54┃ Colorado Public Works Journal Mark Jackson is the Director Public Works of the City of Loveland and can be reached at Mark.jackson@cityofloveland.org APWA INSIGHTS Mark Jackson Helping APWA Become a Resource for Everyone Happy New Year to you all! I’m proud to write my first message for APWA Colorado as the incoming 2023 Chapter President. I am so appreciative and grateful for the support and faith that the APWA Colorado Chapter Operating Staff, Board of Directors, and you all have placed in me for this role. I have very big shoes to fill, having had the opportunity to work with terrific past presidents Paul Ruud, Michael Martin, Renee Railsback, and James Phelps. I will do my very best to keep all our past Colorado Chapter presidents’ tradition of service and commitment to bettering the Colorado Public Works profession growing and prospering in the next twelve months! I have been a member of APWA for many years. I joined the Colorado APWA Board of Directors in 2019 at the urging of some close Northern Colorado friends and colleagues. It was truly one of the best decisions I’ve made in my professional career. I had recently accepted the position as Public Works Director for the City of Loveland, my first director level position after a successful 25-year career at the City of Fort Collins, DRCOG, and Carter & Burgess consultants. I had big ideas and aspirations for Loveland Public Works but was missing a support network of directors and experienced leaders to bounce ideas off. I needed to be more plugged into that APWA knowledge base and experience to make me a more effective leader and help my community to the best of my ability. I certainly got all that, but also made many new friends, explored areas of Public Works I hadn’t any prior experience with, and learned a great deal about leadership. My greatest goal is to help APWA Colorado be that kind of resource and network for you as well. There are so many exciting and important things that we’ll be tackling in the new year, including a variety of educational conferences and events to help you expand your knowledge and professional network. In addition to this work, there are a couple of goals I hope to work towards this year: First, let’s help Colorado Public Works tell its story better. We all do so many important and critical things for our communities and organizations, but we tend to fly below the radar and allow the work to speak for itself. That’s fine, but let’s also let people know about what we do and its significance! Secondly and more importantly, let’s look for ways to grow and mentor those folks just coming into the profession. We have all had people in our careers who helped guide us, teach us, and open doors along our professional path. Let’s find ways to be the guides for all the bright and eager talent early in their careers in Public Works! And with that, I wish you all a Happy New Year full of great work and exciting projects. On behalf of the entire 2023 Chapter Board of Directors, we look forward to working with you to help make this a terrific year for Colorado Public Works!
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