ELGL’s mission is to connect, communicate, and educate. One way we do that is by “telling our story.” India Adams and Derek Matheson shared their story, now Cathy Wilson, Town of Carrboro, NC Town Clerk takes center stage.
I started working in local government because….I get to do work that makes a difference, keeps me interested and engaged, and daily introduces me to different situations.
My first experience in local government was…..management intern with the Town of Beech Mountain, NC.
My most frustrating experience in local government has been….learning that the bureaucratic process is real, really painful, and reeeaaallly necessary. Coming out of college it’s hard to understand that local government process (change) moves at an incredibly slow rate. BUT even the most flexible and progressive places need process and an open and inclusive process deserves time. It’s just hard to get used to.
My top three career accomplishments are…
- becoming a Town Clerk while pursuing my MPA
- being appointed as the Town Clerk by the Town of Carrboro Board of Aldermen
- working for the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the Town of Carrboro.
This community has a longstanding tradition of advocating for human rights and marriage equality and I am so thankful to be apart of their work.
I am currently working on:
- LED lighting rates for streetlights through the NCLM and Duke Energy Carolina’s.
- Human Right Campaign municipal ratings.
- Legislative tracking and providing services as the Town’s legislative liaison.
Here are three tips for interviewing:
- show confidence but be humble
- be excited about the opportunity but not frazzled
- FIRMLY SHAKE MY HAND and look me in the eye
- bonus points if you make me laugh
The one thing that I am afraid of is…… public speaking.
I think local government could be do a better job telling its story by……
being open and developing real relationships with citizens. When people get involved and get to know what’s going on, they talk about it and tell the story. Use social media as much as possible!
For the next person who completes this profile, I would ask them…. “do you think that you will retire from local government?”
You should have asked me….where have you spent the most years of your local government work? My answer: Carrboro, NC – 4 years and counting. Did I mention I love it?