Her Story
About Rebecca
I worked for the City of Muncie for 27 and a half years. I started in the street department as a CDL Class A driver for 17 and a half years, running patch crews and plow trucks. Later I transferred to the Building Commissioner's office as coordinator for code enforcement. My days involved office work like emails and tagging properties, plus field inspections and handling complaints. I loved working with the people there, who felt like family.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Rebecca
01What do you attribute your success to?
My work ethic. When asked to do something or told something needed to be taken care of, I took the initiative and made sure it was taken care of right. If I found something that was not right, I would change it or do whatever needed to be done.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
When you start at a company that has retirement, do the maximum they'll allow you to take out of your check and invest. We could invest up to 10% of our pay every two weeks and the city matched up to 3%.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't give up. Keep fighting to get what it is that you're wanting to achieve. Never let somebody else's doubt about your abilities cause you to actually have that ability. Stay strong, keep your mind on the job, and don't let somebody else influence you in a negative way.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Traffic was a big challenge when patching roads and plowing snow. We had to get the work done but faced complaints about snow in driveways or yards. The most challenging part was the risk, including having a gun pulled on me twice while inspecting vacant homes.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty, integrity, and working as a group instead of as an individual. I loved all the people I worked with and rarely came across an employee I wasn't able to get along with. The building commissioner's office was one huge family.
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