Why did you become a mentor?

Growing up, I had the benefit of having a lot of older siblings (six sisters and a brother).  I learned a lot by watching their experiences, good and bad. I quickly realized in the work setting, similar relationships arise.  You will and do learn from co-workers, supervisors and community members.  I also learned that it really helps to succeed if you have someone who is looking out for you and can share their knowledge to help you avoid mistakes or to counsel you when obstacles appear in your journey.  I benefited as a person by having mentors.  So, when, as a young professional, I was given the opportunity to supervise and mentor, I jumped at the chance.  Helping someone else succeed is a great feeling.

Why is mentoring important to the profession?

If you care about the profession’s future, you will take the time to mentor.  Being a mentor helps you build a strong team (inside your organization, and outside, in the profession).  Mentoring is a critical element to team building and long term success. We must take the time to instill hope, integrity and affirm the value of the profession to those just entering the field as well as seasoned professionals.  We are, in a way, disciples of public administration.

What impact has being a mentor had on your life?

I have a lot of wonderful people in my life as a result of mentoring.  I have been enriched, I have grown as a person by watching their experience and I have a sense of satisfaction of knowing that they will return the favor and be great mentors to others.

are you mentoring anyone currently Or is there a mentoring relationship that has been particularly impactful for you? 

There is a young female professional in another community that reaches out to me for mentoring conversations, to troubleshoot and to get ideas about where to go next in her career and her job.  As I have been around and raised a daughter, some female professionals have sought out advice on how to work through family, work, and self-issues.  If I have helped them to stay in the profession, I have succeeded.  If they are taking a break for motherhood but are hoping to come back some day, I have succeeded.  We need to retain good people in the profession and young women need to know they can do both.  They just have to recognize and accept there are trade-offs.

Have you had a mentor/mentors who impacted your life that you would like to thank?

The most impactful mentoring relationship I experienced was as a mentee.  As a young assistant, I had a secretary who was quite my senior in age.  She taught me more important professional lessons than almost anyone.  She proved that mentors come into your life in many forms; it is up to you to make the most of the relationship.  Dorothy passed on several years back and I was fortunate to have the opportunity to thank her when I left the community to take a promotion.  There were many other mentors who had a tremendous impact on me as well that I would like to thank:  John Perry, Jack Wiaduck, Bernie Oglietti, Bill Murphy, Joe Fennell and Heidi Vorhees.  I consider all of them great friends and wise leaders.