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Leavey School of Business Santa Clara University

Community Fellows Blog Posts

Andy Meger: Highlights from the Mayor’s Office

From the importance of pivoting to the art of prioritizing, I’ve learned several key takeaways working alongside devoted public servants.
LSB Community Fellows 2019-20

I cannot believe that it has been approaching eight months since my first day working in Mayor Liccardo’s Office- the time has truly flown by. When I reflect on my experience at City Hall, there are a few lessons that I’ll take with me through my professional career. At the start of my fellowship, I immediately observed staff in the office juggling multiple projects across a wide range of issues. In a typical hour of work, my supervisor may need to talk to local residents on the phone about crime in their neighborhood, discuss health trends among the homeless with the county health department, and coordinate community cleanup efforts for litter or debris. This quickly permeated into my work, as I had multiple concurrent projects in fields as diverse as transportation governance, drug addiction policy, and homeless encampment mitigation. I quickly learned how to compartmentalize my week and stay organized to keep all projects on track.

Another important skill I was able to refine during my fellowship is being able to pivot quickly to meet changing workplace needs and priorities. When dealing with public policy and political issues, being flexible is a necessity. Political support can evaporate quickly and being able to adjust policy to ensure its passage is an important skill. In addition, observing my colleagues pivot during a crisis was a transformational experience. Throughout the Fall PG&E public safety power shutoffs and the COVID-19 pandemic, I watched staffers almost instantaneously drop their roles and become volunteer coordinators, field observers, and emergency operations coordinators. As my projects pivoted accordingly, I was able to develop skills in goal making and adjusting as well as understanding how people in the public sector try to avoid becoming discouraged if their workload changes dramatically because of things far outside their control.

My fellowship experience in the San José Mayor’s Office was a highlight of my Santa Clara career. In addition to learning tangible and intangible professional skills, I gained a new appreciation for how passionate government workers are about serving their community and how they work tirelessly to make our community a better place to live. I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity.

 

 

NPI, NPI Fellows