New book from former South Bend Mayor Roger Parent. Behind the scenes look at how great things were accomplished under his tenure, not just as Mayor, but in all areas of public service.
I love stories. Through stories, I learned to play, to work, to love, and to live. Stories inspired me to do what I didn’t know I could do.
I was inspired by my father’s stories of how he accomplished much by taking the first step on building projects not knowing the next. My mother’s stories of teaching in a one-room school house taught me that good work can happen in less than ideal conditions as I learned in the Peace Corps.
Looking back on my long life, I see a pattern of learning from stories. It was not always a story told, but one lived by another that I tried to emulate. During my early years, I was moved to help poor people, to improve my community, and to not only talk, but to get things done. Indeed I was motivated to public service.
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I wrote Getting Things Done to share stories about how I got things done in government and the public sector generally. Most people who choose a career of public service aim to accomplish great things, but too many don’t. This is often caused by a lack of knowledge and by the unanticipated challenges posed by work in the public realm.
Public service, especially politics, is a high calling in a grubby world. It’s more demanding intellectually, emotionally, physically, and morally than most people fully understand. This I learned during my decades of public service, especially as city council president, mayor, school board president, and Peace Corps director in Haiti.
In Getting Things Done I share what I learned as a public servant – how I dealt with projects and incidents large and small, and how I coped with successes and disappointments. The book is my modest attempt to help elected officials, other public servants, and the general public to gain insights into the challenges and rewards of public service.
Roger Parent tells of his leadership style to get things done as South Bend’s mayor back when the city, still traumatized by Studebaker demise, feared it couldn’t afford to do much of anything. Parent’s leadership wasn’t based on polling of what constituents would support – they were reticent to approve any projects – but instead on battling against the odds for approval of projects to revitalize for the future, including a baseball stadium and other projects hailed today.
Jack Colwell
South Bend Tribune columnist
A deep dive into how an ordinary person can do extraordinary things. Anyone considering leadership, political, volunteerism, or teaching should read this book if you are interested but hesitant about another race/sex/culture, read this book if you need to make a life changing decision, read this book if you have messed up and can’t forgive yourself, read this book.
Charlotte D. Pfeifer,
Associate Faculty, Indiana University South Bend
At a time when politics and government seem to revolve around the latest controversy, folks should read Getting Things Done in South Bend, Indiana by former Mayor Roger Parent for local lessons and great stories on how to authentically build up a community and its people. As a former city chief of staff, I saw Roger’s imprint on the city every day. Each mayor builds on the work of previous administrations, and South Bend is back on the map in large part because of Roger’s vision, projects, and ongoing public service.
Mike Schmuhl,
Chairman of the Indiana Democratic Party and
former campaign manager of Pete Buttigieg’s presidential campaign
Are you tired of politics as usual? Then read this book. Roger Parent got things done as Mayor, as school board president, and in the Peace Corps. His stories tell of appointing people of minority and women to lead top city departments of building a baseball stadium, and more. He did this with unflinching honesty – even telling citizens he would raise their taxes for needed services
Luther Taylor Sr.,
Former Fire Chief, South Bend,Indiana
Mayor Roger Parent’s latest book, Getting Things Done is important. His stories of building a baseball stadium and a white water kayak course downtown, diversifying the city’s work force, and promoting women and minorities to key posts, are lessons in leadership and respect for people of all races, gender, and religions. His insightful views on school leadership as a former school board president should be read by all citizens.
Jody Freid
Roger Parent and I served as Mayors of neighboring cities, South Bend and Elkhart respectively during his second and my first terms, 1984-87. I looked to Mayor Parent as a mentor and we have remained friends ever since. His latest book, Getting Things Done, is a Profile in Courage. Read this book and you will learn what it takes and means to be a transformative leader. The very essence of a public servant, Roger Parent continues to get things done to this day with such worthy activities as World Dignity, Inc. among others.
Jim Perron,
Mayor of Elkhart, Indiana 1984-99
Getting Things Done is extraordinarily valuable, not only for its lessons on leadership, but also for its historical reflections of South Bend, Indiana and beyond.
It is a book of engaging short stories from which you can learn much about partnerships, courage and hard work required of leadership to get things done.
Everyone benefits from reading this book as we all lead in more ways than we might immediately recognize.
Anne Hayes,
President, Hayes Towers
Getting Things Done is a delightfully entertaining and highly instructive memoir of Roger Parent’s long and continuing career in public service. Detailing the many challenges he faced along the way – some anticipated, but many not – the book provides a blueprint for bringing people together, maximizing their talents, and solving problems.
The book should be required reading for high school students – especially in South Bend – not only because the contained life lessons should prove invaluable to a young person interested in developing useful people skills, but because it shows how such cooperative efforts avoided potential economic devastation and sparked the recovery of the now-thriving city that is their home.
Stephen F. Mitros, MD
There is much hope in former South Bend Mayor Roger Parent’s new book, Getting Things Done.
You should read Roger’s new book for many reasons. Of course, the parts about South Bend’s growth under Roger’s stewardship are fascinating. But what is most revealing is what Roger did after leaving the post of mayor. He directed the Peace Corps in Haiti and began a foundation to help students in Thailand to attend college. And he served on the school board more than five years, two as its president.
Roger’s life of service reflects his belief that public service involves many kinds of service. For Roger, Politics is a calling, and service is a mission.
Philip Schatz
Erasmus Book Store Owner
It has been said that there are two kinds of politicians: those who talk and those who do. Roger Parent is a doer. He gets things done. The former South Bend mayor details how he shepherded several projects that dramatically improved the quality of life in the city, such as a downtown minor league baseball stadium and whitewater raceway. Parent reshaped city government to be more diverse, reflecting the city’s demographics.
Parent also shares stories of his time as school board president and director of the Peace Corps in Haiti and Bulgaria. Through engaging anecdotes, Parent gives sage advice on how to “get things done” in the public sector. He offers a fascinating “behind the scenes” peek at how government can make a difference for the good.
John Monczunski,
Retired Notre Dame Magazine Associate Editor
Reading Getting Things Done: Stories of Leadership From the South Bend Mayor’s Office to the School Board, the Peace Corps and Beyond is a reminder of what we sorely need today -Servant-Leadership.
Mayor Parent chronicles how he did so as an elected or appointed official and as a private citizen. I had the privilege of serving in the City Administration after his service under Mayor Kernan and we were able to enjoy the fruits of his courageous decisions in bringing Minor League Baseball to South Bend. His vision has been realized with tremendous economic development around Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium. A great read and celebration of a great City- a Home Run.
Richard A. Nussbaum, II (“Dick”)
Midwest League President, (2014-2019)
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