Local Gov Life

After a 26-year career in court administration in Minnesota and California, Chris Volkers became the first female city manager of Moorhead, Minnesota. Volkers said she is proud that Moorhead is a community run mostly by women in leadership roles. “We all work well together; we each bring our own talents to our roles.” In this podcast, Volkers talks about the advice she received when she was starting out in her career—listen first before you speak—and says she gives advice now to young women beginning their careers. She advises anyone in the middle of their careers to reach out and help the next generation of managers. “I am so proud of those relationships,” she says of the mentoring experiences she has shared with students and others who have asked her advice. One thing Volkers admits she has been guilty of is to feel the need to “do it all.” She advises “Ask for help! The mother, wife, executive female doesn’t have to be the only one who takes the kids to the doctor.” She says that she and her husband often