Public Service and A Call to Action: The Leadership of Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens
Growing up in Syracuse, New York, I had the wonderful opportunity to witness many Black women leaders in my community. Throughout different organizations, community projects, and local government races, it has been wonderful growing up with such strong role models. When I learned that Ms. Sharon Owens was the deputy mayor of Syracuse, working with Mayor Ben Walsh. I was ecstatic about having the opportunity to interview her and learn from her. On April 7th, good friday, I was able to go to the Mayor’s office and sit down with Ms. Sharon Owens. She came out with professionalism and poise as she was excited to talk with me about her government experience. Upon interviewing her, I gained a great appreciation for the work that she has done in Syracuse throughout her life, and the work that she continues to do in Syracuse. One of the things that stuck with me the most when interviewing her is how she spoke of service, and service being community oriented and community driven.
To give a brief biography of the deputy Mayor from Syracuse.com,
“Sharon is an amazing woman who has spent her entire career serving the Syracuse community. Sharon is a graduate of Syracuse University where she competed on the SU Track & Field team. Since graduating in 1985 she has redirected her passion to compete and achieve into multiple public service organizations. Before turning her energy toward civic office in 2010, Sharon invested over 20 years at the Dunbar Center, P.E.A.C.E, Inc, Jubilee Homes and Home Headquarters.”
The path deputy Mayor Sharon Owens had to government work was also unconventional. She did not initially want to work in government. Learning that she initially wanted to work on wall street and work in finance with her economics degree really puts into perspective how different everyone’s path to their passion can be. Having experiences like summer internships can really help everyone learn more about themselves and learn more about some of their interests. Furthermore, framing herself differently from a politician, it takes away some negative connotations some may have about politicians and government officials especially in communities that may be struggling. Ms. Owens’ work with the housing department is increasingly important as she is working to better the Skyline apartment complex and working to create safer housing for Syracuse residents.
Many people would complain about the thought of having to work after five, and to work beyond the normal work hours, but as Ms. Owen eloquently stated, she has to meet the community where the community is. The community ends work at five, the community starts picking up their kids and dropping them off to their after school activities at six pm, and as the deputy mayor trying to solve the communities issues, it is up to her to be there to talk with them. Hearing that made me extremely hopeful for the future of Syracuse, seeing someone so passionate about their job and their work to affect change shows me that the leaders we have are there to help us. What I noticed really grounded Ms. Owens’ perspective was her commitment to being a lifelong learner. Although she was apprehensive about giving advice, she said so because she feels like she is still learning herself. Oftentimes, people think that they need to know the answer to every single question, however, it is ok to not know, as long as you do the work to educate yourself and find the answer at a later date. Another important lesson I learned from the interview is to make sure that you have a good circle of friends and family members that will not only help you, but push you to be the best version of yourself. For example, if you have individuals that will always agree with you, always tell you that you’re right, you won’t have people that will push you. You need close confidants to help you succeed, especially if you are doing a project that requires service and community support.
By, Aliyah Kilpatrick
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