MEET NEW LEAGUE BOARD PRESIDENT KELLY HOUGHTELING

The League Newsletter Editor recently caught up with new Board President, Kelly Houghteling and the following is the interview:

Recently you were elected President of the League of Women in Government. What do you hope to achieve during your presidency?

At our Board retreat in November, we discussed our vision for The League. Here are the items we plan to focus on in the years ahead:

Increase the number of state affiliate groups with The League. If you’re not sure if you have a group in your state, check here. If you don’t have an affiliate group in your state, then email us and we will help you start one! Our goal is to have a partner group in all 50 states!
Provide more support through resources and financial sponsorships to our affiliate groups throughout the country.
Create a training for elected officials about the value of gender balance & gender diversity in local government leadership.
Grow our membership! Not a member? Join us.

What inspired you to select a career in public service?

Ever since I can remember, I wanted to find a career where I could help others. So, following the footsteps of my oldest brother, Justin, I applied to the Master of Public Administration program at the University of Kansas. The KU program gave me direction on how to put my passion into practice and gave me a strong support network with alumni across the country. Public service is an honorable career for people gritty enough to accept its challenges.

Tell us about your career path — where you’ve been and if you had mentors or advocates that helped you along the way.

I have followed a traditional “city manager track” in local government. I started as a Management Intern for the City of Lawrence, KS and then moved to Colorado to work as a Graduate Management Assistant for the City of Fort Collins. In Fort Collins, I was fortunate to learn from visionary and caring leaders like Darin Atteberry, Kelly DeMartino, Laurie Kadrich, Mark Jackson, Carol Webb, Lindsay Ex, and Dan Weinheimer. Then I landed a full-time job with the Town of Windsor, CO. In Windsor, I worked my way up through the organization as a Management Assistant and then became the Assistant to the Town Manager. Very quickly, the Town Clerk, Patti Garcia, took me under her wing. Patti guided me as I navigated a new organization, helped me understand council-manager relations, and called out my blind spots. I also owe a debt of gratitude to others who helped me grow and develop professionally in the organization like Sherilyn Gourley, Chief Rick Klimek, Eric Lucas, and Ian McCargar. Today, I work in the #2 role for the Town of Wellington, CO and have a fantastic team around me. My takeaway for listing several mentors is that I never had just one mentor. I am very intentional about building relationships and learning from people who are different from me and understanding their experiences.

What got you involved in the local government “women’s movement?”

When I entered the field of public administration, the data showed that only 13% of women held the top CAO spot nationwide; yet women made-up over 50% of employees at the state and local level. After moving to Colorado, I got involved in Colorado Women Leading Government (CWLG) which provided me with tools, resources, and network to be successful. A few years later when Heather Geyer was elected Mountain Plains Regional Vice President of ICMA, she asked if I was interested in filling her role as CWLG Chair, a position I’ve held for 2+ years now. During my term, I continued coordinating our statewide monthly coaching calls, hosted networking events throughout the state, and our group created the first CWLG Blaze Your Own Trail Conference in April 2019. Groups like The League and CWLG are working to change the course of history by increasing the number of women in leadership positions. If you’re trying to break a glass ceiling its best to equip hundreds of women with sledgehammers than to go it alone with a toothpick.

If local government is running well, why should communities care who is in the CAO spot?

Having a diverse and inclusive team is not just a feel-good argument, there’s a real business case. Forbes published a piece about the research behind the value of diversity and inclusion in the workplace which stated, “Compared to individual decision makers, all-male teams make better business decisions 58% of the time, while gender diverse teams do so 73% of the time. Teams that also include a wide range of ages and different geographic locations make better business decisions 87% of the time.” If your community values smart decision making, it pays to have a diverse and inclusive team leader.

What can organizations do to support women as they move throughout their careers in local government?

Cultivate empathy in your organization. Listen to your employees on what tools, resources, and benefits they need to be successful. This will likely look different to each employee, so allow supervisors a certain degree of flexibility. Implement policies that are employee and family friendly, such as: paid parental leave, flexible working arrangements, daycare assistance, lactation support, student loan assistance, and training opportunities. \

What advice do you have to give to young women just beginning their careers in local government?

Build relationships: Finding a mentor sounds like a daunting task, so start by building authentic relationships. In practice, this looks like inviting people to coffee/lunch, calling people in other cities to learn about innovative programs and best practices, and get involved with groups like The League. You are worth connecting with and knowing.

Stay curious: A curious mind is a creative mind. Read government related and non-work-related articles, books, attend cultural events, go to museums, travel, get outdoors, and listen to podcasts. Having a cross trained mind will give you fresh ideas.

Find a hobby: I care so deeply about local government, but if I’m not careful this field consumes all my energy. Therefore, find a hobby. Personally, I enjoy fly fishing, sewing, triathlons, reading, and snuggling with my dog (that’s a hobby, right?). Work is a piece of the pie, not the whole pie. As Nicole Lance said at the 2019 League + ICMA University Symposium, self-care is not selfish.

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You can reach Kelly via email at houghtkm@wellingtoncolorado.gov or follow her on Twitter @HoughtKelly.