Funkhouser & Associates and the Drucker Institute have launched a new partnership offering public sector policy design, financing, and impact advisory services. The team, which combines the leadership and management prowess of the Drucker Institute with the fiscal policy expertise of F&A, is now working with South Bend, Ind., to help the city develop a new comprehensive plan built around equitable engagement and fiscal sustainability. The project will engage city leaders and community members, including historically marginalized groups, to develop a vision and framework for the City, which is collaborative, builds local capacity and sets out clear commitments for supporting growth and prosperity for all residents.
“As we begin the process to set South Bend’s vision for the next 20 years, we are thrilled to announce this new partnership with the Drucker Institute and Funkhouser & Associates,” said Mayor James Mueller. “Together we will engage residents and empower our community to shape the focus areas and process for our city’s comprehensive plan.”
In this unprecedented time of economic change, historic levels of federal funding, and a public sector staffing crisis, F&A and Drucker combine decades of experience
navigating management and fiscal challenges, as well as community-building expertise into one powerful package. The two organizations work from a foundation of trust built through collaboration, relationships, and a shared focus on partnerships that can help civic leaders turn these challenges into opportunities.
“I couldn’t think of a better place to launch this new partnership than by starting in South Bend,” said Lawrence Greenspun, the Drucker Institute’s director of public sector engagement. “This is a community filled with people who believe in its future and who want to have a voice in it. I am truly excited to partner with F&A and play a part in helping realize that community vision.”
“The events of the last two years—the pandemic, the racial turmoil and political polarization—have combined to create one of the most challenging times for government leaders in recent memory,” said Mark Funkhouser, president of F&A and former mayor of Kansas City, Mo. “But we know that this is also a time of incredible opportunity. We are delighted for the opportunity to combine our knowledge of federal funding and fiscal resilience with the Drucker Institute and put our partnership’s people-centered approach to policy into action in South Bend.”
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To learn more, please contact
Lawrence Greenspun
The Drucker Institute
Lawrence.Greenspun@cgu.edu
610.667.3140
Mark Funkhouser
Funkhouser & Associates
mark@mayorfunk.com
816.820.9752
The Drucker Institute is a nonprofit social enterprise that has trained thousands of government leaders, including Transportation Secretary and Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg. Its Drucker Playbook for the Public Sector helps government leaders and their teams identify opportunities, establish priorities, engage community stakeholders, detail action-steps, and track measurable outcomes for assessment.
Funkhouser & Associates is a consulting firm based on the idea that we can build better government by building trusted relationships among communities and with government partners. Combining the perspective of a city mayor, appointed official, performance auditor and fiscal policy expert, Mark Funkhouser’s signature candid, renegade style has made him a trusted confidante among his local-government peers. He and his team of analysts and advisers are fluent in navigating budgets and can offer advice on aligning them with policy priorities.