Chapter 11 | Hotline Calls & Public Meetings

There are lots of things to say about my three years time with EnviroIssues. I was hired on as a "green" Project Coordinator meaning I had little to no experience in the field and lots to learn. I was slowly molded into the art of public engagement and learned the ins and outs of building a workback plan, planning public meetings, replying to project inboxes, categorizing public comments, drafting content for project flyers and press releases, and sitting in on weekly construction meetings. I had never been a part of such a civically engaged and relevant field, one that was directly impacting my city with new cycle tracks, public piers, and additional bus, bike, and driving lanes.

Typical work attire. 

I can certainly highlight the "cool factor" such as getting a tour of the new Capitol Hill Sound Transit Station before it opened, knowing the person who crafted the tweets of Bertha (WSDOT's tunnel boring machine), and getting to watch the final floating pontoon pieces for the 520 bridge project come through the Ballard Locks. But there was also a fair amount of unimpressive, run-of-the-mill, tedious stuff including hours of data entry, dropping flyers off at houses, and writing hundreds of pages of meeting notes from lengthy and complicated phone calls.

Volunteering at a food bank.

Work content aside, I also experienced several maturing and self-developing situations while at the company. I accidentally got our company car towed, I reported a sexual harassment complaint, I got in a car accident while driving a client in a company car, and I worked with someone who felt like my complete opposite that I initially didn't click with at all. Each of these immediately induce a gut-reaction shame, but looking back, I know I grew from these experiences, both professionally and personally.

At my desk.

A woman-owned organization who hires competent, thoughtful, empathetic young people that are often over-qualified for their roles makes for a unique setting. Oddly, there was always an underlying dissatisfaction around the office of lack of promotion, pay, and responsibility. I worked alongside lots of type-A personalities but held my own as someone who has a knack and attention for details and grammar. All that said, we had a lot of fun too - everything from annual secret-Santa style holiday poems to receiving a training on our communication styles, plus dog Fridays, ride-your-bike-to-work competitions, and even a World Cup watch party in the main conference room. Without a doubt, it was the most social place I've worked and I still hold many friendships from my time there. 

Office pup!

My thoughts on work were often a juxtaposed goodie bag - some days would ooze in elation and contentment while others would seep out lackluster & fretfulness (a rather rotten pair). Although surrounded by fantastic coworkers that made the work enjoyable and memorable, I felt a disconnect from most of the actual work. Conceptually I liked a lot of the components - organizing information, working with people, educating the public, impacting the city, but practically I often felt like an impostor. I didn't study public engagement nor urban planning nor environmental science. Some of the puzzle pieces fit for me, but I felt a nagging pull to try something different in hopes that other tasks or content would be more fulfilling. 

Happy Hour on my last day. 

Overall, my hind-sighted eye ware is rose-tinted, 

SJW