Megan: Building Capacity for Community Innovation

Meet Our Fellows Blog Series: Megan Dale

I have always loved being part of a community—connecting with people and the history of a place. At the same time, I am drawn to travel. My absolute favorite pastime is to go somewhere I have never been (city, small town, country, it doesn’t matter), find a coffee shop or park bench, and people watch. I like to see the commonalities in how people live and what sets each place apart.

I initially struggled to translate my love for communities into a career path. Luckily, I had wonderful educational and work experiences that guided me forward. I received a B.A. in History and English Literature from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and a Master of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Then, I worked in local government for seven years, including a year-long County Management fellowship program followed by an analyst role for the Town of Chapel Hill, North Carolina Public Works Department.

Megan prepares for a ride in the "bucket truck" during her time in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The bucket truck is an aerial lift used for tasks like tree trimming and traffic signal maintenance.

I absolutely loved Public Works. I developed all kinds of unexpected interests in very specific services and operations (my favorite is snow removal!) and a deep appreciation for the hard work local government employees do to make communities safe. More than anything, I experienced the challenge of balancing daily operations with innovation. To effect change, we needed time, focused attention, and the ability to take risks—all of which can be tough to come by in the public sector.

Fast forward to 2019. I had just moved from North Carolina to South Bend, Indiana with no prior connections to the area due to an exciting work opportunity for my partner. I was searching for my next career step, focused on community innovation and increasing civic organizational capacity. My partner and I were drawn to the region because of its reputation for innovation, and the career opportunity I found at enFocus was no exception.

With its unique business model and talented team, enFocus is uniquely positioned to effect change for this community and to model the way for communities facing similar challenges all across the country. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to contribute at enFocus and empower Fellows to provide the support and expertise that organizations need to make this community better.

Plus, you can’t beat the snowplow and people watching!

Learn more about the 2021 enFocus Fellows weekly in our Meet Our Fellows Blog Series.