Life & Work with Megan Patton

Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Patton.

Megan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I moved to North Carolina before my first year of high school. Like so many families, even then, the promise of better jobs in the tech industry drew my family to the area. I had a great high school experience in Winston-Salem, complete with awkward moments, marching band, prom committee, and service organizations.

I attended UNC Chapel Hill on a Teaching Fellowship and fully embraced my time as a Tar Heel. I was a part of the marching band (again), student government, and campus leadership.

And then I graduated — amidst a recession. I began teaching elementary school in a town nearby, but it didn’t quite make ends meet. So, I taught school by day and began to tutor by night.

For a few years, my now-husband and I moved to a small beach town where we both continued teaching. And in the Spring of 2016, we welcomed our daughter, Andi, into the world. She brought our family back to Raleigh, back for the promise of a brighter future full of support, community, and resources.

For the past five years, I’ve worked in manufacturing. I loved my time in our factory and enjoyed creating a physical product that brought customers joy. My current work is managing a customer service team where I continue to advocate for and work on behalf of my colleagues and our customers.

In my free time, I do my best to show up for my community. As a member of Mom’s Demand Action, I have called, emailed, and petitioned senators to enact reasonable gun legislation; as a member of my HOA, I have connected neighbors in need with neighbors who can help; as a member of the PTA, I have worked on events that benefit the entire school community.

All of these experiences (and more) led me to City Council. Despite all of the wonderful things going on in Raleigh, the promise of a safe and sustainable future isn’t quite true for all of our neighbors and isn’t guaranteed for future generations — and it’s our job to make it so.

I am committed to bettering our city — not just for my daughter and her future — but for all of the folks in Raleigh with stories just like ours. My neighbors deserve a representative who understands what keeps them up at night, one who loses sleep over the same things. I won’t stop working on their behalf until each and every family has a housing that meets their needs, good job opportunities, and safe public spaces.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Our road has not been without its share of bumps — bumps no different than many other folks of my generation.

Early in our marriage, the burden of student debt meant that my husband and I were barely able to make ends meet on two teacher salaries, and we definitely did not have any extra to save for a rainy day or plan a family.

So I began waiting tables at night. Each night after my shift I’d drive to the ATM and deposit my tips so I could go straight home, log into the student loan portal, and make a payment in the same amount. I did this for years.

When we moved back to Raleigh with our daughter, we lived with family while we searched for an affordable place for our own. I was between jobs and without paid family leave, so I returned to work six weeks postpartum.

While I recovered from pregnancy and took care of Andi, I worked a constellation of jobs to make ends meet — from waiting tables to washing dogs — sometimes two or three at a time. My husband worked during the day and I waited tables or worked in a factory at night and on weekends to offset the astronomical cost of childcare. I’m forever grateful to the amazing female bosses I had during that time who enabled me to meet my family’s needs – like the family I nannied for allowing me to bring my daughter with me, for instance. But it still wasn’t easy!

I understand the pinch of long hours and tight budgets, the feeling of never getting ahead. I know the impact that stable hours, stable income, and solid healthcare can have on people and families – as it did for mine. So much of my efforts since have been focused on working to minimize or prevent others from going through the same. That is my mission from City Council, too: I will fight to ensure that those opportunities exist for everyone.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I love being a people manager. I’ve managed some large manufacturing teams and I currently manage a customer service team. One of my favorite components of my job is meeting one on one with my team members to support them, improve their job performance and satisfaction, and their career development. I do my best to be an exceptional listener and a trusted advocate.

I love seeing members of my team grow their careers in ways they might not have imagined; and from my position, I’ve been able to sponsor LGBTQ+ and BIPOC team members for promotion into leadership roles. I am proud of my advocacy for increasing entry salary, securing premium pay for onsite workers during the height of the pandemic, and ensuring that team members are eligible for healthcare earlier in their employment. Work takes up a huge portion of our lives and I hope my work as a manager makes people’s work lives better.

In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Both the industry in which I work and Raleigh are growing rapidly! In the next five to ten years, we expect to welcome about 100,000 new neighbors. The work of the City Council is vital in determining whether that growth fosters a city that works for all residents or one that leaves folks behind.

It is critical that we have a plan for securing affordable housing and good jobs for old and new neighbors alike. It is critical that our city leaders understand the impact the next five years have on the next fifty. I believe that we can cultivate a city that is bountiful for us now and for our great-great-grandchildren, and I’m excited to be part of making that a reality.

Contact Info:

• Website: pattonforraleigh.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pattonforraleigh/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pattonforraleigh
• Twitter: @patton4raleigh

Image Credits
Cole Rodger