Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout06-04-24 Public Comment - A. Heidemann - Letter of Support for City Commission Position_ Emily TalagoFrom:Aeryn Heidemann To:Bozeman City Clerks Department Subject:[EXTERNAL]Letter of Support for City Commission Position: Emily Talago Date:Tuesday, June 4, 2024 11:58:42 AM CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Lady and Gentlemen of the Bozeman City Commission, I am writing in support of the application of Emily Talago to the Bozeman City Commission. I feel obligated to open my comments with a show of gratitude - thank you for the opportunity to speak on Emily’s behalf. I will say, however - so steeped am I in introversion - that this feels like an “opportunity” to me much in the same way that a root canal, mammogram, or colonoscopy might. But, very much like participants in those procedures, I believe that the moments of discomfort I will feel in extending my voice are far outweighed by the potential for a healthy future for the City and community that I so dearly love. By way of introduction, I am a ten-year citizen of this community. I am employed in tech and work for a multinational corporation whose employee count is roughly triple the population of this City. My role with this company is unique in that I manage the regulatory space for my organization and, in that role, am called upon to not only set internal policy that impacts thousands but also to engage with regulatory and governmental bodies, like this one, on matters that determine future states and often have far-reaching consequences that cannot possibly considered at ground zero. Prior to submitting my letter of support on behalf of Emily’s appointment, I reached out to an acquaintance that is very familiar with the workings of the Bozeman City government and the advice that was shared was that I should consider Emily’s positions and my assessment of how those perspectives will serve the broadest swath of our citizenry while removing any internal needs or biases from that calculus. While I disagree philosophically (I believe that governments should be “of the people, by the people, for the people,” not sanitized of need or bias at the informational stage), I also do not view myself as qualified to make those assessments. Where I do believe my expertise lies is in identifying the traits of leadership and processing that promulgate good decision making, regardless of the issue at hand. It is in this context that I frame my remarks. I will open to say that Emily is a good person to sit with on a complex problem. That may sound like slight praise, but for me, it is one of the highest compliments I can extend. I work with all manner of individuals with varying degrees of specialization and expertise. And yet, there are only a handful of individuals I would call on to work through a complex, multi-faceted problem. Emily is one of them. As I have discussed some of the difficult issues that the City faces with Emily, she has consistently demonstrated the ability to fluidly shift from the macro to micro and back again as we’ve considered questions large (should we?) and small (how would we?). Regardless of where we are within the spectrum of consideration, I can always count on her to bring an uncompromised, well-considered perspective to the table. Another trait of Emily’s that I believe sets the foundation for good future decision making is her drive for empathetic self-education. I have never met anyone who can simultaneously hold (as in understand, not subscribe to) diverse and even contradictory views on a single topic, seeing the merits and detriments of both on a single issue. This empathetic self-education feeds directly into her extraordinary ability to synthesize and analyze the information received to derive goal-oriented future action. I could continue with praises, but I am cognizant of the limited time of and high demands on the Commission. So, I will close only to state that as someone who works in a field that evolves at a fast rate and has far-reaching impacts, I believe it is much more important to consider qualities of leadership than the positions of the moment. Thank you for your time and consideration.