The recently elected Mayor of Kansas City did something quite unusual when he opened up all of the city boards and commissions to public applicants. Typically reserved for political paybacks, this gave the city an entirely new pool of potential members to consider and is part of the mayor's strategy to create a sustainable civic leadership. The local AIA component actively promoted applications and I was not going to miss the opportunity to serve my new city.
I relocated to Kansas City after four years in Los Angeles last September 2010 with my husband. While we bought his childhood home and he has some family here, we were essentially starting with a clean slate. Within a year, I have been appointed to the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority under the Economic Development Corporation by Mayor Sly James, serve as the Incoming Associate Director for the AIA Central States Region, started a nonprofit to support the opening of a neighborhood public school in Kansas City (www.halecook.org), was elected to the Steering Committee by peers of the Greater KC Chamber of Commerce Centurions Leadership Program, among other activities. I owe this recent success in part to the experience that I had while living in Southern California and believe it is a valuable lesson learned for other emerging professionals.
Get out there early and often
I was elected to the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council in 2008 by 33 votes to represent the private sector workforce of 185,000 people. These neighborhood advisory boards were created by the City of Los Angeles in 1999 to appease growing frustration with the lack of responsiveness by city council to the expansive neighborhoods of LA. I decided to run because I thought it would be a great way to connect to the community where I worked and would eventually live. Unopposed, it was an easy election and set me on a path to accomplish some exciting things over the next two years. I quickly formed the Sustainability Committee to develop a vision for Downtown LA which was undergoing dramatic change and successfully applied for an AIA SDAT grant. By bringing in the SDAT, we established a new level of credibility for the Neighborhood Council and won numerous awards for our grassroots planning efforts.
Start local and grow
This first move - getting 32 of colleagues to vote for me (I voted for myself of course) in 2008 - was the first step that would lead me to other opportunities such as co-chairing a newly formed AIA/LA committee on civic engagement started by Bill Roschen, an appointment by LA City Council to the Green Retrofit Advisory Board, and the formation of a transportation advocacy nonprofit which I co-founded with my husband. As I asserted myself as an emerging professional, I became a reliable resource for local elected officials, media, and other organizations looking to understand sustainability in the built environment - a subject about which I am quite passionate. This reputation helped me accomplish more with less - partnering with others has been critical to my success. My "street cred" from Los Angeles has helped me to get my foot in the door here in Kansas City as I have demonstrated a commitment to civic participation.
Finding balance
Honestly, I may have a little problem saying no to new opportunities but I have managed to strike a balance that works well for me. By identifying overlapping interests in the work that I do, I'm able to share what I learn from one experience to help leverage other ideas and work. Frankly, if I were participating in activities that were completely unrelated, I wouldn't have enough hours to go to work or maintain sanity. However, because I have found something that I am passionate about - community participation in sustainability advocacy - I have been able to really hone my skills and contribute with the most efficiency. I've learned a few hard lessons - including getting over my tendency to micromanage. Perhaps the worst lesson I've learned is that some people are not in it for the right reasons (altruism is not for everyone) and that can really destroy hope. So, now I surround myself with people I'm excited to work with, that I can learn from, and have a shared vision. This, and a husband with shared interests, allows me to strike a normal that isn't too exhausting while inspiring action.
Go outside of your comfort zone
While I have learned so much from my colleagues in architecture and planning, I have found that some of the best teachers have come from outside of our profession. I seek out mentors and guides with different backgrounds intentionally now so I can learn an even broader skillset and even expand my understanding of the issue. This makes me more valuable to my community as well - as I am not so narrowly focused on the issues as they concern me but can really help build consensus around the greater vision.
It's your path
I have made choices and have committed a considerable amount of my personal time to this work. I am now focusing on integrating my extra-curricular activities with my paying job as I am passionate about both.
We each find our own path and as long as you are honest with yourself about what you are hoping to accomplish, you will always be successful. Not everything I have tried to do has worked - but I have learned from everything I have tried. Not every experience may have an obvious connection to my profession, but the skills I have acquired in communication, outreach, problem solving, organizing, project management, etc. will help me for years to come. My office sees this commitment to my community - as do my colleagues, clients, and neighbors. My work has been extremely rewarding and I always look forward to the next opportunity to help make a difference.
Good luck and feel free to email me (ashley.hand@aecom.com) if you have any questions about what I'm up to and why I'm involved. Thanks!
AZ HAND