Welcome to the new and (somewhat) improved version of our member introductions. If you are puzzled by the column name, take a minute to watch the above scene from Austin Powers.
Julie Eckenrode
Town of Carrboro, NC — Assistant to the Town Manager
Connect: LinkedIn
(Complete the sentence) Today is…… HUMPDAY!… and October 1st
Your hometown? What is it best known for?
Asheboro, NC- The NC Zoo!
Describe the state of local government in your area.
In transition, the state legislature made some interesting changes in North Carolina that will affect municipalities causing all cities and towns to adapt and adjust. For example, towns can no longer charge privilege license fees beginning July 1, 2015 and this, among other changes, forces us to continually learn to do more with less… but that’s what we’re good at, right?
What topics or practitioners would you like to see ELGL profile?
Opportunities for free/low cost professional development, book recommendations, and opportunities to interact with one another.
(Complete these phrases) Best thing about the….
- 80’s was……. Big hair, duh.
- 90’s was…… scrunchies and Saved By The Bell
- 00’s was….. ahh, my college days—no one should EVER take their undergraduate days for granted!! Oh, and Ja Rule’s music career.
- Last year was….. CHANGE! I got married, earned my Masters and changed careers within the last 12 months. (I taught 10th and 11th grade social studies for 7 years!)
- Today is…. I have job that I enjoy getting up for
If you could interview anyone (dead or alive), who would it be?
- The First Lady (any of them, really, I think it must be a fascinating perspective.)
- My dad’s dad – he raised my hero and I never had a chance to meet him.
- So hard… maybe a Transcendentalist… to hear how they found the meaning of life in nature and because…
(Complete this sentence) I feel old when….I see the little signs in convenient stores that say “You must have been born in 1996 or earlier to buy tobacco products.” I was 11 in 1996.
What are the best things about the internet?
Personally: Online shopping and staying connected with people I likely wouldn’t otherwise
Professionally: Endless research resources and multiple media outlets to read the news, I could really read the news all day long.
Parent(s) can be influential in career choices of their kids. What was the career path of your parent(s)?
My dad took his first career job after doing his undergraduate senior project on Oakwood Homes. He took a job with the same company in North Carolina far away from his home of Connecticut as a sales person and was a dealership manager within a few years. He stayed with the company until they went bankrupt when he opened two businesses of his own. I didn’t quite follow his entrepreneurial career path but I certainly got my work ethic and determination from him. He taught me that you can always achieve what you want if you work hard enough.
(Complete the sentence) ELGL is……a breath of fresh air in the world of professional organizations. It’s fun and relevant and clearly understands this generation’s love of GIF’s and memes.
Where do you hear about ELGL?
My new friend and ELGL member, Michelle Holder.
Give us two ideas for attracting and retaining talented individuals to the public sector.
- Take a chance on people new to the profession. We have a lot of drive and want to stick around for a while!
- Praise! Let someone know when they are doing a good job. It’s so simple, but so meaningful.
What’s one question that we should ask the next person who completes this profile?
Share 3 events that led you to a career in local government.
(Complete the sentence) Tomorrow is……. Thursday (AKA ShondaLand, T.G.I.T.)
Supplemental Reading
- Help possible for flood-prone homes
- Village Pride Award – Julie Eckenrode & Nate Broman-Fulks
- Meet the Staff | Carrboro, NC
- Who’s going to the Southeast ELGL Happy Hour
The Archives
- Cathy Wilson, Town of Carrboro, NC
- Brandi Leos, Clackamas County
- Christian Williams, City of Goodyear, AZ
- Justyn Miller, Boone County, IL
- Liza Druck, City of Cincinnati, OH
- Sarah Bledsoe, City of Beacon, NY
- Jared Wiener, Portland Development Commission
- Nathan Mehmed, West Michigan Regional Planning Commission