Career Day

This year’s Career Day was coordinated by Janet Cherrington and held on February 27, 2002. What follows are brief panelist biographical updates, their e-mail addresses and some personal comments about how it felt to return to their alma mater:

Kandis Hanson

Kandis, who graduated from the URSI Masters program in 1993, has been the city manager for the City of Mound since April, 2000. Her current e-mail address is: KandisHanson@cityofmound.com Here is what Kandis had to say about coming back to URSI: “Being included in Career Day was a joy! It was fun to note the things that had not changed and to marvel over those that had. The URSI office was, as always, inviting. The timing of the invitation was great for me personally. I was in the midst of the most challenging time of my 10 year career. Preparing for and participating in the panel discussion, to my good fortune, enabled me to rediscover why I like my career in local government so much. It is easy to become bogged down in the milieu of work and think of the “challenges” as “problems.” My experience at Career Day reminded me that long ago I ever-so-cleverly described the job title of City Manager as “Problem Solver.” When I used that expression in my talk to the students, there was are awakening in me, and my mission as a professional City Manager again became clear. Thanks to URSI for a therapeutic experience! You can send me the bill!” (Kandis Hanson, class of 1993)

Brad Potter

Brad, who graduated from URSI in 1999, is an associate planner with the City of Mankato. His current email address is: bpotter@ city.mankato.mn.us Here is what Brad had to say about coming back to URSI: “It was great to see friends and faculty again at the Career Day and to speak with students interested in our profession during Career Day. It is always fun to speak with students about their career goals and planning philosophies. I think the URSI department has always done an excellent job having URSI practitioners be a vital part of the program as guest speakers and mentors.” (Brad Potter, class of 1999)

From left to right: Kandis Hansen, Marty Schultz, Brad Potter, Leila Short

Marty Schultz

Marty, who graduated from URSI in 2000, is a senior planner with the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission in Duluth, MN, since July of 2001. His current email address is: mschultz@ardc.org Here is what Marty had to say about coming back to URSI: “Returning to URSI for the first time in almost two years was a great experience for me. I enjoyed seeing the faculty and learning about the latest and greatest news out of URSI. I was reminded of all the good times and great people I met during my two years in Mankato. I would not be where I am today without the experiences I gained both in class and during my internships.” Secondly, I was very impressed by the current group of students and their dedication and interest in planning. There were a lot of good questions asked during the Career Day session and at the lunch afterwards. I wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavors.” (Marty Schultz, class of 2000)

Leila Short

Leila, who graduated from URSI in 1999, has been a senior transportation planner with MnDot’s District 8 in Willmar, MN, since 2000. Her current email address is: Leila.short@dot.state.mn.us . Here is what Leila had to say about coming back to URSI: “It was nice to be back in a familiar environment that helped me get started and armed with the vital tools necessary to start my planning career. I can’t help but reminisce about the very first day I visited the URSI office in Fall of ‘96. I was greeted with a warm smile and welcome from Rita, the late Dr. Robert Barrett, and Dr. Tony Filipovitch. It is almost 6 years to this date since I started my graduate program in planning. Dr. Barrett isn’t around anymore to greet his students, yet Rita, Dr. Porter and Dr. Wood are still around to assist and give guidance to aspiring students in URSI. And don’t forget Dr. J! I know that Dr. Cherrington is the newest addition to the URSI staff, but like the rest of the URSI people, she made me feel very welcome during my recent visit to Minnesota State University as part of URSI Career Day panel. It was an honor to be invited to the event. As an alumna, I felt that by sharing my career experiences with the students, I was also giving back some of the benefits I have gained from being a former URSI student. For the URSI alumni who have not been back to visit MSU, I challenge you to remember your MSU days by reaching out, and becoming a guiding light to current URSI students.” (Leila Short, class of 1999) The URSI students and faculty would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank these alumni panelists for sharing the real-world challenges and rewards of working in local government management and planning positions.