Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Kayla Barber-Perrotta, Deputy City Manager at the City of Albany, OR. Connect with Kayla on Linkedin.
- What I’m watching: “Modern Family”
- What’s on my TikTok: More “Modern Family” — it’s like the algorithm is watching. 🙂
- What I’m working on: I am one month on a new job, so just learning all the things!
You probably heard I’ve moved. My last Morning Buzz article went into great detail about the process of taking the next step in my career and the mix of messy emotions I went through in saying goodbye to a chapter I loved and embracing the next. So many of you reached out to me via email and LinkedIn sharing your own stories and the relief you felt to hear someone else express just how hard it actually is. As such, I was naturally compelled to use this subsequent article to unpack what the other side of that transition is looking and feeling like.
Much like working toward that next step was a long process, finding my place in Albany, OR, has been a journey. Not only was there a massive cross-country move involving two cats, two dogs, and cutting my living space in half, but a mental and emotional journey in finding my place amongst new people, new surroundings, and a new culture. The first few weeks on the job, to quote our favorite local government turn of phrase, have been like drinking from a firehose. I met well over a hundred people in a very short time, many of whose names I’ll have to ask again, and I’ve been getting a crash course in every operation. Though we provide many of the same services I have encountered in my previous communities, they are each done with their own unique Albany spin.
A highlight of my first few weeks was a visit to our wastewater treatment plant. I thought I was going just to see a plant but ended up spending most of my time talking about compost. It turns out the City of Albany has an award-winning program where we turn our solids into high-quality compost. That compost is then used in parks and other green spaces, made available to residents, and sold to private entities and other communities.
I also visited a 112-year-old water treatment plant that is still in operation. Coming from a community where I’d spent the last several years discussing construction, design, and budget for a new plant, this was a complete 180 and reorientation of what I am used to. Not only was the plant a historical gem, but learning just how sensitive and complex an operation of that age is, gave me great insight into how the shortage of operators across the nation can hit differently from plant to plant. I also got to see our two hydroelectric turbines that, while not operating at this time due to discussions with our power provider, offer the city unique access to water rights and the potential for energy offsets at our plant.
It’s been an exciting adventure to visit our different sites and begin building the foundation of knowledge I will need to be successful in the coming years.
My new team has also been incredibly welcoming. They’ve let me ask them a million questions about what they do, the challenges and opportunities they see for our community, and general background on our organizational structures. They’ve also advised me where to go for gardening, food, and general entertainment since I am so new to the area.
I am also starting to learn some of our traditions. In a few weeks I’ll be joining the Purple Cobras for our annual Office Olympics and, just last week, we celebrated the close of FY23-24 with an ice cream bar for the Fiscal New Year.
I also had my first synergy moment with my new team. You know that moment when a coworker has an idea, and then others jump on with new ideas until you’ve developed something wonderful and exciting together? These are the moments I live for and draw such incredible joy and fulfillment from. Let’s suffice to say we are now running a new employee sticker contest and several departments are engaged in a sticker war to promote their upcoming projects. The City Manager’s Office will be victorious… just saying, Finance.
So how am I feeling? Good overall. I still go through waves of homesickness and loneliness, and probably will for the next several months. Uprooting your life to change jobs and change states is no small act. It leaves you feeling vulnerable and like your comfort zone has been ripped out from under you. However, I am starting to feel more settled in my new role and my new home. I’ve started building connections both internal and external, started rolling out projects that allow me to support and contribute to my new team, and I am remembering most people’s names (seriously this is a huge feat!). I also have my house unpacked, have started establishing routines, and even found activities that bring me joy like walking trails and a new garden that just had its first harvest.
At this point, it’s just a matter of time. Time to feel. Time to grow. Time to build relationships. Time to figure out who I am in this new role.