City manager Healy and deputy city manager Rossi celebrate 25 years of service

If you spend time with a successful business minded person, they will tell you that strong leadership and experience are two of the most important aspects of any business. In Cambridge two men are in charge of handling the business of one of the most successful cities in the Unites States, and they are handling it well. Those two men are city manager Robert Healy and deputy city manager Richard Rossi. In 2007 they celebrated their 25th anniversary of steering Cambridge in the right direction. For Healy, his 25+ years of service as city manager has made him the longest "currently" serving town or city administrator in the state of Mass. Being responsible for the business of Cambridge is no easy task. Healy has met the challenge head on with wise management skills, hard work, and a great personality. He exudes these qualities which make him a great leader, with dignity and respect for his coworkers, businesses, institutions, and the residents of Cambridge. One of America's most notable business men was Andrew Carnegie. He has been called by some, the smartest businessman in United States history. If he was alive today, he would say that he credits his success to the intelligent people he surrounded himself with that knew more than he did at their trade. It was his management of his professional staff that made him who he was. According to Rossi, Healy avoids micro-managing his employees, allowing them to be creative within the framework of their positions. "Bob's greatest quality is that he lets people he hires in responsible positions do the managing. That's a great gift." They would both humbly tell you that at the start of their tenure, Cambridge was not the place it is today. According to Healy, his first year in 1981 was probably the city's most difficult year. They had to cut 10% of the budget that first year, which was not a great way to get started. The first day he started as city manager was the first day of Proposition 2 1/2. The major credit agencies, Moody's, Fitch, and Standard & Poor's had suspended Cambridge's credit rating, which crippled the city when it came to new development and capital Improvement projects. Healy and Rossi knew that problems would not be solved overnight. It would be a long road to recovery which would be taken one step at a time. After finding competent people to head the different city departments, things have changed dramatically since their first days together. For example, In the 2007 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency gave the city an Environmental Merit Award for its climate protection initiatives. The commonwealth of Massachusetts gave Cambridge a Sustainable Community Forestry Award for having achieved the highest level of municipal forest management. The American Institute of Architects recognized two city-funded affordable housing projects in their national AIA "Show You're Green" program for excellence in affordable green housing. ComputerWorld Magazine listed Cambridge as one of the Top City Web Sites (for population 50,001 - 250,000) with an "A" grade in its report cards for E-government. Cambridge Received the 2007 Municipal Leadership Award for Affordable Housing Initiatives. The Citizens' Housing and Planning Association recognized the city's continued efforts in affordable housing by presenting Cambridge with a 2007 Municipal Leadership Award. For many years, affordable housing has remained a top priority for Cambridge residents, the city council and city manager Healy's administration team. The award recognized the city's tremendous strides in affordable housing and its comprehensive range of housing programs and services to low, moderate and middle income households. Healy and Rossi have both have been preparing for the current health and stability of Cambridge since 1981.