Women in Public Safety Communications: Renee Gordon

We reached out to women in public safety leadership roles to discuss the challenges they’ve faced and provide advice for future leaders. In the coming months, APCO will highlight these interviews online and in our publications.  

Renee Gordon, RPL, CPE, Director, City of Alexandria, Virginia – Department of Emergency and Customer Communications

How did you get your start in emergency communications?

I am going to be very honest because I can attest that failure is sometimes on your path to success. My life in between being a police officer and being in emergency communications was real estate and property management.  I had roughly twenty employees and properties in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.  I was doing quite well but all my eggs were in the real estate basket.

The year 2008 was a devastating blow to the gut.  I liquidated all my assets and barely made it out.  I felt like the movie “Trading Places” where Dan Aykroyd goes from riches to rags.

I applied for any job that was paying more than I was bringing in (nothing).  One thing I knew was public safety.  I applied for a job in public safety communications.  It turns out, I loved the work.  I wanted to know everything there was to know about public safety communications.  One of the things I quickly recognized was that the profession was rapidly changing.  It was becoming much more technical and people were not getting prepared for the change.  I made my plan to be a leader in the industry.  I wanted to help plan the future of public safety communications.

The first part of my plan was to finish my degree.  I had less than a year to go and I was determined to finish.  I wanted this because it would give me a competitive edge when interviewing for higher-level positions.

Part two of my plan was to learn everything there is to know about the industry.  I utilized my resources through courses with APCO and NENA.  I talked to everyone and built some great relationships.

The third part of my plan was to apply for the next level up.  Keep in mind, with having lost everything, it required rebuilding my confidence and polishing up my interview techniques.  I really put a lot of work into this and was, many times, out of my comfort zone.  I would study both the organization and the position and went in my interviews fully prepared to accept the position.

In one year, I prepared and applied for both supervisor and deputy director.  I made supervisor just one year after joining the organization and’ deputy director a month later. My hard work actually paid off.  I had lots of management experience, but I really had to put in a lot of work to know the industry.

What are some of the obstacles you have overcome in this industry?

There have been many obstacles that I can say have contributed to my growth.  Some of the obstacles are very real and some, to be honest, have been me being in my own way.  Let me give you an example.  In many realms of public safety, it has been dominated by men.  This has been for no other reason than in the past, public safety was viewed as a job for males.  This is no longer the case.  Women are prominent in every branch of public safety.  Although we are there, we haven’t been there long and it’s still evolving.  So, my example is:  Most of my high-level meetings, there is an imbalance of men to women.  A lot of times, I am the only woman in the room and sometimes the only person of color in the room.

What used to be an obstacle of having a voice in the room is no longer the case.  What changed?  I got out of my own way.  If I was in the room, it was because I belonged in the room and my contributions to the conversation have just as much value as the next person, male, female, black or white.

How has your APCO membership helped you in your profession?

My APCO membership has been a godsend to my professional career.  Through APCO, I have a phenomenal network of public safety professionals.  I have met people from all walks of life that come together for a common good.  We help people and save lives.  I have taken many of the APCO courses and have learned things that have enhanced my career.  Public safety communications is growing very fast.  Unless you have a foundation and an organization that is moving with you, the industry will leave you behind.

How should women support other women in their agency?

I believe it is important to support people equally.  The support I would give to women specifically, is to coach and mentor them past some of the systemic inequalities.  For example, invite them to meetings where we are the only women in the room and have discussions after the meeting.  We could discuss how it felt and how to build the confidence in their voice in the room.

Do you or did you have a mentor?

Although I feel mentoring can be a huge part of success, finding the right mentor is very important.  Mentoring takes a lot of commitment and energy.  You owe it to your mentor to be ready to put the work in to be successful.  I never really had one person I could say was my mentor.  I had mentors who had specific strengths in specific areas.  I even consider some people as mentors in what I didn’t want to become.

Can you give an example of exceptional leadership that you experienced? And how did that shape your leadership style?

I experience exceptional leadership every day.  I can’t say I have experienced the exceptional leader.  I am growing every day and probably for the rest of my life as a leader.  I think too many times we look for perfection in the whole person and when we don’t agree with something they have done, we get deflated.  Take what works for you and your values and leave the rest with them.  These are the things I take from some of our industry leaders.

Tyrell Morris – Motivating and empowering

Jim Lake and Christy Williams – Innovation and guts

Scott Brillman and Tenea Riddick – The power to get it done

Karima Holmes – The ability to manage several full plates (Local and Federal governments)

Mark Jinks and Debra Collins (Alexandria City Manager and Deputy City Manager)  – Building trust.

I really could go on and on.  Everyone has something positive I need every day.  Sometimes that included humility and I am humbled everyday by the work of the staff at the City of Alexandria.

What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

If you want it, take it.  Know your worth and do the work.  All those words are fine and dandy.  The most important thing that has helped me to grow into leadership has been the power of forgiveness.  I learned to forgive myself for the mistakes of the past so I could move on with my life as God promised.  I forgive people for things they do.  I recognize that people are always growing, and they are going to make mistakes.  Let it go and move on with your life.  Unforgiveness doesn’t hurt them.  Unforgiveness hurts you.

What is the best thing to happen to you this week either at work or outside of it?

The best thing that happened to me this week was getting my LLC.  I’m a caregiver and have a passion for the care of seniors.  I am helping seniors remain independent for as long as possible.  When they get to the point of needing more assistance, I will help them transition into a safe home environment.

What are your greatest career accomplishments?

I have many things I would consider career accomplishments.  I’m a RPL, CPE, Emergency Numbers Professional (ENP).  I have a master’s degree, I’ve been President of an APCO Chapter and I was just named as a Commissioner of the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA).  My greatest accomplishment has been staying my course in public safety communications.  One thing I know about myself, is, if I am not 100% committed to what I do, I won’t stay.  I have accomplished many things and endeavored upon many adventures.  Public safety communications kept me on the cutting edge of technology, fighting for what is right, and I have experienced just about every crisis there could be.  If that is not an exciting career accomplishment, I don’t know what else is.

What inspires you?

I am a woman of faith.  I am inspired by the good in the world.  I am inspired by finding the good in people and the things we accomplish.  I am inspired by the public safety communications community.  It is true, we are not recognized for being first responders.  Yet, we come in every day, twenty-four hours a day and give the same level of care for all and to all.  I am inspired by the humanity of what we do.  When I wake up in the morning, I spend an hour or two in prayer and meditation.  Here, I find the good.  I think about the good stories.  Thoughts are prayers.  That means, I’m praying for people I don’t know.  Yes, I would say, I’m inspired by the good in the world.

Where do you find yourself on a Saturday morning at 10 a.m.?

Wow!  I know exactly where I am on a Saturday morning at 10 a.m.  I take one extra long walk per week.  That walk is somewhere between five to ten miles and it’s my day to breathe.  Living in Washington, DC, never gets old.  There is always something to see.  The city is on an aggressive growth path and there is always a new building, restaurant or museum to visit.  My favorite walk includes a browse around Capitol Hill and the outdoor markets and on the Mall around the Washington Monument then back home completely exhausted.  It’s one of my favorite things to do.