Her Story
About Jawaria
Jawaria Tareen is the Deputy City Manager for the City of Farmers Branch, Texas, where she has served since 2022. In this role, she oversees operations across multiple departments including public works, public health, policy, sustainability, and environmental law, acting as a bridge between elected officials and operational implementation. Tareen holds a master's degree in environmental sciences with a focus on health and public works, as well as a master's in public administration, and she plans to begin a PhD program next year. Her career path includes work with the UN and international organizations in Lebanon, Pakistan, and Jordan, followed by her move to the United States where she pursued further education that led her to city management. She is a member of the International City Management Association, the Texas City Management Association, and the Texas Women Leadership Institute. Tareen attributes her success to her father's guidance on humility and self-advocacy, her professional experiences, and her mother's patience.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Jawaria
01What do you attribute your success to?
My dad pushed me to go out of country for education and jobs, teaching me humility and that a seat at the table doesn't always matter unless you make it for yourself. My experiences and my mom's patience also played a key role.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Don't stop yourself. Nobody else will stop you. You can encourage yourself or you can stop yourself. The power is in your hand.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Think it thoroughly. Do not take a rush action that you want to be city management. Learn everything. There are so many people you need to talk to, but do not stop yourself. Have conversations with your family. The reason I'm successful is because before even I took the job in City Manager's office, I had to have a talk with my family.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The challenge is when policy translation into operations gets impacted by sudden changes in political alignments and policy. It's becoming difficult to get elected officials on the same page. It's also an opportunity because we're learning from it, we're growing from it, and we can make it better.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, discipline, and loyalty. I cannot change them. I have had them in my personal life, I have them in my professional life. Sometimes you pay the price for being honest, for being loyal, for having discipline. But the price is not as high as the benefit that you gain from it for being a consistent person.
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