What was your work experience before coming to Tucker? Local government has been my passion throughout my entire career. After receiving my Master of Public Administration, I worked for four communities in Metro Detroit. After 13 years in city government up north, I was ready for a change.I moved to Atlanta with my family in 2001 to join my parents and sister and took a less demanding job in order to spend more time with our son. I was the Director of the Country Club of the South Homeowner’s Association for six years. During that time, I also volunteered to help stand up the city of Johns Creek. As a result of that experience, I was hired by CH2M to be the Project Manager for the new city of Milton and, later, the city of Sandy Springs. While at CH2M, I have also been a local government consultant, helping with the startup of new communities in Malaysia and India.
What does your day-to-day workload look like? There is no ‘typical day’ in City Hall, which is what makes it exciting and interesting. My primary role is carry out the policy directives of the City Council. We are a small, close-knit group in City Hall. Because we are doing almost everything for the first time, I spend a lot of time making decisions on matters that are routine in an established organization.
How has starting up the city of Tucker been different from other start-ups you’ve been a part of? A startup of any organization is intense. The start of Tucker has been particularly challenging since we had to ‘operationalize’ the city while actually conducting city business.
What is your favorite thing about working in Tucker? The strong sense of community and the fact that we, as staff, are treated as part of a large family. We all feel very lucky to be part of Tucker’s first year of cityhood.
What are you most looking forward to in 2017? I look forward to many more “firsts”: our first Code Enforcement Court session, our first Council meeting in our own facility, the completion of our first Comprehensive Plan and our first steps in the process of taking over Parks and Recreation. I look forward to moving the City from a reactive to a proactive mode. During start-up the staff, Mayor and Council, have had to take on items as they came in order to ensure the legal and structural framework was in place for the City to operate. In 2017, the Council will be able to spend more time on policy matters and staff can concentrate on building a solid professional organization.
OFF THE WALL
What's your favorite season and why? Spring because I can go to the beach.What's the last song that played in your car? "Another Tricky Day" by The Who.
Which celebrity do people say you look like? Jane Jetson
