HEALTHY HABITS LEAD TO PRIZES
Congratulations to the employees who won the first Go Wild for Wellness prize drawing! In order to qualify for the drawing, participants earned 45,000 points in the WellStyles portal by Dec. 31. They each won $200 electronic gift cards.
Norma Hernandez, Community Services
Rosalie Hernandez, Police
Roxanne Laush, Police
Laura Castro Lopez, City Court
Hazel Luquin, Community Services
Bart Morganegg, Water Services
Katie Rowley, Human Resources and Risk Management
Maria Mendez Serrano, Community Services
Deanne Torres, City Manager’s Office
Laura Vallecillo, City Court
There are two more chances to win! There will be 10 more prize winners drawn on March 31 and June 15. In order to qualify for the drawing, participants must earn points in the WellStyles portal and reach Level 3 (45,000 points) by the deadline dates. Learn more here.
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
MAMMOGRAMS TO BE OFFERED
It is convenient for city employees to obtain a screening that could save lives
Our city’s Mobile On-site Mammography service will be available for appointments from 7 to 11 a.m. on Feb. 11 in the MOM bus outside of the Adult Center. Professional, experienced medical employees will use the latest digital mammography technology to screen employees. A 15-minute mammogram screening may detect breast cancer and help save someone’s life.
To reserve an appointment, click here. Bring your insurance and identification cards to the appointment.
GET SPRING TRAINING DISCOUNTS
It’s almost time to say, “Take me out to the ball game!”
Spring training games start on Feb. 21 at Camelback Ranch-Glendale (CR-G). Discounted ticket prices are available to West Valley residents and Credit Union West members for CR-G’s 2026 schedule. To register for the West Valley Resident Passes, click here.
Finding a network within the city is a great way to meet new people, work on unique projects and find novel ways to give back. The city has plenty of opportunities for you to get involved. Read about the various city committees and request more information through this link.
MORE WAYS TO ENGAGE IN GLENDALE CHANCES TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY
KICK UP YOUR BOOTS AT CONCERT
Grab your cowboy boots and hats and get ready for the Country Dance Night, part of the LiVE! Concert Series, from 5 to 9 p.m. on Jan. 24 downtown at 58th Avenue and Glenn Drive.
Chauncey Jones, an emerging country artist known for heartfelt lyrics, will perform and professional instructors from AZ Boots & Dukes will teach line dancing to people of all experience levels. This event is FREE. Learn more here.
ENJOY MUSIC, SONGWRITING
Find inspiration and soak up the sounds of great music at a special event!
The 29th Annual Arizona Songwriters Gathering will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 31 at our Main Library. Performers, writers and music lovers are welcome at this FREE event, which will feature more than 120 live performances. Check out the details here.
CRUISE DOWNTOWN FOR FESTIVAL
The Downtown Glendale Arts & Culture Fest will roll into our city from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 31. The festival will be held at Civic Center Plaza at 5750 W. Glenn Drive.
Highlights of this event include a classic car competition with over 50 classic cars, live music, as well as live plein air, chalk art and mural creations.
Learn more about this fun event here.