Organization Strengths

There are many strengths that my organization posses. They are very well run and organized. I have always felt that we were on top of projects that needed to be done and were always prepared for event day. The event coordinator in our office had a checklist that we would go over the week of the event to accomplish different tasks on different days. This helped us to not feel so overwhelmed, and to help spread the work out over the course of a few days. Loading and unloading equipment came become very tiresome! There were several times when we finished ahead of schedule on event set up days which allowed us more time for other projects, and made the whole process less stressful.
When it came to event days she always had a checklist of what needed to be done to set up/run/and clean up an event. This made it very easy to help direct staff and volunteers on what to do and help with, especially for someone like me who was new to the whole process. I felt that everyone had a place and job to do and everyone's time and energy was maximized and used to their full ability.

Other strengths of my office was in the way that communication was handled and how organized my boss was. They had a very specific timeline once a special event application was received, and a great organization system to make sure that nothing fell through the cracks. They were extremely timely in their responses to the public and I think that is very important when are you in a public service position. Every question from someone simply calling in to ask about a special event to someone wanting information on their application was treated equally.  If I were in charge of a similar organization I would probably do things the same way, but more catered to how I like to do things. This department is a great foundation for me to base my actions off of in the future. Having no previous experience running a department of any kind I can think back to my time here as a strong basis.

Career Service Write Up 2

Today I met with a career coach in the business school. Ever since I have been actively working in my internship I have enjoyed the special events process more and more. The other day I was thinking that maybe this was leading me down a career organizing corporate fundraising/special events for a nonprofit or park service organization. Or working for a corporation that helps out nonprofits, such as Kohl's and Petco. I would love to combine my experience and my degree to serve the public in this way.

The meeting was extremely helpful. We completely vetted my resume and worked on beefing up the descriptions of what it was I had done in my internship and previous work experience. We talked about goals I had for the future, and different ways to market myself. She gave me several examples of different nonprofits that look for new graduates to start out in their company and move up to working full time. She gave me dates of several career fairs to start attending in the spring if I decided to go the corporate route.

We also talked about how to interview. She pointed out that I often got caught up in the details and process of what I accomplished. For example I went into great detail about the Sponsorship Funding Program and the different ways I helped orchestrate it, but I never mentioned why I did it or how it made me feel. She explained that this was great I could explain the process, but also might make me come off as robotic if I wasn't able to explain how the project made me feel. I had no idea I was even doing this! I have so much to say about everything I have been involved in and could on for hours about it, but I was so nervous in an interview I completely forgot to mention them. I took other notes on how to improve my interview style. They still make me nervous, but I am confident I will be better at them in the future.

I attended one career fair last semester with the goal of looking for an internship and seeing the different organizations and companies that were out there. I was extremely nervous beforehand, but the event was actually a lot of fun. Everyone was so nice and welcoming and I walked away feeling better prepared to face the real world. The whole process of applying and interviewing is still daunting, but I am looking forward to what is out there for me after graduation.

Life Lessons-Free Write 11

One of the biggest things I did not realize about working for Special Events was the amount of physical activity that goes into it. I mean I realize I would be  out in the field quite a bit, in fact this is what I prefer. What I did not realize is how hands on the coordinator got. We were right there doing everything alongside the volunteers and other staff on top of other managerial things. I took a look today at my steps on my health app yesterday after everything was done at around 4. I know this is accurate because you can bet that I went right home and laid down for the rest of the evening!

I love it though. I love feeling like I worked hard and accomplished something.

Another thing I did not realize was how close I would get to the people I worked with. I knew that I would develop a relationship with some people, but I also knew that most people saw interns as being temporary and therefore would not make an effort. I have no idea if it's just the City of Chandler or what, but working with the staff has been such a positive experience. I have met so many different and interesting people, and all of them have been so friendly and welcoming.
I was crossing the huge field at Tumbleweed after Woofstock to get to my car and all of a sudden I hear "Alex!" Perplexed I turned around and saw a woman I had worked with early to clean out the dog water fountains we proved the guests. I had maybe interacted with her for an hour talking about work and our personal lives, but here she was calling out to me, "Have a good day, I'll see you at Tree Lighting!" Building community is so important to me, and in that moment I felt like I belonged. I wasn't the outsider anymore; I was the confident intern who was able to interact and relate with staff I had just met, and even those I had known for a couple of events, in a positive way.
It has been great to learn how to manage staff and volunteers. Being able to experience both working alongside them and asking them to do certain tasks has made me a better leader. The great part about recreation is that I am able to help with the work I am asking them to do. I would never ask them to do something I was unwilling. I envision myself in a career where I have the opportunity to get out from behind my desk at points and get out into the field. Recreation offers that perfect balance.

I am becoming more confident by the day. Not just in my professional development, but personal as well. I find that even if something seems impossible all I have to do is think "Remember that time you helped organize, run, and set up an event for 5,000 people?" and suddenly I don't feel so small anymore.

Woofstock- Free Write 10

We hosted our third event yesterday and I can't even begin to describe how tired I am. Physical prep work for an event starts days before, so on Thursday we began pulling out and cataloging supplies we would need. Friday consisted of loading all the supplies at City Hall and the Community Center into our trucks and bringing it to Tumbleweed Park. All in all it took 2 trips and loading/unloading supplies 4 times. On Saturday (event day) we started early at 5 in the morning. The City of Chandler has a huge trailer that they use for events and other things. It contained all the tables and chairs and trashcans and canopies we needed. I was in charge of helping unload and distributing them around the park at the appropriate areas for vendors that had requested them. Let me just say that "Easy Up" canopies are anything but.
Woofstock is our only dog-centered event and we had so many related activities there. We had a dog psychic, dog massage, a fur parlor (a mobile grooming company that airbrushed eco-friendly, washable tattoos on the dogs), multiple rescue groups, and lots of recreation activities for dogs such as agility and a lure course (an obstacle course that has the dog chase after a toy on a wire). The event itself started at 9:00 and was so much fun and such a success! I was so impressed with all the vendors and participants we had. There was almost virtually no trash and everyone cleaned up after their dogs. Later in the day I helped orchestrate the "Pet Parade" which showcased dogs and their owners who had dressed up. The participants loved it and it were surprised when I handed out actual medals to the winners! At the start of the day I did a walk-through to make sure the vendors were all there and in the right spot. Throughout the day I checked up on them to see how it was going and to ask input on what could be improved. It was a great exercise in conflict resolution and also with interacting with the public and clients.
Overall, though, the feedback was great and people loved the event. The Maricopa Animal Care and Control was there and reported that they had adopted all of their dogs out by the end of the event, That sounds like success to me! My family even stopped by with my dogs:

Wally and Marty say: "We love the City of Chandler Special Events!"

Policy Writing- Free Write 9

I mentioned it in one of my earlier posts, but we are currently working on helping to write new policy for a stage that was just constructed in the area next to our Community Center. Most of the language is already there from an old Standard Operating Procedure we are using to help guide us. However it was my job to take the information my boss gathered about the stage and event area and place it into the old SOP and delete parts that were not applicable to our new policy. It is ironic because in school I have written thousands of papers; some I loved to write and others not so much. When I was younger I always felt like writing would not be that big of a skill I would take with me, and here I am! I am very much enjoying writing the new policy and moving the different sections around; it's like a puzzle. I also love being able to find just the right word to succinctly say what I mean without going on and on for pages. Others may think it is both boring to write and read, but I have truly found one of my passions in life.

In other news I am working on designing a display for Chandler's Tree Lighting Ceremony in December. There are three displays with pictures and a history of the tree lighting ceremony. I wrote out the entire display with information I pulled from Chandler's website and archives, Chandlerpedia. After I was done with that I sent it to the person in charge of graphic design. She did a beautiful job putting it all together with pictures from over the years. She gave me a few designs and approved one and we sent it tot he print shop. We just got them in today and they look great! I am in the process of putting together display box I found for them. However the display box is outdoor-proof, very large, and also is self-illuminated. It has been a struggle correctly installing it with all the wires and various parts, but my spirit is not dampened. I am so excited to put one together and put the sign it in and see my project from start to finish. These displays are very robust and will last quite a long time; long after I am gone! I think it is really cool that something I have worked so hard on will be with the city for many years. My own little legacy.

Public Service

I think that my internship is the epitome of public service. How much more involved in public service and policy can you get than local government??? Even though we are one small section of the government, and that people often do not relate Special Events to public service, we serve the public every single day. As part of her job my boss, the Special Events Coordinator, oversees events that the community wishes to put on. This can range from nonprofits holding fundraisers to corporate family events to holiday celebrations. You name it I've seen it come through my desk as I learned to process the applications and issue Special Event Permits. When someone from the community wants to hold an event there is a specific process they have to go through to be approved. Once we receive their extensive application, detailing the where, when, how, what, whys of their event, it must go to other departments for approval. If you are closing down roads the police department has to be aware, if you are using open flames to cook food the fire department has to be aware, if you are selling items the tax and licensing department has to make sure you are up to date, etc. There is so much to consider, but we need to make sure that both those putting on the event, those attending, and those that live around the area that will be affected will have the best and safest experience they can have.
When we are putting on events ourselves for the community we have to be aware of our target audience and what activities, vendors, and locations will be the best for the majority of people. Before my internship I had no idea the months of planning, preparation, and deliberating went into hosting one 3-4 hour event. Even if you think an idea is great or terrible, you always have to consider it through the lens of what your citizens would enjoy.
We also use public service in instances where codes and policies need to be written to assist the public in easy access to city property. My boss is in charge of renting out the city equipment. "Equipment" includes rental space (parks and designated event areas), our portable stage, areas to hang banners to showcase upcoming events, etc. Policy and procedures need to be put in place to ensure that everyone has equal access to these items and that we have a way of keeping track of them and have guidelines for their use. Not to mention being aware of the going rate of fees around Arizona Parks Departments and keeping ours close as possible to being consistent with them. I wrote early about how I assisted in that project and it took close to a month of hard work, persistence, and research to be able to provide the most updated information to the city council.
Working for the Recreation department is no walk in the park! But it is so rewarding serving the public in this fashion.

Spooktacular- Free Write 8

With one event under my belt we quickly headed into the next one the following week! This time my day started at 8 am, but ended at 11 pm... However it helps that I simply love Halloween. The morning went by smoothly even though we were worried that it would rain again as it had the previous night, but the sky held. It was a *beautiful* morning with cloud cover and just enough sunlight to keep us warm. The previous night we had gotten all of the supplies out of storage and organized it. That night I also helped the Mayor's Youth Commission set up their haunted house in one of the Community Center rooms. The morning of I was in charge of setting up and decorating the "Spooktacular Graveyard"pictured below,

It doesn't seem like much, but it took over 3 hours to assemble. From putting up the gates, to strategically placing the tombstones and other spooky items around, to putting cob webs around the entire thing it was quite an undertaking! The pumpkins were delivered from a local farm in Chandler and that took enough 30 minutes walking all 250 of them from the truck to the cemetery. It was worth it in the end from the multiple compliments I received from both personal and guests alike! It was a huge hit and all the pumpkins found homes with families who had the option to paint them at the event.

Spooktacular was a little different from Day of Play because we had no outside contractors (like we did with the table/chair/booth set up at DOP) and did all the work ourselves. I have to say my heart broke a little when we disassembled the graveyard. At this event though I learned how to manage staff and volunteers and was given more responsibility in that area. We had the Chandler High ROTC join us and help run the various carnival games, one of which I was in charge of. Having never managed people before I felt a little awkward asking them to do specific tasks, but I always made sure to thank them for their service and would help them with tasks when I could. In the end it made me a better, more confident leader. One of my certificates is in Leadership and I was finally able to apply some of the concepts I had learned to the real world!

Normally the event draws about 1800 to 2000 people, but my boss said this year they probably had the highest turn out with about 3500 people attending. It certainly felt that way! It was great seeing so many people come out, though, and appreciate all our hard work. It was also great seeing all the little kids dressed up and having a blast with all the activities. Serving the public in this way is so rewarding and I am loving every minute of it.

Day of Play- Free Write 7

Well event day finally came and went! I started my morning early that day at 4:00 am arriving at Tumbleweed Park. My normally 20 minute commute took about 10 minutes. Maybe I should try getting up and going to work earlier?

Once there I realize why I had to be there at 4 am. There was SO much to do even with all the other preparations we had done the days before. At around 5:00 we had our tables and chairs delivered and set up. This was a huge help seeing as we had about 40 vendors or so and lots of extra tables for people to be able to sit at. Myself and another staff person did various tasks such as hanging sponsorship posters on the stage, labeling each booth area so vendors would know where to set up, assisting vendors with questions they had about their booth sites, and any other odd job that needed to be done. Once the event got underway I ran a booth where families could come get a piece of chalk and draw under our huge ramada, or rent out sports equipment such as volleyballs and horseshoes to play with in our designated activities area. Interacting with the public was different this time than I had ever experienced. I had to keep in mind when answering questions and resolving conflict that I was representing the City of Chandler. Not that I would ever be rude or disrespectful at a professional engagement, but for the first time I realized that I was, for all intents and purposes, a city official. I wore the same shirt as paid professional staff and had the same knowledge, so I could not hide behind the excuse that I was just an intern if I had a poor attitude or gave wrong information. I looked like everyone else. It was a little daunting at first, but I eventually became more comfortable as the day went on and accepted the responsibility with grace and everything went great.

We had about 2000 people attend from all age groups. When the event was over at 1:30 we all worked together to take down signs, fold up tables and chairs, pack supplies away into our parks and rec trailer, and clean up the field. Surprisingly we were done at about 3; the Chandler staff really know how to work together and work efficiently!

I was not as tired as I thought I would be when I got home, but the next day was a different story. I woke up SO so so sore in parts of my body I never knew had muscles. It was worth it though, because as one little girl put it as I handed her some chalk, "This is the best day ever!"

Successful event? I think so.

* As a side note I took lots of photos but my 4 year old Galaxy decided it was it's time to go so I lost everything.