Page 20 - May-June2019 Vol37 No1

CHATTANOOGA
Strengthening the Network
A couple months ago, I asked the
women in the City of Chattanooga
Department of Public Works to join
me for lunch on Valentine’s Day. Of the
approximately 650 Department of Public
Works employees, nearly 100 women
serve in diverse roles across the city.
As the communicator for the
department, I spend much of my time
visiting and meeting our team members
throughout our five divisions. For the last
nine months I noticed a recurring theme
among my fellow female team members:
we don’t know one another. For example,
women across the department were
unaware that we had multiple female heavy
equipment operators running our daily
recycling routes, or that five out of eight of similar roles as I do in our personal lives,
our licensed engineers on staff are women.
And so lunch, together, was in order
Getting Acquainted
I asked every one of the 60 women
in attendance to stand and share their
name, the number of years of service they
have given to the City of Chattanooga,
their current job title and the
division they work for, and
what tasks they spend their
time performing day-to-day.
Many different and valuable
skill sets were represented
in this room, with every one
of those skills being equally
important to the mission of the
department.
The range in years of service
to the City of Chattanooga,
although expected, was vast;
from two months to 30 years.
The event was sponsored by Jacobs Engineering and TCAPWA. Photos by Brooke Satterfield, Chattanooga administrative work to licensed engineers,
20 TPW May/June 2019
We had several women who hold a “first”
title: the first female and African American
to hold the position of Solid Waste
Manager, and the first female to hold the
position of Deputy Director of Fleet…they
were among so many other firsts for the
Chattanooga Department of Public Works.
Inspiration and Comradery
“As a woman who has served in various
roles in the Department of Public Works
for all of my 19 years of service to the
city, this lunch was the first of its kind,”
said Angela Patton, Executive Assistant,
Chattanooga Department of Public
Works. “As a daughter, a sister, and a
mother myself, it was a profound moment
to have all of these women, who hold
in one room, introducing ourselves to one
another.”
“This event has gone a long way in
creating a better sense of comradery,
appreciation and a support system for
the women throughout the department,”
she said.
By Colline M. Miller
Valentine Surprises
I took the opportunity to get creative
with the decor and have a bit of fun. I
planned the day on social media sharing
valentines both educational and light-
hearted, so I decided to write the women
of Public Works a few valentines. In
addition to the one pictured, some of the
others read:
Little red hearts, are meant to say,
We are grateful for you, this Valentine’s day.
It’s great to work with you, in every way.
Thanks for your hard work, every day.
Valentines of pink and red,
Information of value said,
Small surprises, funny jokes,
Big red hearts and helpful notes.
The best part of this happy day,
Is we get the chance to say,
Today and the whole year too,
We’re glad to have,
A Team Member like you!
Appreciating Diverse Skill Sets
Justin Holland, Administrator of the
Chattanooga Department of Public
Works, provided opening comments at
the luncheon, remarking that women
on our team “bring a unique perspective
and energy to work, employing different
problemsolving techniques that help their
teams reach better solutions, faster. I’m
thankful for all of the daughters, sisters,
moms, and grandmothers working in
Chattanooga’s Department of Public
Works to help people live the life they
want to live in our community.”
We work in a male-dominated field.
However, the incredible women in
attendance fill a variety of roles from
heavy equipment operators, sewer pump
station operators, and so much more.
These women keep our city going
every single day. They work hard, make
a difference, and get the job done. Most
importantly, they remind me of just how
many incredible, capable, and brilliant
women we have in our community. To
the women of the City of Chattanooga
Department of Public Works, thank
you for joining me for lunch but more
importantly, thank you for your service to
our city every single day.