Fantasia Gallegos

More Than a Job Title: Finding Your Voice and Your Value in Local Government

When I started working in local government, I don't think I fully understood how many different hats I would eventually wear.

In a small town, there really isn't such a thing as "that's not my job." You learn to be flexible. You learn to figure things out. You learn to answer the phone, help a resident, process a payment, work on payroll, handle a permit, deal with paperwork, solve a problem, and then move on to whatever comes through the door next.

And somewhere along the way, I realized that I had become more than just my job title.

I had become someone people could count on.

That, to me, is one of the most rewarding parts of working in local government.

You Don't Have to Have It All Figured Out

I have never been the person who believes you have to know everything before you take on a challenge.

In fact, some of the biggest opportunities in my career have come from being willing to say, "I don't know how to do that yet, but I'll figure it out."

There is a lot of learning that happens on the job. Sometimes you have someone teaching you. Sometimes you read, research, ask questions, and learn from someone else's experience. And sometimes you make a mistake.

I've made mistakes.

We all do.

But I've learned that making a mistake doesn't mean you're incapable. It means you're human. What matters is what you do next. Do you learn from it? Do you take responsibility? Do you try to do better the next time?

I believe those moments have made me better at what I do.

Small Towns Require Big Hearts

Working for a small municipality has taught me something that I don't think you can fully understand until you're in it: every decision feels personal because you are working with people you know.

You're not just looking at numbers on a spreadsheet. You're talking to your neighbors. You're helping families. You're answering questions from residents who may have known your community for generations.

That connection matters.

Local government isn't always glamorous. A lot of it is paperwork, deadlines, policies, regulations, budgets, meetings, and trying to keep everything moving. But behind every piece of paperwork is a person, a business, a family, or a community that is counting on you.

That is what keeps me motivated.

I want people to feel like they were heard. I want them to know that someone is willing to help them find an answer, even when the answer isn't necessarily the one they hoped for.

Learning to Take Up Space

One of the biggest lessons I've learned as a woman in the workplace is that you cannot be afraid to use your voice.

For a long time, I think women are taught—sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly—to be agreeable. To not be too loud. To not ask too many questions. To not challenge something. To just keep your head down and do your job.

But I've learned that being professional and being confident can exist at the same time.

You can be kind and still have boundaries.

You can listen and still speak up.

You can admit you don't know something and still be the person in the room who has something valuable to contribute.

And you don't have to apologize for being knowledgeable.

I've learned to trust myself more. I've learned that my experience has value. I've learned that I deserve to be at the table when decisions are being made—and that I shouldn't be afraid to contribute when I'm there.

Wear the Hats, But Know Your Worth

If you work in a small organization, chances are you're wearing more than one hat.

I certainly am.

Over the years, I've taken on responsibilities in areas ranging from administration and payroll to accounts payable, building permits, fingerprinting, notary services, customer service, and everything in between.

Sometimes it can feel like you're doing a little bit of everything.

But I've learned to look at that differently.

Every new responsibility is another skill. Every challenge teaches you something. Every time you figure out a problem that you didn't know how to solve before, you become a little more confident.

At the same time, I've learned an equally important lesson: being willing to do more doesn't mean you should undervalue yourself.

Hard work is important.

Being dependable is important.

Helping others is important.

But so are boundaries, recognition, growth, and knowing your worth.

Women should be proud of how much they can handle, but we shouldn't feel like we have to prove our value by carrying everything all the time.

My Advice to Other Women

If I could give one piece of advice to a young woman entering the workforce, especially someone entering public service or local government, it would be this:

Don't wait until you feel completely ready.

• Apply for the job.
• Take the class.
• Learn the new software.
• Ask the question.
• Volunteer for the project.
• Speak up in the meeting.
• Take the opportunity.

You don't have to know everything on day one.

You just have to be willing to learn.

And don't let anyone convince you that being a woman makes you less capable of leading.

Leadership isn't always about having the biggest title or sitting at the head of the table.

• Sometimes leadership looks like being the person who stays late to make sure something gets finished.
• Sometimes it looks like helping a coworker who is struggling.
• Sometimes it looks like standing up for yourself.
• Sometimes it looks like answering the same question for the tenth time because you know that person genuinely needs help.
• And sometimes leadership is simply showing up every day and doing your best.

Success Looks Different Than I Thought It Would

When I think about success now, I don't just think about a title, a paycheck, or a position.

• I think about impact.
• I think about the people I've helped.
• I think about the things I've learned.
• I think about the challenges I've made it through.
• I think about the confidence I've gained.
• And I think about the example I am setting for the people around me.

I want the younger women watching me to know that you can build a career while still being yourself. You can be ambitious and kind. You can be confident without stepping on anyone else. You can work hard and still know your worth.

You don't have to become someone else to be successful.

You just have to become more of yourself.

Keep Showing Up

I don't have a perfect career story.

I've had frustrating days. I've questioned myself. I've had moments where I wondered if I was doing enough or whether my work was being noticed.

But I kept showing up.

And I think there is something incredibly powerful about that.

Every day that you show up, learn something, help someone, solve a problem, or take one more step forward, you're building something.

Maybe you don't see it immediately.

Maybe nobody congratulates you.

Maybe your biggest accomplishment that day is simply getting through the chaos and coming back the next morning ready to do it again.

But it counts.

I've learned that success isn't always one huge moment. Sometimes it's a collection of hundreds of small moments when you chose to keep going.

I'm proud of the woman I've become through those moments.

And I'm still learning.

I'm still growing.

I'm still figuring things out.

But I know this now: I don't have to wait for someone else to tell me that my work matters. I know that it does.

And if sharing my story helps even one other woman believe that she belongs in the room, that her voice matters, and that she is capable of more than she realizes, then every challenge I've faced has been worth it.

Because sometimes the person who inspires others isn't the person who had everything figured out.

Sometimes it's the woman who simply kept showing up, kept learning, kept speaking up, and refused to give up on herself.