What have I learned?

The goals I outlined in my first post were:

1) To gain a better understanding of how county government functions and the various services it provides to the public.
2) Learn the various functions of human resources in a large organization.
3) I would like to shadow a deputy county manager and gain better insight about their role in the organization.

I am happy that I accomplished all three goals. I learned how the county serves the public in numerous ways and I also learned about the different functions of human resources at the county. I was able to shadow and interview Mary Ellen Sheppard, Assistant County Manager and Director of Human Services. I also met other county leaders and I'm glad to call them mentors now. The most interesting fact was I had one of the county leaders as my professor this past semester. Angie Flick works in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and is Rozan Latham's supervisor. I did not share this information earlier, but we have set a lunch meeting to know each other more and continue staying in touch. Sometimes, I would call her professor at work and forget we are not in class. I learned that relationships are important and I'm honored to have met so many people dedicated to public service. I gained insight into a professional work environment and observed effective leaders in action. I learned that passion is the driver of success. Many county employees continue to work in the public sector because they want to serve others and they are passionate about their work. Employees at Public Health-WIC, the Sheriff's Office, Human Resources, OMB, and other departments are passionate about their work and that stems from knowing who they are. I'm really proud to be part of the first MCLEAPS cohort.