Len Wood, MPA., is a nationwide seminar presenter and author of five popular how-to books. Since 1988 he has been President of the Training Shoppe, a management development and training firm for local governments. Before starting his company he spent 23 years as a municipal government executive, including a 15-year stint as city manager in the cities of Claremont and Rancho Palos Verdes, CA. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in public policy, management and budgeting at the Graduate Center for Public Policy and Administration at California State University, Long Beach.

President, San Gabriel Valley City Managers Association, 1984-84; 1998 Southern California Book Publicists “Irwin Award’ for “Local Government Dollars & Sense: 225 Tips on Guarding the Public Checkbook.”

Len Wood and former city manager Joe Baker have completed their book on local government: Tales from the Trenches: Achievements, Blunders and Challenges in Local Government Management.