
Kasem Cares Conference on Aging
Focuses on Elder Abuse Prevention
TR Management Services President Tom Robinson was part of the team assembled by Kasem Cares Founder Kerri Kasem (l) for the organization's national Conference on Aging held recently in Orange County.
Lisa Caprelli of Go Glossy PR & Marketing did a great job of promoting the conference and bringing together panels of distinguished professionals, survivors, celebrities and others involved in many aspects of elder abuse prevention.
Focuses on Elder Abuse Prevention
TR Management Services President Tom Robinson was part of the team assembled by Kasem Cares Founder Kerri Kasem (l) for the organization's national Conference on Aging held recently in Orange County.
Lisa Caprelli of Go Glossy PR & Marketing did a great job of promoting the conference and bringing together panels of distinguished professionals, survivors, celebrities and others involved in many aspects of elder abuse prevention.

Grants Training Helps Rotary Leaders
Plan and Fund Successful Projects
Incoming presidents of Rotary Clubs in Orange County and the southeast portion of Los Angeles County recently received training on the workings of Global and District Grants provided by Rotary District 5320 via The Rotary Foundation.
District Governor Elect Ray Sanford and District Grants Committee Chair Tom Robinson teamed to present the training session on how District Grants ranging from $1,500 to $10,000 can be used to fund a variety of projects in local communities. The session also provided information on how club contributions can be used to leverage Global Grants in the $30,000 range for international projects.
Rotary District 5320 provides some 35 District Grants annually, as well as a number of Global Grants.

African Group Learns About E-Government Technology
Teaching a training class in Information Technology and E-Government at the University of Redlands for a group from Cameroon in Central Africa was a great experience.
The group was eager to learn, and excited about making government operations more efficient, improving service delivery and developing their country's economy with the use of E-Government systems and advanced technology.
Teaching a training class in Information Technology and E-Government at the University of Redlands for a group from Cameroon in Central Africa was a great experience.
The group was eager to learn, and excited about making government operations more efficient, improving service delivery and developing their country's economy with the use of E-Government systems and advanced technology.
Walmart Neighborhood Market Leads Shopping Center Upgrade
A new Walmart Neighborhood Market is open at the Crossroads Center in La Mirada. After losing a major tenant, the site declined steadily for more than a decade. A property owner in the center, Rich Development, initiated a plan in 2011 to develop a new supermarket, drug store and shop space. The project also upgraded exteriors of other buildings on the seven acre site. |
The buildings feature a Mediterranean design reflecting the standards set forth in the Imperial Highway Specific Plan, which was adopted by the City in 2011. The Specific Plan was designed to enhance the vitality and improve the appearance of the shopping centers located along the Imperial Highway corridor.
Walgreens became the first new store in the center earlier this year. La Mirada has been a finalist for the “Most Business Friendly City” award from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Commission for six consecutive years. |
La Mirada Theatre
Wins Top Awards: Best Season! Best Director! La Mirada Theatre productions during my last year as City Manager won "Best Season" at the LA Stage Alliance's Ovation Awards. Stage and Olympic star Cathy Rigby, Co-Executive Producer of McCoy Rigby Entertainment, accepted the award. Cathy and her husband, Tom McCoy, have produced top shows at La Mirada Theatre for 20 years. Artistic Director Brian Kite won top honors for "Best Director of a Musical". |

MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS -- Orange County members of the Institute of Management Consultants USA meet with national President Loraine Huchler (center) at the group’s conference in Las Vegas. Joining Huchler are: Thomas E. Robinson (l), president of TR Management Services, Inc., and Certified Management Consultant Jeff Gotro, Ph.D., who serves as President of the Orange County Chapter of IMC USA
Consultants Attend IMC USA's national conference
Two members of the Orange County Chapter of the Institute of Management Consultants (IMC USA) participated in GROW!, the national organization’s recent conference in Las Vegas.
"These sessions advanced IMC USA’s mission of helping management consultants become more ethical and professional,” said Thomas E. Robinson, president of TR Management Services, Inc., which serves the Los Angeles/Orange County area. “Participants learned about current consulting trends, and gained valuable insights into how to help their clients become more successful.”
A former City Manager, Robinson formed TR Management Services, Inc. following a 40 year career in local government. The firm provides management consulting services to public agencies, non-profit organizations and businesses. Robinson is also an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America’s Orange County Chapter
Certified Management Consultant Jeff Gotro, Ph.D., who serves as President of the Orange County Chapter of IMC USA, also attended the conference. A polymer consultant and innovation expert who enables clients to "turn polymer science into profits," Gotro is president of InnoCentrix, LLC and is a graduate of Northwestern University.
As a polymer/plastics consultant, Gotro works with clients to improve business results by solving complex polymer problems and optimizing manufacturing processes. He is a specialist in thermoset polymers (epoxy, adhesives, laminates, composites, coatings) and characterization.
GROW! focused on helping management consultants better assist their clients by providing a variety of learning and growth experiences.
The IMC USA has a long history of setting the standards of the consulting industry, which include both independent consultants and firms.
Conference sessions included a variety of topics: Growing Your Practice; Negotiations Skills for Consultants; How Demographics Will Change Your Consulting Practice and Your Life; How to Market Yourself as a Thought-Leader; Being a Trusted Advisor; and How to Design a Brand Competitive Advantage that Separates You from Every Other Consulting or Professional Services Firm.
Other sessions included: the Leverage for Transformation – Mental Models; the Accountability Advantage; the Client’s View of You; Achieving Accelerated Growth; Successful Business Models for Consultants; Ethics as a Powerful Value Added Consulting Service; and Secrets to Successfully Wooing Your Audience.
The Institute of Management Consultants USA promotes excellence and ethics in management consulting through certification, education and professional resources.
IMC USA provides the only certification for management consultants in the US that conforms to the international standards of the International Council of Management Consulting Institutes. ICMCI sets global standards of technical competence and professional conduct for consultants in more than 48 nations.
Reprinted from the website of the Orange County Chapter of Institute of Management Consultants USA .

Global Business Opportunities
Discussed by Members of
Institute of Management Consultants
by
Thomas E. Robinson
TR Management Services, Inc.
The dynamic expansion of global business opportunities could be clearly heard during conversations at the Institute of Management Consultants USA national conference in Las Vegas. These opportunities bring with them the prospect of increased sales, new jobs, and economic growth in California.
As a former local government official, I have spoken extensively with business leaders for several decades about their ideas, issues, ventures and concerns. These conversations have repeatedly indicated the strength of our region’s economy depends to a large extent on international trade making its way through our air and sea ports and across our nation’s rails and roadways.
During three days of meetings with more than 100 management consulting experts from large and small firms, many conversations involved international trade opportunities. Examples of these conversations include:
· One attendee wanted referrals for assistance with a financial project in a Third World nation. I referred a California firm that might suit his needs.
· A Third World businessperson needed technology consulting assistance, and I connected him with an expert in the Los Angeles area.
· A Western consultant with significant experience in Asia and Europe, saw continued expansion of the Asian auto industry in the California market.
· A Canadian consultant team made numerous contacts that may lead to future opportunities.
· A Philippine businessperson made contacts with consultants whose clients could use of products associated with his firm.
· An experienced international business consultant provided expert advice to others interested in pursuing international clients.
· A speaker described the process of growing what had been a small company into a firm with global influence and offices.
In the days following the IMCUSA conference, the organization notified members of an opportunity to provide financial consulting services to a major financial institution in Europe.
Individually, these contacts do not spell the end of our region’s economic troubles. They do suggest that management consultants are helping move California businesses forward into new markets and a more inter-related global economy.
IT’S POLITICS: Former La Mirada city manager enters consulting world
By Mike Sprague, Whittier Daily News
When former La Mirada City Manager Tom Robinson retired after 41 years in municipal government, including 28 for La Mirada, he didn’t plan on just staying at home and doing a little traveling. Robinson, 63, has formed his own consulting company, TR Management Services, and thinks his many years in city government can help nonprofit groups and small businesses. |
“I’m retired but I’m still relatively young,” he said. “I think I have some energy left and some things I can contribute.” So far, he has set up a website and joined the Institute of Management Consultants, where he is a member of the board. But he doesn’t have any clients yet. Still, the experience has been interesting, he said. “I’ve really enjoyed going to the management consulting institute’s meetings,” he said. “I meet a whole broad range of people with different types of experiences. It’s been a lot of fun getting to know these people.” |

Movers & Shakers
OC PR Professionals on the Move!
October
OC PR Professionals on the Move!
October
- A new consulting firm, TR Management Services, Inc., has begun operating in the Los Angeles and Orange County metropolitan area.
The firm is headed by Thomas E. Robinson, APR, whose career in public sector management spanned four decades. He retired as City Manager of the City of La Mirada in September 2013 after serving 28 years in the organization. He previously worked in the cities of Cerritos and Commerce.
As a startup venture, TR Management Services, Inc. will focus its attention on the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. "We understand the difficulties facing small and mid-sized organizations today," Robinson notes. "With more than 12-million people living in this dynamic region, there are still great opportunities for organizations to grow and expand."
Robinson is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America, a member of the Institute of Management Consultants USA, and a member of the American Society of Public Administration. He is a founder and past president of the California Association of Public Information Officials (CAPIO). He is also a member of Rotary International.
Reprinted from the Orange County Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America electronic newsletter issued in October 2013.