- February 5, 2025
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Army Deputy Garrison Commander Johnny Bevers has traveled from Fort Polk, Louisiana to spend five days touring the city of Port Orange to learn about the different department facets in hopes of bringing back beneficial skills he can implement in his field of work.
The city partnered with the International City/County Management Association to host Bevers through an ICMA City-County Management Senior Fellowship Program.
Bevers, who started his tour of the city on Monday, July 16, said he also hopes to share his own work experience with city staff in order to help the city in any needed areas.
During his five-day tour, Bevers will meet with elected officials, attend community forums and sessions and also have the opportunity to see day-to-day government life in Port Orange.
“We are excited to be part of this program with ICMA and to support Mr. Bevers as he prepares to transition to manage military installations,” City Manager Jake Johansson said in a prepared statement. “Many military installations operate as small towns or cities with many of the same challenges and opportunities in municipal government, so this will be a great opportunity for Mr. Bevers to learn about our city and apply practical principals to his next military installation.”
Bevers said he is particularly interested in how Port Orange runs emergency management response techniques, especially as Louisiana and Florida have both experienced destructive hurricanes. He said he would like to see how the city prepares for these emergencies, what is done throughout storms and how the cleanup process is put together.
Additionally, Bevers wants to take a closer look at Port Orange's building codes and standards to see how they compare to where he is located.
Overall, Bevers said he is looking for "slivers of excellence" that he can bring back with him while also knowing that the city of Port Orange benefitted from his visit as well.
"My goal is that we have a win-win experience," Bevers said. "Hopefully, we both get some takeaways from this."
