Sally A. Slook is the assistant township manager in Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania.

How did you get your start in local government?

I got my start in local government with an internship through Villanova University where I was in the MPA program. I became an ICMA member when I was a student at Villanova as well.

You work in a small community?

We have 27,000 residents.

What do you think of ICMA benefits?

It’s a great resource in terms of research, publications, and data, so whatever the size of your community, they have information that can assist you. It's not just for large cities, it's for everyone.

What have been some of the highlights of your career?

My current position is assistant township manager in Upper Merion Township, Pennsylvania. I started there about nine years ago as an intern when I was at Villanova. I became an assistant township manager for another municipality after that internship, then later I was a township manager. The highlight of my career was being able to come back to Upper Merion Township in 2014. I am thrilled to be back.

What are you excited about in local government right now?

I'm excited by the opportunity for innovation, because it is greater than ever. There's no right answer; you can think out of the box and present solutions. I see that is becoming even more popular than when I first started in local government.

With your work experience varying widely, what led you to local government from your previous jobs? Was there any specific interest you were looking to fulfill that you found in local government?

I always had an interest in government and politics since I was in grade school. Growing up, I attended a small Catholic school in Claymont, Delaware, which was the same school that Vice President Biden attended years earlier. Through the years, he would stop by from time to time to talk to the students, and his talks made quite an impression on me. When I was in college, I was granted a year-long internship with the Delaware State Senate. I loved my time there, and wanted to make a career out of it.

Unfortunately, a permanent position was not available after graduation, so I moved on and for the next 15 years I worked both in the private and public sectors; always continuing to work directly with people, which I enjoyed the most. In the private sector, I was a corporate recruiter, where I learned how to listen effectively and find common ground with people from many different backgrounds. I find that the skills I developed in that profession continue to serve me well today in city management.

At some point I realized that I wanted to make more of a difference working with people and with organizations whose missions served others. I found that in nonprofit management, and during that time I decided to pursue an MPA at Villanova University. In my classes at Villanova, I connected with many other students who were local government professionals in Pennsylvania. I asked questions and realized that this would be a great career for me, combining my interest in government, doing meaningful work, and making a difference.

I took a risk and left my comfortable nonprofit management job and accepted two positions. One was working as an intern for Upper Merion Township in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and the other was as a graduate assistant for the MPA/political science departments at Villanova. 

Due to the support of many people in both organizations, I was able to transition midcareer as a “nontraditional manager” and was hired in my first position in local government as an assistant township manager for Upper Gwynedd Township in North Wales, Pennsylvania. Due to my background, I feel I did not encounter as many obstacles as other managers who changed professions midcareer. I also feel my experience in both sectors has benefited me as local governments are now beginning to operate more like businesses.

We’re also trying to encourage gender balance in the profession. What advice would you have for women looking to make that leap?

My advice to a woman would be first to develop a network and find a mentor. If you're in a community and there's not someone in your organization, depending on your position, go to the next town over. If there's not a female manager there, continue to look until you find someone, even if it's just within your region. Form a relationship with that manager or several female managers that you can find.

Have you faced any gender-related challenges in the workplace? Do you have any recommendations for women who might be facing gender-related challenges in the workplace?

Gender-related challenges do exist in the workplace. Being in a profession where a disproportionately small percentage of the CAO positions are held by women (15.7% of CAOs that are ICMA members, according to the latest ICMA statistics), it is unfortunately bound to happen. My advice to women who might be facing similar challenges is to be true to yourself and not change who you are in order to conform to the current situation or culture. Be yourself, and be an advocate for change when possible.

I believe that even small strides are accomplishments toward a difficult but necessary culture change to embrace more women in the profession and in leadership roles. It is also important to seek out other female colleagues and take advantage of networking opportunities. If none exist in your area, don’t be afraid to start a networking group that can bring a lot of support and ideas on how to handle issues and implement change.

One of the other challenges we face in the profession, and within ICMA, is diversity. Do you have any thoughts on tackling that over the course of the next generation?

Diversity needs to start with recruitment, as soon as high school. ICMA, whether it’s through its network of managers and assistant managers, can begin to recruit at the high school level, and the college level. We could make our presence known with schools that are known for diversity and begin there. Also, we could connect with other diverse professional organizations.

How do you think ICMA could be helpful in that regard?

ICMA’s membership team could help someone do that very well because they're very member-service driven. You could actually just ask, can you connect me with other female managers in my area, and they're a great resource and support.

Not only are you an assistant township administrator, you are also an adjunct faculty at Villanova University. What advice would you give to ICMA members looking to teach at a local university?

My advice would be to network with the universities or colleges in your area. Attend an MPA event at the school, and volunteer your time to the program. Many schools need local government professionals to attend student recruitment fairs and career day events to speak about the profession. I also suggest that you send your resume to the chair of the department, and follow up with a phone call to introduce yourself. Don’t underestimate the value of a call.

Remember to state what you can bring to the program, and how your professional and life experiences can benefit the students. Also, network with the current adjunct faculty members as many times faculty is receptive to bringing in class speakers who can provide a “real-world application” to balance class readings. We do that as a practice at Villanova. I started out as a class speaker for several years before I was hired.

Villanova is very active with ICMA; we have a student chapter there!

Yes! We have a very strong student chapter. I'm also now an adjunct faculty member in the program. Our student chapter previously won the Life, Well Run video about interns, so we were very proud of our students.

It sounds like you spend a lot of time mentoring young professionals. What advice would you give students who want to enter local government?

Develop a network and find a mentor. Those two things are the key to getting your foot in the door of local government and actually learning what the job entails.

What challenges have you faced in your own career, and how has ICMA helped you?

In my last position, I had an ethical dilemma, and I was able to reach out to Martha Perego, director of ethics for ICMA. She was just wonderful, and provided me with direction and insight that enabled me to make the right decision.

How might ICMA benefit someone who’s not yet a local government manager, or who may currently be on a slightly different career trajectory, like a department director?

It benefits people twofold. It will connect you to form a network, if you do want to become a manager, with other city managers and assistant city managers. If that's not the path you want to take, and you just are looking to develop your expertise within a specific department, there's that, too. They have data, publications, and member support that you can access to further develop your skills.