Learn about your Academy Co-Directors.
PAMELA MILLER has decades of experience working in public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Having worked years for others in the fields of executive management and organizational training and development, Pamela started her own consulting group in 2014. Practiced in facilitating adult education, she successfully incorporates her leadership experience into her human and organizatil development work.
In addition to her work with individual agencies, Pamela currently serves as the co-director of the Contra Costa County and Alameda County Local Government Leadership Academies and is a co-founder of the Sacramento Valley Local Government Leadership Academy, the Marin-Sonoma Counites Leadership Academy, and the Greater Sacramento Valley Local Government Executive Leadership Institute.
Prior to starting Miller Management & Consulting Group, Pamela served as the Executive and Program Director for Continuing Education for Public Officials, Inc. (CEPO, Inc.), a nonprofit organization that provided leader development and training to current and emerging leaders in the public sector in California.
Pamela served as the Executive Director for the California Association of Local Agency Formation Commissions (CALAFCO) from 2012 to 2022. Prior to returning to California in 2012, she lived in Benton Harbor, Michigan, where she worked as Vice President for The Consortium for Community Development, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization. Her work there included systems and individual capacity building as well as community development.
Her public sector experience includes serving as Administrative Manager for the County Executive Office and Clerk of the Board of Supervisors for Napa County, as Deputy City Clerk for the City of Vallejo and as a consulting analyst to the Contra Costa County Flood Control District’s clean water program.
Pamela earned a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Bachelor’s degree in Business Management; is certified in the Table Group’s Six Types of Working Genius; is a certified practitioner of Everything DiSC™; holds a certification in Total Quality Management; and is certified in the delivery of the communications styles instrument Success Signals©.
For over 25 years, WANDZIA ROSE has assisted individuals as well government, education, and nonprofit agencies in enhancing as their performance in delivering high-quality services. Prior to going into private practice, Wandzia held key positions in medium and large public sector and educational institutions in which she served as division manager, department head, assistant city manager, and interim city manager. Wandzia led, managed and transformed complex organizations and implemented, among others, staff and organization-wide development training programs for approximately 575 employees, resulting in widespread organizational transformation and community benefit. She is a founding member of the Leadership San Leandro program and served as a tenured trainer for Continuing Education for Public Officials (CEPO), a leadership development program and its associated Train-the-Trainer program from 1991- 2014. During her career, she served as a member on a number of League of California Cities Policy Committees as well as on the Government Technology Conference (GTC) Advisory Board.
Wandzia now owns a successful management consulting and coaching practice. She co-created the Performance Leadership program, a comprehensive leadership development program designed to assist leaders at all levels to understand the complex dynamics that impact organizational performance. She is an Integrative Coach Professional certified by The Ford Institute for Transformational Training and is also a certified trainer in Success Signals, a communication skills training program. Wandzia currently serves as a senior trainer for the City Clerk’s Association of California (CCAC) Master Municipal Clerk and Clerk of the Board Academy offered through Miller Management and Consulting Group and is a certified training facilitator for the CCAC’s Athenian Leadership Dialogue program. Her current clients include DunkinWorks, Regional Government Services (RGS), and the City of Fairfield. Wandzia earned a B.A. degree from the University of San Francisco.
Until August 2008, DR. FRANK BENEST served as the City Manager of Palo Alto, California. Frank is a noted consultant and trainer on leadership development, entrepreneurial government, employee engagement, and succession planning.Prior to his appointment in Palo Alto, Frank served as City Manager in Brea and Colton, California. He has a doctorate in management from Brigham Young University; a Masters in Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach; and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University. Frank is a Credentialed ICMA Manager and serves as the Senior Advisor to ICMA on Next Generation Initiatives. Frank also chairs the ICMA Coaching Program.
Frank is Past President of the California City Managers Department and past Vice President of the International City/County Management Association. Frank teaches at Stanford University and has been inducted into the National Academy of Public Administration. Frank has also been recognized by ICMA with its Distinguished Career Service Award.