Kayla Barber

About Kayla Barber

I am a local government professional and innovator with over nine years of experience in performance management, organizational culture, budget, grants and more. I am a champion for organizational transformation and find tremendous value in supporting others in their growth and the public administration profession as a desirable career path. I pride myself on being an adaptive leader depending on what my team and projects require. I have been the “punching bag” leader taking hits and mitigating skepticism for new projects, the “carry the water” leader positioning resources for my team and others to succeed, the “champion” leader celebrating both the wins and the failures, and most importantly the “human” leader simply listening and validating through the often rough and overwhelming winds of continuous change.My greatest accomplishments include founding the Brighton Performance and Leadership Academy, championing cultural change for the City, and establishing its first professional budgeting and grants processes. I do serious work without taking myself too seriously, and find that fun and humor can open doors, build trust, and unlock innovation. My current work includes enhancing the relationship between budget and performance for the City of Brighton, mentoring change champions, addressing mental health support for employees, and engaging employees to enhance culture and establish Brighton as a choice municipal employer.I am known for my compassion, care, determination, and love for spicy peppers.

Experience

1. Morning Buzz Contributor

   Elgl Engaging Local Government Leaders

   Mar 2021 — Present

Education

• Winthrop University

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Political Science

  2008 — 2012

• Penn State University

  Master of International Affairs, International Relations and Affairs

  2012 — 2014

Skills

• Public Speaking
• Report Writing
• Coordinating Events
• Quantitative Research
• Environmental Compliance
• Data Entry
• Written & Oral Presentation Skills
• Politics
• Data Modeling
• Disaster Risk Reduction
• Water Quality
• Phone Etiquette
• Energy Conservation
• Russian Politics
• Russian
• Proposal Writing
• Conference Coordination
• Environmental Policy
• Energy Policy
• Customer Service
• Disaster Recovery
• Disaster Response
• Technical Writing
• Sustainability
• Graphic Design
• Conference Organization
• International Relations
• Survey Research
• Entrusted with Management Positions
• Qualitative Research
• Grant Writing
• Water Resources
• Company Brochures
• Research
• Supply Chain
• Data Analysis
• Debate
• Political Science
• Environmental Management Systems