[0:07] I'm Eva Voss.

[0:08] I graduated

from Woodbury High School

[0:09] this past year,

and I'm interviewing

[0:12] Janelle Schmitz Community

Development Director.

[0:14] All right.

[0:15] I have a few questions

to ask you.

[0:16] My first one is,

how do you address challenges

[0:18] or barriers

that you face in leadership?

[0:20] Well, it depends on what

the challenge or the barrier is.

[0:23] So the first thing

you want to try to figure out is

[0:25] where is the challenge

coming from?

[0:27] Is it interior or that exterior?

[0:29] Once you know the source

and you can dig into that

[0:31] a little bit deeper.

[0:32] The nice thing about working in

the public sector

[0:34] is a lot of us share information

with each other.

[0:36] It's not proprietary.

[0:38] So maybe you can find another

city or another department

[0:41] that's gone

through a similar struggle

[0:43] and then ask them for advice

I've learned to really rely

[0:46] on others

and seek out answers from others

[0:48] and help to identify

what those strategies might be.

[0:52] Can you share examples

[0:53] of successful initiatives

where women have played

[0:55] key leadership roles

and made significant difference

[0:58] in the community?

[0:59] Sure.

[0:59] A couple that come to mind

right away

[1:01] are two things that we're going

through right now.

[1:03] One is the Central Park

expansion

[1:05] and renovation,

and that's being led by Michelle

[1:07] Okada, who is our Parks

Recreation Director,

[1:10] and the other is our permanent

water treatment plant expansion,

[1:13] which is being led by Mary Van

Milligan

[1:15] our Public Works Director.

[1:16] So two very influential women

[1:18] in our leadership

role here at the city

[1:20] leading to very important

and critical projects.

[1:22] I think the other thing

that when I had this question

[1:26] posed to me,

I thought of our mayors.

[1:28] We currently have Mayor

Anne Burt,

[1:30] and prior to her we had Mayor

Mary Giuliani Stephens,

[1:33] both very passionate

experienced, intelligent mayors

[1:38] who did great things, worked on

very big strategic initiatives

[1:41] and really led our city

through some challenging times

[1:44] and growth opportunities

and really led us well.

[1:47] What's your biggest lesson

you've learned as a leader?

[1:49] I think the biggest

[1:50] lesson that I've learned

is to keep learning.

[1:53] If you stop learning,

you stop growing.

[1:55] And so there's always

an opportunity to learn.

[1:57] You never quite

master everything

[1:59] perfectly because conditions

always change.

[2:02] So that is something

[2:03] to kind of keep an open mind

to look for those opportunities

[2:06] where you can improve

or do things better.

[2:08] To be really

humble is another thing

[2:11] to learn in leadership

that you will make mistakes

[2:14] and that those are opportunities

to learn from,

[2:17] to reach out to others, to

[2:18] not be afraid to ask

for constructive criticism

[2:21] and to have some thick skin

that goes with that

[2:23] and really kind of dig deep

and look in the mirror and see

[2:26] what could I do differently?

[2:27] What could I do to bring

[2:29] a better resolution

to this problem or this

[2:31] this issue that we're facing.

[2:33] And I think the other thing

is, again, listening,

[2:36] listening to understand

is really another opportunity

[2:39] is making

sure you really take that

[2:41] time to dive deep into things

and really get that

[2:44] stakeholder input to understand

those perspectives.

[2:47] How do you handle stress

and stay organized?

[2:50] Well, I always feel

I can be more organized.

[2:51] I love to make lists

[2:53] and I

[2:53] like to do the old fashioned

[2:54] going of a handwritten list

[2:55] because there's

a lot of satisfaction

[2:57] in crossing

something off my list.

[2:59] Usually it's replaced by three

or four more new things

[3:01] that are coming on that list,

[3:02] but that really just kind of

keeps me

[3:04] focused to make sure that I have

that all in one spot.

[3:06] OK, here's what I need to do.

[3:08] You know, there's

[3:08] certainly stress with any job

[3:10] and I try to deal with it, by

[3:12] again,

just trying to be centered,

[3:14] trying

to make sure that I'm doing,

[3:16] know that I'm doing the best

that I can to seeking out

[3:20] help from others.

[3:21] And while this may seem

like a big challenge, right

[3:24] now, we'll get through it

and I'm going to learn from it.

[3:26] And on the other side,

there will be great things.

[3:28] And sometimes going through

those biggest challenges

[3:31] are the biggest

learning opportunities.

[3:33] And they really help you

to grow.

[3:34] So after you get through them,

it's sort of like having a baby.

[3:37] You go through the labor and

it's like, oh, this is intense.

[3:40] But in the end you have

this really beautiful new child.

[3:44] And I think the same thing

with some of the challenges

[3:46] you go through them,

they're not always pretty

[3:48] when you're going through.

[3:49] And when you get through

to the other side,

[3:50] you've learned a lot,

you've grown,

[3:52] and hopefully you've left

yourself better

[3:54] and the place better.

[3:55] What qualities do you believe

are essential

[3:57] for effective leadership

in community development?

[4:00] I think listening and caring,

especially in the public sector,

[4:03] we have a lot of stakeholders

[4:04] and again,

our stakeholders are internal.

[4:06] I have 25 folks

in my department,

[4:09] but I also have other

departments within the city,

[4:11] and then I have almost 80,000

residents and, you know,

[4:15] lots of business opportunities,

lots of business owners,

[4:17] lots of business employees

like come to work here,

[4:21] people who come to visit here,

they're all my stakeholders.

[4:23] So really caring and being

passionate about public service.

[4:28] If you're going to work

in the public sector,

[4:29] you have to kind of do it

for those reasons

[4:32] and that's again,

that's a big part of it.

[4:34] And then listening,

[4:35] I really think that's

how you learn.

[4:36] That's how you understand

the various perspectives

[4:39] that are coming your way.

[4:40] How do you foster

a culture of collaboration

[4:42] and inclusivity within your team

and the community?

[4:45] Again, listening.

[4:45] But one thing I did

[4:46] specifically with my team is

[4:48] I schedule something called

Stay Interviews.

[4:51] So I meet with my team

typically once a year,

[4:54] probably once every 18 months.

[4:56] We bring each of them

in individually and schedule

[4:58] a decent amount of time to just

have a sit down with them,

[5:00] find out what's on their mind,

what's working, what's not.

[5:03] What are their concerns.

[5:04] Get to know them personally

so that I can, you know,

[5:07] make them feel

like they're part of the team

[5:09] and not just another employee,

but an actual colleague.

[5:12] And friend.

[5:13] And so that's part of what I do

to foster that inclusivity

[5:17] and collaboration

and certainly want to make sure

[5:19] that, again,

[5:20] we listen

[5:21] to those various perspectives

because they're bringing

[5:23] things from

[5:24] maybe an angle or a perspective

that I hadn't considered.

[5:28] And so I want to make sure

that I'm looking kind of that

[5:31] 360 degree

[5:33] field of vision, if you will,

and that really helps

[5:35] to bring them in

and talk to them one on one.

[5:37] Can you share an example

of a challenging project

[5:39] you led and how you managed

to overcome the obstacles?

[5:42] I took this job

[5:43] in the beginning of 2020,

just as COVID was hitting.

[5:46] So that was it's

[5:47] not really a project, but it is

certainly was a big obstacle.

[5:51] We had never been through

anything like that before

[5:53] and I was a brand new leader

in this role.

[5:55] So that is something

I kind of dove head in

[5:58] because we kind of had to.

[6:00] So we had half of

[6:01] my team was working remotely

and half was in the office.

[6:04] And so how do you

[6:06] how do you as a new leader

bring this team together?

[6:08] And so I made sure that

I schedule lots of meetings.

[6:11] They were on teams or,

[6:13] you know, virtual meetings

with some people.

[6:15] Again, being in person,

[6:15] I made sure I came in

every few days to make sure

[6:18] even though I was working

remotely,

[6:20] I came in to check on those

that were in the office

[6:22] to make sure that they felt

they had that support

[6:24] and had what

they needed to get the job done.

[6:27] So that was, you know,

[6:28] establishing

that early communication

[6:31] about COVID

and about those changing

[6:33] conditions,

but also just about business.

[6:34] We had to change how we did

business drastically.

[6:38] And so,

you know, their expectations.

[6:40] What are we supposed to do?

How do we handle this?

[6:43] So that was,

I think, the biggest challenge

[6:46] that I probably had

and they had it right away.

[6:47] What strategies do

you use to engage

[6:49] and motivate community members

[6:51] to participate in development

projects?

[6:53] In Woodbury

[6:54] we have a lot of engagement

strategies, and one of those

[6:57] that's probably unique

from a lot of other communities

[6:59] is we require a neighborhood

meeting for some of our

[7:03] development projects.

[7:04] And so it's a chance to get

[7:05] in front of a neighborhood

and a little more casual,

[7:08] informal basis

where the developers

[7:10] sort of showing here's

what we're planning to do,

[7:12] get some early contact

with those residents feedback

[7:16] and even time to maybe

adjust things.

[7:18] On the plan

[7:18] prior to getting it,

getting in front of the Planning

[7:20] Commission or City Council.

[7:22] And a lot of times we're able

to make those subtle changes

[7:25] that address those

early concerns by residents.

[7:28] And then things

go much more smoothly

[7:30] when it goes to planning

commission or council.

[7:32] We also have through

our communication

[7:35] channels on our website,

are in touch system.

[7:38] We have a development map

[7:40] that shows

what's happening in the city.

[7:42] You can click on

a little pin on the map

[7:44] and it'll tell you what

that development proposal is.

[7:47] It'll give you a staff contact

if you want more information

[7:50] are in touch.

[7:51] System is an email

notification system.

[7:53] You can sign up

to get email notifications

[7:55] when new development

is happening or other things.

[7:58] And so we really do

[7:59] value that stakeholder

engagement and feedback

[8:02] and we're continuing to

to grow that and to

[8:06] to make that more effective

as people are bombarded

[8:10] with more information.

[8:11] How do we make sure they

[8:12] they get this information

that they see it

[8:14] and that they do take advantage

of those opportunities?

[8:17] What advice

would you give to someone

[8:18] aspiring to take on a leadership

role in community development?

[8:22] Leadership comes in all forms,

and it starts at the

[8:24] informal level.

[8:26] So you don't have

to be appointed

[8:28] as a supervisor or something.

[8:29] You know,

the formal title of leader

[8:32] can do things by volunteering,

by stepping up,

[8:35] stepping out of your comfort

zone,

[8:37] asking to take on an assignment

that's

[8:38] maybe a little more challenging,

[8:40] showing

that you're interested in things

[8:41] by doing additional research

[8:43] or different types of activities

that bring added

[8:46] value to the team.

[8:47] And the more you do

[8:48] that, you're going to

[8:49] be seen noticed,

[8:50] and then you're going

to continue

[8:51] to get

those challenging projects

[8:53] and then hopefully,

you know, down the road

[8:55] that leads to other leadership

opportunities.

[8:57] But don't be afraid

[8:58] to kind of step outside

of your comfort zone and really,

[9:01] you know,

[9:02] ask for those opportunities,

especially if it's something

[9:04] that's of interest to you

or a passion to you.

[9:07] It really,

[9:08] really

go for those opportunities

[9:10] and make that known to your

to your boss

[9:13] or to your supervisor

or to your colleagues

[9:15] and and just, you know, can step

out of their comfort zone.

[9:18] Yeah.

[9:18] What do you enjoy most

about being a leader

[9:20] in community development?

[9:22] Well,

I think the thing that I really

[9:23] enjoy most about this job

is the variety that it offers.

[9:26] I've been with the city

for 28 years,

[9:29] four years in this particular

position, but 28 years overall.

[9:32] So back in 1996, Woodbury was a

totally different community

[9:36] and so just to watch

the evolution, watch things

[9:39] progress, new ideas,

new business opportunities,

[9:43] even new types of housing,

[9:44] new initiatives that the city

has given to us to work on

[9:48] has really been

exciting and enjoyable.

[9:50] I have a great team of staff

as well that also make my job

[9:54] very enjoyable.

[9:55] They're,

they're great at what they do

[9:56] they're passionate

about public service

[9:59] and we like to have

a lot of fun as well.

[10:00] So we're a good team that way.

[10:02] And then I would be

really remiss if I didn't say

[10:05] one of the great things

[10:06] about working in

Woodbury is the leadership

[10:08] that we have

at the elected level.

[10:10] Very collaborative, very

cooperative and communicative.

[10:13] They are really in it

[10:15] for the right reasons

to make Woodbury a better place,

[10:17] very happy to have

a very good leadership team,

[10:20] both at the elected level

and at our city staff level.

[10:24] How do you handle disagreements

in your team?

[10:26] You know, I call it

listening to understand

[10:28] so many times when somebody

comes to you with a problem,

[10:31] find yourself listening

and you want to respond.

[10:33] So you're thinking, Oh,

I'm going to answer

[10:35] this is way or here's

what I would say to that.

[10:37] And then as you're preparing

[10:38] that response in your head,

you miss some of what they say.

[10:40] So it's really slowing down

and listening, really listening

[10:44] to hear them

and to understand them.

[10:47] And even in the end,

if you don't agree with them

[10:49] and you come up with a solution

[10:51] that maybe isn't

what they wanted,

[10:53] hopefully they feel heard

[10:55] and they feel like you took

the time to really understand

[10:58] their perspective

and where they were coming from.

[11:00] And that's really

how I try to lead

[11:02] my team is to hear them

to understand their perspective

[11:06] and then if I can't

maybe give them what they want

[11:09] or I can't settle a disagreement

in the way

[11:11] that they would have wanted me

to, I can explain the why.

[11:14] And I think the

why goes a long way

[11:17] to making them

feel heard and valued.

[11:18] And so that is, again, probably

the number one thing you can do

[11:23] in dealing with disagreements.

[11:25] And again,

listening to all perspectives,

[11:26] not just the one person

who's coming in, there's usually

[11:29] multiple sides to the story.

[11:30] So you've got to look

at all of that

[11:32] together and collectively

and then,

[11:34] you know, try to sort that out.

[11:36] Thank you for answering

my question. You're welcome.

[11:38] So I understand you're going

to the University of Iowa

[11:41] this fall.

[11:42] Tell me

what you're going to study

[11:44] and how are you looking at

through

[11:45] kind of that leadership lens?

[11:47] I plan to study business finance

and to incorporate leadership

[11:51] throughout my four years

[11:53] at Iowa, I plan to seek out

new opportunities

[11:56] and be able

to go out of my comfort zone

[11:59] to do things

that I am interested in

[12:01] and just work as a team

and help others out.

[12:04] Well, that's exciting.

And I wish you all the best.

[12:06] Thank you so much. Thank you.