049 | The Pursuit of Leadership with Megan Kilgore
Megan Kilgore is the first woman to be elected as the City Auditor for the City of Columbus, Ohio, a position she has been serving since 2017. She is also an adjunct professor at The Ohio State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science before completing her Master of Public Administration degree at Northwestern University. Before she was elected City Auditor, Megan worked on Wall Street as the Principal Municipal Advisor for HJ Umbaugh & Associates and the Assistant City Auditor of Columbus, a role wherein she was responsible for the management and payment of all debt services for the city.
Megan joins me today to discuss what it’s like to be the City Auditor of Columbus, Ohio. You’ll learn what her mother taught her about leadership and how she developed her acumen for economics. You’ll gain insight into how the pandemic impacted the city as well as the true costs of inequality. Megan also shares the women leaders who inspired her as a child and underscores the impact of socioeconomic diversity on a city’s wellbeing.
“The spirit of our communities lies with our people, and we have to see how they're doing, how they’re feeling, what they’re concerned about, and how they’re living.” - Megan Kilgore
This week on Kathy Sullivan Explores:
● What drew Megan to Margaret Thatcher and other women leaders when she was growing up
● How Megan’s mother inspired her to serve the public
● How young Megan was when she thought about public service for the first time
● Megan’s first experience volunteering for a political campaign
● Where and how Megan developed her acumen for economics
● The “what,” “why,” and “how” of running for office
● What led Megan to run for an elected office in the city government of Columbus
● Megan’s years in Wall Street and her advice on approaching complex problems
● What a city auditor does and why Megan needs to apply the business principles of a Fortune 500 company as an auditor
● How Columbus’ income tax was impacted by the pandemic and how they navigated through it
● The true cost of inequality and restrictive policies in a city
● How innovation, creativity, and talent grow a city’s economic development
● Interpersonal dynamics and working across political boundaries
● Creating a center of social entrepreneurship in Columbus
● Bridging the digital divide in a community and the daily life of a city auditor
● Megan’s goals for Columbus in 2022
● Finding a greater sense of common purpose amidst a hyper-partisan world
● How Megan’s mentor continues to inspire her as a leader
● Her advice for someone in the early stages of their career
● How to re-prioritize compassion and empathy through the pandemic
Our Favorite Quotes:
● “Ensure that we’re doing the best we can to not only grow the economic wellbeing of our city, but also of our people, because the stronger our people, the stronger our tax base will be.” - Megan Kilgore
● “There is something innate in you that is fulfilled by the ability to serve. So, when you have the calling, run for office.” - Megan Kilgore
Connect with Megan Kilgore:
● City of Columbus on LinkedIn
● City of Columbus on Facebook
Spaceship Not Required
I’m Kathy Sullivan, the only person to have walked in space and gone to the deepest point in the ocean.
I’m an explorer, and that doesn’t always have to involve going to some remote or exotic place. It simply requires a commitment to put curiosity into action.
In this podcast, you can explore, reflecting on lessons learned from life so far and from my brilliant and ever-inquisitive guests. We explore together in this very moment from right where you are… spaceship not required.
Welcome to Kathy Sullivan Explores.