President's Message | July 2021

Marcus Pimentel, 2021 CSMFO President

CSMFO’s greatest strength comes from our members and from the talents and passions of each of you. Our members serve cities, counties, and special districts, are commercial members serving member agencies or are students who represent our future or retirees helping us today and connecting us to our past.

CSMFO is a direct reflection of our members’ interests today and in the future. Our officers, board, chapter chairs, and committee leadership collective guide our direction based on input from our members. For example, your input into our current CSMFO communication survey will guide the future content of CSMFO NEWS. And your vote in the coming months will identify our next President-Elect and two of our six board members.

Whatever direction our membership wants to take CSMFO is the direction it will flow. More so, any member who wants to help build their skills and guide CSMFO’s future are greeted with open arms and a guiding hand. It’s as simple as reaching out to an active CSMFO volunteer or just click here to indicate where you might want to help direct CSMFO’s efforts.

And did you know that if you are a government member and want to become a CSMFO Board Member, officer, or even President, you already have the opportunity and access now? It just takes your active involvement across CSMFO service areas.

For example, supporting CSMFO in 2021, we have 142 volunteer positions including 51 leadership positions guiding us. These positions span across our Board & Officer roles or across any of our twenty Chapters, nine committees, or within the seven Cal Cities liaisons (formally the League of California Cities). There is no training or skills required other than a desire to help CSMFO within any service area of your preference.

Your time in CSMFO can exponentially return value back to you.

If you ask any current CSMFO volunteer, they’ll tell you the same. Their career and personal life were enriched many times over the direct time they put into CSMFO. That’s because CSMFO is that safe place where you can develop or expand your leadership or technical skills.

If you have a passion to pass on what you know, you can build on that by serving in our Program, Career Development, or Communication committees. If your writing or personal networking skills could use some help, check out our Communication, Membership, or Student Engagement Committees, or any of the seven Cal Cities liaison roles. If you want to dive deeper into your technical areas, perhaps our Professional Standards, Recognition, Administration, or Technology committees are where to start. It’s really that easy.

I got my start by being pulled into a Chapter Chair role. Then pulled into technology and membership committees before pursuing roles as a Cal Cities liaison, as a Communication Committee member, Board Member, and now humbly as your CSMFO President. It didn’t matter that my family immigrated here. It didn’t matter that I was a mere mid-level manager in the beginning. And it never mattered what size or type of agency I worked at. There was always an outstretched hand to greet and guide me into and through CSMFO.

Upcoming CSMFO Election

Speaking of serving on the Board or as the President, by September, members will receive their ballot for our 2022 President-Elect and the North and South Board members. CSMFO Board of Director members serve for three years, where two of the six directors rotate off during our annual conference. This helps provide access to a continuous flow of CSMFO volunteers who are interested in serving in a higher capacity. But, like the famous movie line, CSMFO has a knack for pulling in outgoing board members in other leadership or advisory roles to guide us while maintaining strong ties to our past successes.

Thank you all for every contribution you make that improves your community and CSMFO. I continue to be humbled to serve as your 2021 President and always welcome your feedback (marcus.pimentel@santacruzcounty.com)

Together Toward Tomorrow,
– Marcus

Lorraine’s Maui’d Banana Nut Bread

I politely obtained most of the recipe from a family favorite stop in a northern Maui village. As “Lorraine” told us, she doesn’t measure and changes it up over time, but this is as close as we’ve gotten to replicating this family favorite based on listening to her approach.

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup chopped roasted and salted Macadamia Nuts

1-1/4 cup coconut oil melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups light brown sugar packed

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

4 Large eggs room temperature

3 cups mashed overripe bananas with some yellow spots

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 330 F for at least 30 minutes, position rack to the lower third of the oven.
  2. Grease and flour two 9×4 inch aluminum loaf pans.
  3. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add in the chopped nuts, and stir until well coated. Set aside
  4. In a larger bowl whisk together the coconut oil, vanilla, sugar, and yogurt.
  5. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then add the mashed bananas and stir well.
  6. Add dry ingredients, mix just until flour disappears, and pour into prepared pans.
  7. Bake side by side in the center of the rack for 45-60 minutes. Test with a toothpick around 45 minutes to see if it’s ready or needs more time). Add foil on top if it’s getting too brown.
  8. Bake to 206 degrees or until deep golden brown and a toothpick has no raw batter.
  9. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then flip on a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy with others and wrap what’s left tightly in plastic wrap and foil, storing up to a week in the fridge.

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Marcus Pimentel is in the Budget Manager for the County of Santa Cruz. Marcus serves CSMFO as the 2021 President.  Marcus has been a member of the Communication, Membership, and Technology Committees and several Conference Host Committees. Marcus has over 20 years of local government finance and administration experience in the Monterey Bay area serving previously as the Finance Director for the City of Santa Cruz and Administrative Services Director for the City of Watsonville. He is proud of his family’s immigrant Portuguese heritage and is grateful that his wife and his daughters Kaitlynn and Kirsten still choose to be such a big part of his life.

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