How do you use your strengths in your job?
I work with a variety of people, businesses and property owners.
Because I spend a lot of time building agreement among
often diverse opinions, it’s helpful to have patience,
perseverance, and to be able to communicate effectively
how the current activities fit in with the bigger picture.
What was your biggest learning challenge in school?
School work was never easy for me, and I had to work so much harder
than my sister to get good grades. I had trouble remembering some
things and couldn’t spell for beans. I would devise little tricks
to help me remember.
What motivates you to go to work?
What I love about my job is working with people to set in motion
the future of their community. When I ask people: “What do
you want to see when you walk down the street in 20 years”,
it opens up so many more possibilities than having a problem
and trying to fix it. I guess it all boils down to making a
difference in their lives and the community as a whole.
Every job has specific skills. What do you need in yours?
Having a degree in community planning gave me a good foundation in
the basic elements of land use planning and development that I
draw upon all the time. Every aspect of my job involves working
with people, so having good people and communication skills are
essential. I also need to have good management skills and the ability
to develop and execute a budget. In general, I try to do my job
according to a few simple mottos: 1) What looks like a curse is
a blessing.2) It never hurts to ask. 3) Saying you’re sorry is
easier than trying not to. It also helps to not take life too seriously. |
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