Matt Michel
General Manager, Lane Electric Cooperative, Inc.
What was the very first paying job you held (that you paid taxes on)?
Automotive assembly line worker
What was your: undergraduate institution? Graduate institution? What was/were your degree(s) in?
Denison University (BA); University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (MPA); Lewis & Clark Law School Economics (BA); Public Administration (MPA); Law (JD)
What class(es) (if any) are applicable to your job today?
Organizational Development; History of Economic Thought; Budgeting; Statistics
Do you have a work or life motto? What is it?
Accomplishments are achieved by great people because they constantly set high goals to challenge their own abilities, then take responsibility for the outcome, good or bad! They have an irrational belief in their ability to overcome any obstacle.
What book are you currently reading? Would you recommend it?
“Empires of Light: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Electrify the World” – I just started it so I can recommend it at this time as a good resource for understanding electricity and the stories behind it.
Other than ELGL – do you belong to any other professional associations? Which one(s)?
ICMA, Oregon State Bar
What’s the best networking advice for job seekers you’ve heard or shared?
Ask for informational interviews and then listen more than you talk.
What’s the fastest way to NOT get a job or internship with you? (e.g. what should potential applicants avoid doing if they were to ever interview with you for a position).
To not work with me, ignore–or better yet, assert and provide no reasons for–why you and the role I have for you are uniquely compatible.
Why should an undergraduate student consider a career working in local government?
It aligns personal and professional concern for community, and let’s you be a silent hero.