By Mary Jacobs, Assistant City Manager – Sierra Vista, AZ
I’m thrilled to see the momentum building toward mentoring and supporting more women at the CAO level in local government. I’ve had the honor and privilege of knowing some exceptional women who have, and continue to lead cities, towns and counties all across the country. It’s equally important to have exceptional women at other leadership positions within our organizations, and being #2 for nearly 22 years so far has provided me with both professional satisfaction as well as needed flexibility as a single mother. Even when women are well qualified to move up the ladder, sometimes there are important personal and family reasons that place career advancement second.
I have consciously chosen to remain where I am in order to prioritize what really matters, my daughter, Rachel. Let me brag on my awesome daughter for a moment…she’s, well…awesome! Enough said. We are very close, and I consider myself blessed each and every day that she is pretty much the perfect child. (Shhh, don’t tell her.) Now 17, I’ve gratefully transitioned from being the mom AND chauffer back to just mom. You would think that having only one child would reduce proportionately the amount of time and effort it takes to be a dedicated parent from say, being a parent of four. But that kind of math equation doesn’t exist. I’ve been to every sports event, choir concert, dance recital, school play and other life event of Rachel’s. AND I have relished every single moment. Being the assistant has provided additional flexibility not always available when you’re the big cheese.
Mary and her daughter Rachel
It’s not just my job that has allowed me to prioritize my daughter―it’s also my organization and boss, who is himself a deeply devoted family man. His passion for family is the foundation of a supportive culture in our organization. He has told employees many times over his 20+ years as city manager that they aren’t worth much at work if they are worried because they feel they can’t take time off to be with a sick child or deal with a family emergency. I have benefitted greatly from his support of my personal parenting demands, and I am eternally grateful.
At the beginning of the year, I was a finalist for a big city manager job in my hometown of Tucson. It was the first time I’ve applied for a CAO job since taking my current position 16 years ago. I gave careful consideration to how that job could impact Rachel and me. I applied with her blessing and support, both of us knowing that my parents and other family who live there could fill in gaps when needed. Not being selected has no question been the right outcome for us, and allowed Rachel to pursue Student Council, chairing the city’s Youth Commission, and other exciting activities in high school that may been unavailable if she changed schools as a junior. She graduates in 2017, and I am so excited to have these next eighteen months to help her prepare for the next stage in her life, visiting and applying for colleges, plus the proms, homecomings and other memorable activities.
I love what I do, but being a mother is truly the most fulfilling part of my life. I have told many people over the years that the only job I don’t want to screw up in my life is being a mother. No one is perfect, but I joke with Rachel that I’m going for the title of “Best Mom Ever!” I’m as big a cheerleader for women at the CAO position as anyone, and who knows what the future will bring. Let’s remember to support all women’s choices for their career while we work together to advance more women to the CAO position in local government.
