Kelsie Blazier

I think what has really made me successful, truly, is working under our director, Dr. Kim O'Connor. She is such a mentor, such a supporter. I really feel like she took a chance on me, but has made it possible for me to grow more confident in the work I do. I'll come to her with an idea, and we'll talk about it, and she really lets me lead, manage myself, but she's always open to collaboration. She continually makes me feel supported, like the work I'm doing is important, and really confirms how important a communication tool is. This has been a completely new role for me - I never thought I would leave journalism, and it took a really big leap for me to do so, and it was uncomfortable. But having that kind of mentorship and support has made all the difference in my success.

Daily responsibilities managing three different sections of the department, and her values of leading with positivity and connecting with colleagues on a human level.

Believe in yourself. Be confident. And trust your gut. People will want you to be a certain way. There are different ways that you can be professional in an office. There are different ways you can lead, but when you trust your gut, when you lead with compassion, when you are a people-first leader, it makes all the difference.

I think my greatest challenges come from myself, sometimes not believing that I'm capable of doing what I can do. Absolutely imposter syndrome, but I've actually gotten better at combating it. I take those 5 minutes where I say, okay, you can have these feelings, but then let's get to work. We can't let this block what we're doing. And then just being new in the field, state government is complex. In journalism, I did political reporting, or worked with our political reporters, so I thought I had an area of understanding, and I did, but when I stepped in, I realized just how much I had to learn. So it's just continually learning every single day, and making sure that I'm able to retain what I'm learning, and continue to apply it to the work I'm doing.

First and foremost, I try to lead with being a good person, and that sounds very basic, but if I can go into the day making sure that I have a positive attitude, that I am coming from the best place possible, I think that can bleed into how others work throughout the day. I really like to take the time to get to know people, get to know how they work, and then find ways that we can work together, that we can strategize, that we can collaborate, and make sure that they're feeling seen and heard. I've worked in positions where I don't feel that way, and I don't want that to be a workplace where I continue to perpetuate that. I try to put that into every piece of work I do. I want to connect with people on a human level across our department, and know what they're doing, and make them feel seen, and heard, and valued, and emphasize that the work they're doing is important. I've technically never been a manager until now, but in previous roles too, I really stepped up and worked with everyone on our team, making sure I was finding different ways to communicate with them. Everybody acts differently - we're all people, we all have big feelings. And I just really want to make sure that at least one person is checking on you during the day, making sure you're okay, that you're feeling like the work you're doing is leading to success in some way.