Interning for the Man of the City!

I'm beyond elated and proud to be working for the Office of Mayor A C Wharton. He's quite an accomplished man, attorney, and Mayor who has been the first in many areas of change for the City of Memphis. He graduated with honors from University of Mississippi’s Law School, became the first African American Professor of Law, formed Wharton and Wharton Law Firm with his wife, and has served as Mayor of both Shelby County and Memphis.

The Mayor's Office falls in the Executive Branch, more specifically, the local level. The Office under which I work is the Office of Talent and Human Capital. It seeks to enact a cooperative action plan that assists public housing residents with workforce skills, increases the number of college graduates in Memphis, and recruits and sustains knowledgeable workers in Memphis.

The atmosphere of City Hall/ the Mayor’s Office is one of business dress and immaculate appearance. The offices of the Mayor are composed of well-established staff that encompasses many levels of higher education including, but not limited to, M.A., Ph.D., J.D., and Ed.D. The staff’s appearance reflects prestige and ubiquitous ambition. Needless to say, attire in this setting is not relaxed, but it’s nice to get accustomed to dressing in the manner in which my future career will expect.

The culture of the Office is very initiative-driven. Staff members are often in and out of the office, attending meetings, conferences, and organizing new ventures. When I’m given assignments, I’m expected to complete them in a timely fashion and assure my supervisor that my projects are complete and fully taken care of.

So far, my work for this internship has given me powerful insight on the inner workings of city government as well as city-wide initiatives. The Office of Talent and Human Capital just recently hosted “Colleges of Memphis Night.” Colleges of Memphis is an initiative that was started by the Mayor last spring as a way of connecting our institutions of higher education with government, business, and other community leaders. Last Thursday’s Colleges of Memphis Night at Memphis College of Art and Levitt Shell brought together representatives from 13 area colleges and universities. Its purpose was to create more close-knit relationships between the schools and to foster a dynamic sense of community among the students, faculty, and staff of those institutions.

The night consisted of a reception for all faculty and staff, an engaging and informative look at our city with Memphis 101: A Crash Course in Memphis History, and a welcome back concert where students joined faculty, staff, and Presidents. My duties for the event were to invite the college/university Presidents, faculty, and staff to the night’s festivities/follow up on their RSVPs, assist at all three components of the event, speak at Memphis 101, and present the Urban Fellows’ exhibit.
My tasks were rewarding because I was given the distinguished honor of meeting and conversing with Presidents and esteemed members of various institutions throughout the city. They assured me of the awesome opportunity I’ve been given and shared powerful words of praise and wisdom. Though the day was extensive and preparation was time-consuming, I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, interaction, and networking I acquired! My next project is to interview and write profiles on selected, unknown Memphians who are achieving in Memphis and becoming influential.

I’m looking forward to an awesome remainder of the semester with the Mayor’s Office and hoping to become more educated and polished in both the executions of city government and various branches of Political Science.