In this series, guest columnists respond to one of three topics selected by ELGL co-founder Kent Wyatt. This week Rafael Baptista, City of Raleigh, NC, writes about a recent job transition. Back in October of 2017, I left my position as the Strategic Initiatives Analyst for the Durham County Manager’s Office to become the Strategic … Continued
By Rafael Baptista, Durham County Strategic Initiatives Analyst and ELGL Management Team As an aspiring local government manager and a Catholic, I regularly reflect on the intersection of my faith and my public service career. This regular reflection is not unique to me, many of you may deal with this intersection as well. As a … Continued
Perfect. Fantastic. Amazing Hosting a party for more than 300 local government professionals is no easy task, especially when you haven’t done it before. This challenge didn’t stop Deborah Long Goldberg, Maggie Parker, Michelle Holder, Rafael Baptista, and Sarah Hazel from pulling off the inaugural ELGL & ICMA “Back to the Future” event at the … Continued
Jerry Seinfeld once said, “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that sound right? This means to the average person, if you go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than doing the eulogy.” Rafael Baptista starts his new column with … Continued
SE ELGL leader Rafael Baptista returns to discuss his experiential leading experience in Catawba County (NC). Will Tom Lundy (County Manager and ELGL member) be able to convince Rafael that the local level is the right fit for him? We’ll find out in these on-the-ground reports from Rafael. Questions for Rafael? Send them to rafael@sarahhellems.wpengine.com. … Continued
This is another entry in Rafael Baptista’s ongoing column, “Carolina on My Mind.” Rafael is a first year student at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Masters of Public Administration program. Background Check on NC City and County Management Association (NCCCMA) History: Part I and Part II Connect: World Wide Web The North Carolina City and County … Continued
Local Government Advocate. Effective Leader. Contagious Optimism “A Passion for Public Service” is an apt phrase in describing our Knope of the Week, Rafael Baptista. ELGL has been fortunate to follow Rafael’s trajectory from Willamette University graduate to Linfield staffer to UNC MPA student and writer for Careers in Government and ELGL. (Sneak … Continued
Finding Work-Life Balance This is another entry in Rafael Baptista’s ongoing column, “Carolina on My Mind.” Rafael is a first year student at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Masters of Public Administration program. Connect with Rafael: LinkedIn and Twitter I recently completed my first semester in the UNC MPA program. This semester included many highs and, of … Continued
Understanding Passion for Public Service This is another entry in Rafael Baptista’s ongoing column, “Carolina on My Mind.” Rafael is a first year student at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Masters of Public Administration program. Connect with Rafael: LinkedIn and Twitter My original column for ELGL was titled “A Passion for Public Service”, after a feature … Continued
This is another entry in Rafael Baptista’s ongoing column, “Carolina on My Mind.” Rafael is a first year student at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Masters of Public Administration program. Connect with Rafael: LinkedIn and Twitter While applying to MPA programs, I considered both online and in-residence options. I opted for an … Continued
