I was elected mayor during a pivotal time in Auburn’s history. The city was undergoing a visioning process, and I grew enthusiastic about achieving its ambition.
I embraced this vision and began to see it develop. To be an effective leader, you must have a strong vision and be able to clearly articulate that vision. You have to see your city not just as it is, but as it can be. To dream big is good. Even small towns such as Auburn can have large goals and far-reaching aspirations.
But once the dreaming is done, you have to be practical and purposeful.
You must have an action plan to accomplish the vision. It must be done collectively; no one person can carry a city forward. I embrace that mindset. It requires team effort and great communication.
I have spent a lot of time — and still do — learning from other cities and their leaders.
I wanted to assess what was working for other cities and how they achieved their goals and visions. This process gave us much valuable information as we have plotted our path in Auburn.
There have been obstacles along the way, but we have learned to be flexible. Most importantly, we have not been distracted by these obstacles. It has been my experience that you have to be willing to reflect and continuously re-evaluate the path you are on to make sure your navigation is fully calibrated. Only then can you ensure you’re on course in reaching your goal.
Together, we have learned from the process and gained confidence in our city’s ability to be one of the greatest small towns in Georgia and the nation.
As with many other cities in Georgia, we seek to strengthen our community by redeveloping our downtown.
Economic development is one of the top driving forces behind every project we work on — from sidewalks and parks to an arts center.
The bottom line is, I love my city and the community I live in. I believe Auburn is quickly becoming all it was meant to be and I am passionate about our success. On a larger scale, I believe in the state of Georgia and all that is available here.
It is an exciting time and place in which to live, and it certainly is my honor to serve as mayor of the great city of Auburn.
Auburn Mayor Linda Blechinger is one of five finalists for the 2011 Women in Municipal Government Leadership Award. The award recognizes individual achievement in initiating creative and successful programs to help citizens.
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