When I Grow Up: Public Service & Public Affairs

Kristin Gisleson Palmer

Former District “C” Councilmember for City of New Orleans

Education

Saint Louis University

Degree

Bachelor of Science in History

  Professional Background:

Personal background: I’m from New Orleans and went to Ursuline Academy, but I was born in Washington, D.C., while my dad was in law school. My mother’s family has been from New Orleans for seven or eight generations, so we have deep ties here. I’m the second oldest of eight kids and we are all very close in age. My mother was a teacher and my father was a federal prosecutor for most of my childhood, which instilled in me the concept of service and cooperation. My husband, Bobby, and I raised our three daughters in Algiers.

Professional Journey:

Professional journey: I started my career in my early twenties volunteering at a nonprofit called Rebuilding Together where we fixed up homes for elderly residents. I became director there at the age of 24. Looking back now, that job put me on the trajectory of a career in service. My work in the nonprofit sector and on the Council has always been rooted in community. I was actually approached by various people I had worked with over the years to run for office because they felt I would represent them well on the Council. I took those requests back to the women in my community to see what they felt. They supported me and I ran in partnership with them. Really, I didn’t plan on being a council member. It wasn’t something I wanted to do; it’s not something I went to college for. I looked at politics as a continuation of service to the residents in the city.

Working as a nonprofit executive director prepared me to become an effective council member. We would only work in a neighborhood if our presence was requested by a neighborhood association or community groups like churches and other nonprofit organizations, and we would work with them as partners. My program would ultimately become their program. They would sit on my board, help us create policy, and help us find the people who needed the most help. We were really working in partnership with the community. If you want to have any kind of sustainable change and improve the quality of life of not just the homeowners, you have to improve the overall neighborhood. On the Council, it was the same process for me. You must get various groups together to speak in favor of or add to the legislation you’re working to pass. It also helps to get the support of your fellow councilmembers when you have a variety of voices that are advocating for change.

Necessary Qualifications

There are different ways to become a council member, but one of the first things you must do is start engaging with the community. That can be through volunteering, joining your neighborhood association, or getting involved in an important issue that you care about. There are some state requirements, which you can find on the Louisiana Secretary of State website, geauxvote.com. Outside of that, you must have a desire to serve, great leadership skills, and the drive to make a difference.

Must-have Skills

You should always be willing to listen to your constituents—all of them, whether you agree with them or not. Show that you are hearing them and really listening to their issues by responding to their concerns, both in person and in writing. Then, be willing to change your mind based on your ongoing “listening and learning” practices. As a voice of your constituents, you must be well informed. It’s important to stay current with local issues as well as regional issues that might affect the city that you serve. Always be authentic and never forget that serving is a privilege.

Most Challenging

One of the problems with being in municipal government is that it’s very reactionary. You get different problems every day—especially in a city that has high poverty and dysfunction. You constantly have to react and help people in ways that a councilmember in another city would not. In New Orleans, we are helping people with all kinds of matters, including getting a permit at City Hall, opening a business, getting work done on their house, addressing crime, fixing a pothole, or taking care of trash that hasn’t been picked up in their neighborhood. People call their district councilmember’s office because they can’t always get a response from City Hall. That puts an added burden on councilmembers because they aren’t able to just focus on legislation.

Most Fun

I absolutely love being on the frontline of decision-making to better the lives of the people I serve and seeing the impact of that hard work unfold before my eyes.

On Being a Woman in the Field:

I was fortunate to serve with mostly women in my first term and I thought that was normal until I started traveling around the state. While out of office, I worked with Senator Mary Landrieu and we were campaigning across the state and meeting elected officials. That’s when I began to see how rare it was that I was able to participate in a majority-female City Council. I never felt that being a woman in a male-dominated field was a barrier. I’ve always felt that being a woman is an asset. The longer you’re in something, the more you create a network of support. I still run across mansplaining now, but I just laugh at it.

Advice:

I think it’s important for girls to realize this: We need more women to run for office. I believe women are better suited to be in city government. We are caretakers for our children or our parents, so we understand a lot of issues. We run the household budgets and we understand how money impacts the way our families live. Women are also generally more collaborative, which is key to making substantive change.

Leah Warrington Brown

Manager of Corporate Affairs at Chevron

Education

Southern University

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Chemistry

Professional Background:

I grew up in Baton Rouge, but my family is from a small island in the Caribbean called Dominica. As a child (and even today), I was a voracious reader and remember my second-grade teacher letting me take books home so I could keep reading. Science is my second love. I asked for a chemistry set in fourth grade and thought it was one of the coolest things in the world. It was a few years before I grasped many of the principles behind some of the reactions, but that kit made science and chemistry seem like magic! I learned things like how to polish silver with foil, salt, water, and baking soda and how to send a secret message with lemon juice. I also made quite a few messes mixing baking soda, vinegar, cornstarch, and water, but I remember having so much fun. I’m not sure if it’s nurture or nature, but my only child also loves reading and science. She’s majoring in chemical engineering and I’m so very proud of her.

Professional Journey:

I was in the gifted and talented program as a child and owe my love of science to my fifth-grade teacher, Mrs. Woods, and my interest in chemistry to my high school teacher, Mr. Lands. I started my journey as a research and development chemist in the energy industry and enjoyed every minute of it. In my career, I’ve also worked as a high school engineering teacher, project manager, magnet school coordinator, and charter school director. I’ve had quite a varied career, but STEM was a key part of each of my roles, and I learned important skills from each new experience. While I didn’t necessarily set out to work in the energy industry, I have been able to combine so many of my passions and talents working in oil and gas. There are tremendous opportunities in STEM careers. Public affairs felt like a great culmination of my previous roles.

Typical Workday

My job is very dynamic. No two days are alike! One day I may be writing a press release at my desk, the next day I may be flying in a helicopter or touring an offshore facility floating in 7000 feet of water. I love the variety of activities my position brings each day. The most rewarding days are when I work side by side with our community partners, like Habitat for Humanity, for example.

Necessary Qualifications

To land a position like this requires multiple years working in the public affairs field and a broad array of skills including communications, advocacy, and corporate social responsibility. I encourage young women—no matter what the position—to work hard and be open to learning new things.

Must-Have Skills

To be effective in a public affairs role requires strong communication, project management, and interpersonal skills as well as the ability to multi-task, be a team player, and manage time effectively—all on a daily basis!

Most Challenging

It can be challenging to juggle the internal and external meeting demands, but that is manageable with prioritization

Most Fun

One of the best things about my role is being able to help local organizations make a difference in our community. Corporate social responsibility is a large part of my work because Chevron is committed to contributing to the communities where we live and work. We believe that society’s progress is integral to the success of our business. Chevron sponsors and supports organizations like Son of a Saint, French Quarter Fest, Habitat for Humanity St. Tammany West, and so many others. Additionally, Chevron employees donate their own “human energy” to benefit a variety of civic and charitable organizations, contributing thousands of volunteer hours each year.

Advice:

I encourage girls to forge their own paths. Most of them will have multiple careers, and many of those careers may not have been invented yet. They have more opportunities than any other generation. My advice is to ensure they are preparing themselves for college or some postsecondary training program. This means getting ready for standardized tests and researching careers and majors that align with their interests, abilities, and life goals.
 If something is worth doing, it’s worth doing well. Ensure you are doing your best no matter the job, and always focus on how you can get something done versus how you can’t. With that mindset, you can’t help but succeed!