LANDING FEET FIRST

Former Birmingham City Manager Joe Valentine, who spent 24 years with the city – his entire career – before resigning last October, was out of work just a short time after finishing in Birmingham December 31. On May 3, he started a new gig with a new city, bringing his years of experience as city manager, assistant city manager, human resources director, management specialist, and acting director of the Birmingham Shopping District to the city of Farmington Hills, where he is the new assistant city manager. Rather than a step down, remember Birmingham has just over 20,000 residents to Farmington Hills’ almost 80,000, according to the 2010 census – and according to current Birmingham City Manager Tom Markus, he is now making as much in salary, if not more, than when