It's the Final Countdown: Presentation to the Town Council

Today, I presented my  policy brief to Mayor Lewis and the Gilbert Town Council. The Town Council has been looking at E-cigarette regulation within the Town of Gilbert. I was charged to write a research brief on e-cigarette health concerns and federal, state, and local municipal regulations. I've written policy memos before, but not a policy research brief.  My supervisor, Heather Wilkey, provided the necessary guidance and encouragement from start to finish. Her insight of local municipal policy proved to be beneficial and extremely informative. I would not have been able to do this immense project without her assistance.

My document went through several revisions to change my academic vocabulary to the political language need to convey information in a clear, concise, and objective manner. I was completely unaware that my writing style was both verbose and subjective, because I'm so used to academic papers that utilize esoteric language to describe abstract thoughts and concepts. I soon realized that when writing a policy paper for busy legislators such language can be cumbersome to read. Without Heather's proof reading expertise and knowledge in political jargon, I would have submitted an academic paper instead of a policy brief. I spent countless hours working and perfecting the language and information in my paper and even took it home to work on. At one point, the brief, e-cigarette research, and anything concerning e-cigarette regulation consumed every aspect of my life.

After the brief was completed, I was to create a powerpoint highlighting various key points in the brief which would be presented to the Town Council. Like the brief, the powerpoint went through several revisions. I had to make the presentation both informative and visually stimulating. Again, Heather's expertise proved to be invaluable. She recommended highlighting key words and color coordinating text with the background's overall color scheme. Graphics, photos, and shapes played an important role in the overall design of the presentation and Heather's eye for detail helped shape the perfect balance of visual elements to reinforce the information presented.

The final presentation was to be held at the Town of Gilbert council chambers on October 28th. However, I was to present to the Executive Team (Administrative Directors) and then to the Second-in-Command team before presenting in council. The pressure was on to perform well, so practicing whenever I had a chance was key to my success. The presentation to the Executive Team went better than I thought. I was able to capture the attention of everyone in the room, which I am told was difficult thing to do. I was given several "job well done" and "good job" comments from the Town of Gilbert staff, and even  a town administrator turned to my boss and jokingly commented: "Does she want a job?"

The Second-in-Command presentation was just the same as before, but not as smoothly as the first presentation to the Executive Team. Heather once again provided valuable feedback and public speaking tips. I continued to practice my presentation while being cognizant of my "umms" and other fillers. Taking a breath instead of  saying "umm" helped and I read this wonderful article on NPR, Why Saying is Believing-The Power of Self Talk about writing down your anxieties before taking a test or giving a presentation will help you perform better. Also speaking to yourself in the third person also helps distance yourself from the situation while providing encouragement and motivation to give your best.

The day of the presentation to Town Council came and of course I was extremely nervous. I had practiced so much, I could recite every word in my sleep (and I probably did). When it was my turn to speak, I took a deep breath and said to myself, "You got this". I could feel my body start to jitter, but I refused to let incapacitate me and ruin all my hard work and effort. Then I spoke and the words just flowed out my mouth so effortlessly and I was even able to thrown in a few subtle jokes to lighten the mood. I find laughter helps cut the tension and ease anxiety and nervousness. Before I knew it, my presentation was over! Whew! The longest ten minutes of my life!

I sat down and listened to the council debate over e-cigarette regulation in the Town of Gilbert, which would only include county buildings and vehicles. My phone started to buzz with congratulatory text messages. I knew I done well and this was reinforced by appraise from the Mayor Lewis and several members of the Town Council. One of the council members said it was the best written brief he had read.

Now after the dust has settled and the ordinance has been passed, I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment of my work here at the Town of Gilbert. I could not have done it without Heather's input and encouragement to succeed. Individual accomplishment is impossible without the assistance and guidance of others. I would not have been able to be the person I am and achieve so much in my life without people like heather guiding the way.