My First Council Presentation

If you ever get the chance to present in front of council, do it! I did and it was the most horrifying and exciting experience...I was excited to interact with our city council but at the same time it was scary to think that I was going to be on public record in front of an audience where council members could rip me to shreds with questions.

My presentation was an update of our Centennial Planning Committee. I prepared a powerpoint slide presentation and council report. You can't believe how many times I changed the slides and the report. It was exhausting. Then, I had my supervisor and another director editing my report. That was interesting because they had opposite writing styles. For the same word or the same paragraph one would say, "that sounds good" and the other would say, "oh no, change that to read like this". I finally made an executive decision to do it my way. Suggestion for the next time, only ask one person to edit anything.

Once I finished my powerpoint and report, I got a chance to practice in front of City Management. I really like this practice session because those that attend act like the council by raising questions that you should anticipate answering. They also let you know how your powerpoint looks and whether your presentation is too long or too short.

So, the day comes when I have to stand in front of council. I'm dressed up in a suit and heels. I'm nervous, my hands are sweating, and when it comes to my turn I begin to have hot flashes as I walk to the podium. To make me comfortable, my supervisor got up and introduced me as a student intern giving her first presentation ever. That made me feel a little better because now they knew I was pretty inexperienced so maybe they wouldn't grill me with too many questions. I informed the council of our potential legacy projects and requested direction from them. Let me tell you, my presentation lasted about 10 minutes but I felt like it was an eternity.

When I was done, I breathed a sigh of relief but then my heart started racing as I heard one of the council members request permission from the Mayor to speak. Aaaahhh! I quickly composed myself and listened intently for the question. I relaxed when the council member praised my presentation and then I tensed up because he moved right into his question which had to do with funding and financing these projects. Of course, you have to respond a certain way and it felt like forever before I addressed the Mayor, the council member, and then answered the question. I went through this process 6 more times until all council members and the Mayor had their chance to speak. Then, it was over and I was very proud of myself for putting myself out there like that.