Community Engagement Part 1: Personal Experiences & Board Responsibilities

Even before I was a local government Land Use Planner, I’ve had a lot of experience with the public- I worked customer service for years in retail and food service before establishing my career, and in college I also volunteered my time for a number of campus groups and local organizations that involved public communication. These include the CSUS (California State University - Sacramento) student run radio (KSSU) as a DJ and blog editor, the Sacramento History Museum as a Local History Ambassador for Gold Rush Days, SARSAS (Save Auburn Ravine Salmon) as a citizen volunteer, the Environmental Studies Students group at CSUS, and the Sierra Nevada Conservancy on a Geotourism app for local history. Having said that, I do think my career as a local government employee in the realm of community development has allowed me to learn a lot about the importance of effective community engagement. I will also get into why these experiences would make me a great Trustee of the PHUSD Governing Board.

In my experiences with local public groups and policy implementation, communication is the #1 most important aspect- there must be a clear and open line of communication between the community and those who represent community interests. When communication is not clear or elected officials are absent or unavailable, public trust begins to break down. That is why as a Board member, I would establish regular standing times for parents, teachers, administrators, and other members of the PHUSD community to meet to discuss their experiences with the District as well as to consider opportunities for improvement. My responsibility as a Board member would be to hear those issues and ensure the entire Board is aware of them and act accordingly.

I am dedicated to being available and approachable to the PHUSD community. This goes beyond simply attending Board meetings and running for a Board position- effective community engagement means being where the community is, not asking them to come to you once a month. As a parent of a PHUSD student, I am at school events often and if elected as a Board member I would go beyond the current activities I do and would also ensure I attend both Sierra Hills and Weimar Hills PTC and Site Council meetings regularly so I can hear of concerns and opportunities for improvement on both campuses. True community representation requires active involvement, and leadership is all about listening to the people you represent and taking effective steps to address those issues.

Part 2 of the 3-part Community Engagement series will be about actions that the Board can take to make public meetings easier for the community to attend and government processes to understand, and I also hope to hear from the community about ideas they have about how the Board can do better about ensuring the community feels heard and their concerns addressed. Stay tuned!