Cali Mishelle Presley

I attribute much of my success to my beautiful mother, Alma. As a single mother, she worked more than two jobs to make ends meet while making sure I had an education. With little support and my mother often working, I learned to care for myself and became independent at a very young age. I was a child who had to think beyond my years.

During the recession, I became my mother’s right hand. I helped write hardship letters to save our home from foreclosure, translated and spoke on her behalf, communicated with government agencies and attorneys, researched information, and learned to navigate unfamiliar processes. I didn’t realize it at the time, but I was learning to ask the right questions, connect the dots, advocate for someone’s needs, and find a way forward. Who I am today is a testament to the hard work, sacrifice, and perseverance that shaped those years.

That curiosity followed me everywhere. I remember going with my mother to City Hall and asking questions about permits and why certain things were done a particular way. I wasn’t satisfied with simply knowing the process; I wanted to understand the reason behind it and how it could be improved. Even outside of those experiences, whenever I learned how to do something, my instinct was to ask, “How can I create a guide or make this easier for someone else to do too?”

What began as helping my mother navigate the world around us eventually became a career devoted to helping others navigate it better.

Above all, my mother taught me that success does not happen overnight. Her work ethic and resilience shaped who I am today. She taught me that success takes discipline, preparation, faith, and the courage to keep moving even when you cannot yet see the outcome. Her lesson has stayed with me: opportunity may come at the right time, but you have to be ready when it does.

If anything, fear has become one of my greatest motivators, a reminder to turn challenges into opportunities rather than let them stand in my way. I’ve learned that when you keep moving forward, even when the odds are against you, that in itself is a form of success.

The best career advice is the famous phrase, "Luck is when preparation meets opportunity."

Do not fear the unknown. I am still guilty of that, but fear is a sign of personal growth and curiosity.

Artificial intelligence is creating both exciting opportunities and new challenges in my field, especially as many organizations still rely on siloed legacy systems and disconnected data.

Many government agencies and private sectors have begun jumping on the bandwagon by incorporating AI and business transformation into their strategic initiatives, but the reality is that many are not yet prepared to fully take advantage of these technologies. Organizations first need to assess their current environment, adopt strong data governance with clean and reliable data, have a clear enterprise architecture of how their systems are connected, and establish standards for regularly managing and protecting information.

Artificial intelligence is a great opportunity if organizations and individuals use it responsibly. Before we can fully leverage it, we must first build the right foundation and learn how to use AI in ways that improve our work, services, and communities.

Doing the right thing, even when no one is looking, is one of the values I live by in both my personal and professional life. I also deeply value meaningful connections with family, close friends, and the people I work with, building relationships rooted in trust, support, and genuinely being there for one another.