Big win for City Manager Rick Getschow as he bagged the Dr. Robert A. Barrett Award for Management Excellence at the Minnesota City/County Management Association (MCMA) annual bash. This gong is no small potatoes – it's the top accolade dished out by the MCMA to honor the cream of the crop in local government management.

Getschow isn't just flying high right now, by all accounts he's been a guiding star in his city. According to MCMA's bigwigs, the winner of this award demonstrates respected leadership in their city; serves as a role model for others in city/county government and, as well in the profession of local government management – all this straight from the horse's mouth, via their website.

But it's not only about sitting pretty in the big chair. This accolade takes a gander at those who really get stuck in with outreach. You've got to be elbow-deep in the nitty-gritty, talking shop with peers, the public, and those greenhorns just starting out in the field of local government. That's what they mean by "supporting professional local government."

Cut from a different cloth, Getschow is noted for his knack for steering the city's ship and keeping the team rowing in the same direction. Ditto for tossing a lifeline to rookies in the local government game, lending them a hand or an ear when they're in a bind. He's taken this big win at the conference yesterday, a clear sign that his peers think Rick's the real deal in making city gears turn smoothly.