Each week the Cape Coral Breeze will feature a leader within the business community — public sector, private sector, or non-profit — asking a dozen questions that focus on the person and the business in which they hold a leadership role.

Bio:

Name: John Szerlag

Position: City Manager

Company or organization: City of Cape Coral

Your business at a glance:

What you do: The city of Cape Coral operates under the Council/Manager form of government and I’m the manager. This means I’m responsible for the day-to-day activities of the organization and all departments report to me with the exception of the City Attorney’s office, City Auditor’s office and City Council office.

Unique niche: Of all the competencies required of a professional manager, my unique niche is organizational sustainability. This is underpinned by revenue diversification, three-year budgets, creating a positive environment for investment.

Bragging rights: Organizational sustainability, pension reform, which will serve our taxpayers $185 million over a 25-year period, interest-based bargaining and problem solving, 75th percentile of salaries/wages for employees, restarting underground utility expansion, development agreement between the cities of Cape Coral and Fort Myers to build a pipeline on the riverbed of the Caloosahatchee for irrigation water purposes, agreement for irrigation water with FGUA, which avoided that corporation from drilling a shallow injection well, 47th Terrace Streetscape Project.

Where you see your business in five years: Economically sustainable, a leader in water quality issues, residents and visitors enjoying our quality of life, $60 million GO Bond developments.

About you:

Describe yourself in one word: Responsible

Hero, role model or mentor: Frank Gerstenecker, former city manager of Troy, Michigan. He brought me into the city of Troy as an intern, which was a requirement for my bachelor’s degree. He then hired me as assistant city manager when I was the city manager in Howell, Michigan. Most importantly, Frank is my friend. By the way, my hero is Batman.

Person you’d most like to meet: Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, primarily because of his work in bringing people together.

Book that changed your life: “Art of Plain Talk” by Rudolf Flesch, given to me by my mentor, Frank.

Best business advice you’ve ever received: Always be nice until nice doesn’t work.

Biggest risk you ever taken: Leaving my post as Troy, Michigan, city manager and coming to Cape Coral at a time when the city was in fiscal distress. I had no idea if my financial plan would be embraced or if I would be shown the door. I wound up being the longest tenured manager in Cape Coral’s history. I hope my successor beats this record handily.

Personal passion: Reading

Guilty pleasure: Like the country music song by Billy Currington, I’m “Pretty Good at Drinkin’ Beer.” That being said, I do have a two-drink limit.