A Very Warm Welcome from Catawba County!
A Happy Welcome from Catawba County! Hi Everyone, My name is Rafael Baptista and I am excited to share with you my journey through the UNC MPA Professional Work Experience this summer. I began working...
View ArticleThe Power of Partnerships
In two short weeks at Catawba County, I have learned a tremendous amount about leadership and how local government operates. Perhaps, the most important thing that I have learned is the power of...
View ArticleThe Importance of “Doing” and Innovating
Over the last four weeks I have learned many important lessons about local government management. All the great work I have seen and the tremendous advice I have received could probably fill an entire...
View ArticleTeams and Vision
As an avid soccer fan, the last few weeks of the World Cup have been heaven for me. The other day in the midst of cheering for one of my teams and screaming at the screen, I made a connection between...
View ArticleKeys to the First Year MPA Experience
Keys to the First Year Experience Last week the wonderful Susan Austin (our beloved Career Services Director) came to Newton to do my mid-summer site visit to ensure that I was causing minimal damage...
View ArticleProfessional Growth
Professional Growth Thus far this summer, the majority of my blog posts have focused on the some of the innovations going on in Catawba County and big-picture lessons to be learned from those...
View ArticleFinal Hours
Tomorrow I will pack up my office and turn off the lights for the last time at Catawba County. These last ten weeks have been some of (if not the best) weeks in terms of my professional development. I...
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