Working at the Mayor’s Office as an Intern

Guest Blogger: Robert Desantes

In my first three weeks of experience as an intern at Mayor Christenson’s Office, one lesson has become overwhelmingly clear to me. That is, teamwork is essential not only on the athletic field, but also it makes up the framework of any effective company. Although the Mayor’s Office is not a typical company so to speak, its teamwork can be compared to only that of the New England Patriots. Mayor Christenson exhibits leadership skills throughout the office analogous to those of Tom Brady, and we interns assist our supervisors much like the players on the practice squad aid the stars like Brady and Welker. Furthermore, just as every player on the Patriots contributes to winning a Super Bowl, everyone in the Mayor’s Office plays his or her own role in effectively managing and leading City Hall.

This was evident to me from day one in the office when my supervisor, Mr. Kevin Duffy, assigned me my first project. He was collecting raw data about the businesses located in downtown Malden, Medford, and Melrose in order to create a future presentation to the City Council comparing the three. In order to make this presentation a success, he assigned another intern and I to walk around the square and write down the names and addresses of every firm located in Malden Center. We then took this data and entered it into an Excel Spreadsheet to be used in his presentation. Although this raw data entry seemed tedious, it actually served a larger purpose. Not only did it create lots of face of face interaction between real businesspeople and me, a representative of City Hall, but it also allowed me to significantly contribute to an actual presentation in front of the Malden City Council.

Being an aspiring businessman myself, this project proved to be both interesting and enlightening. As an intern at the Mayor’s Office, I have been presented with the opportunity to begin building my resume before I graduate from high school. Ultimately, in just three short weeks, I am already aware that all my experiences in the Mayor’s Office will enrich all of my future working endeavors, whether they lie in the business field or not.

Summer Youth Jobs Program

I can’t think of a better way to start the new fiscal year than with our Summer Youth Jobs Program. As many of you may know, this program has been a top priority of mine and I am proud to say that as of today, we have 335 teens working for the City, nearly triple the number from last summer!

Additionally, we’ve revamped the hiring process. Applicants are now required to submit a personal statement which includes their strengths and interests and must include letters of recommendation or references. They are also required to attend an orientation to understand the City’s expectations of them. The focus of orientation is to review Job training skills, work ethic, responsibility, professional behavior, and dress code. To help prepare for a successful career, teens are encouraged to advocate for themselves by working with their supervisors to iron out scheduling issues, to turn in timesheets weekly and to take responsibility for their performance.

The results have been great! The young participants are working in various positions in City departments, schools, parks, non-profit organizations and, new this year, private businesses in Malden, Medford, Cambridge and Boston! Kids working in City Hall departments are answering phones, entering data and performing other various clerical duties. Those assisting the DPW and Cemetery are providing landscaping services as well as assisting in cleaning the inside of our public schools. We have students at Malden High providing one-on-one tutoring for students in need of academic help and assisting in PACE programs which help prepare students with various special needs to function to their potential in the community. Others are working in various after school camps and mentor programs.

Malden youth are gaining invaluable experience that will benefit them with support and guidance that will extend beyond their paychecks to develop essential job skills that will enhance their career paths. None of this would have been possible without the support of the City Council and a number of staff and volunteers. Many have worked late into the night to get this restructured program off the ground and I am truly grateful for their help. Finally, I want to thank Malden residents and local businesses for believing in this program.

I look forward to the possibility of expanding the program in an effort to keep kids working during the school year as well. Stay tuned!


Sincerely,
 
GARY CHRISTENSON
Mayor of Malden

Passing My First Budget

We are now open for business! The City Council passed my proposed budget four days before the new fiscal year began on July 1. The budget grew 1 percent outside of the School Department and it contained a lot of restructuring, consolidation, and priorities, including a heavy emphasis on our youth. Best of all, we did not use any of our reserves which today stand at $5.3M. To view the budget, please click here. I would like to thank everyone involved in helping us through the annual budget process in particular City Controller Charles Ranaghan, Human Resources Director Eleanor Cushing, Online Services and Communications Director Ron Cochran, and Human Resources Specialist Melissa Smith.


No sooner than the ink dried on the city budget we held our Annual Independence Day Celebrations around Malden. I made it to every park and I could not be prouder of the Councillors who led the events. There were games, rides, and lots of red, white, and blue. For photos from all the events, click here. The best thing about the 2012 July 4th Celebrations was that I was off the hook from going in the dunk tank! What my newfound freedom did allow me to do is be on scene for a captured red tail boa constrictor that got loose in Malden. To see the story, click here.

On a more serious note, I want to thank the Police and Fire Departments for their great response to serious incidents that occurred within the past week. Police and Fire responded to a shooting that we believe emanated from the business located at 287 Salem Street. As the Police continue to investigate, I have directed the Problem Properties Unit to issue a Cease and Desist order to the business since they did not have the proper permit to operate so they are shut down until further notice. I also want to commend the Fire Department for dousing two house fires within days without injury or loss of life. These two departments continue to make Malden proud!

Now going to try and take a little time in July and August to recharge the batteries in anticipation of what I believe will be a busy fall. We will be submitting a Capital Improvement Plan to the City Council and a plan to address Post Employment Benefits which is a financial issue affecting all cities and towns.


Sincerely,
 
GARY CHRISTENSON
Mayor of Malden