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August - 2002 - issue > Global Management
"I Practice What I Preach"
Thursday, August 1, 2002

IF YOU WANT A CAREER THAT
is satisfying and provides for
personal and professional growth,
I would recommend being part of
the local government,” suggests
Niroop Srivatsa, Planning and Building
Services Manager for the affluent city of
Lafayette. Srivatsa is the supervisor for
the planning and developmental
activities of the City. It is a high-pressure
job, she admits, and can be demanding at
times. “The longest meeting that I have
ever attended started at 7:30 p.m. and
ended at 3:15 a.m.!”

Srivatsa’s work ranges from issuing
building permits, working with
developers to place homes on an
environmentally sensitive hillside, to
working with the County and
surrounding cities to mitigate the
impacts of traffic. She works at
promoting downtown Lafayette and
also undertakes long-range planning
studies to protect the city’s natural
resources. “It is very gratifying to watch
the results of your efforts come to life
before your eyes—whether it is the
revitalization of a downtown block, a
new park, or a house that you
approved,” says Srivatsa.

There are occasional sticky situations
though, like when homeowners may not
understand why a permit is needed for
adding a second story to their house. In
such cases, Srivatsa explains to them the
City’s master plan. “I walk them
through the plan—their master plan—
and it puts things in perspective for
them.” Srivatsa also lets applicants know
early on that she cannot approve their

TIVE EDGE AT
plan, rather than wait until the public hearing. “I explain
why, and offer them suggestions on how to gain approval,”
she says.

“Helping and serving people—it’s a tremendous high!”
she exclaims. As a planner, she influences the shaping of
public policy. Recently, Srivatsa helped develop the master
plan for Lafayette and also worked with the Mayor and City
Manager to guarantee affordable housing units for the
developmentally disabled.

Srivatsa got her bachelor’s degree in architecture and
urban design from the University of Madras. She moved to
Naperville, Illinois with her husband, Sanjay, who came to the
U.S. to do his masters. (Sanjay is currently the Regional
Manager, North America for Ondeo Industrial Solutions.)
Here, Niroop became interested in city planning. After an
internship at the Dupage County Development Department,
she worked for an architectural firm in Chicago.

“While the job was great, the firm was 50 miles from
home and a difficult commute,” she points out. Looking for
work closer to home was no easy task with a recession. At
that time, Naperville was looking for a planner to complete
its Master Plan. “I knew that it was the job for me—
challenging, creative, close to home, and the opportunity to
give back to the community in which we lived,” she explains.
Her previous internship and good references from the
County planners helped her to win this job. “It also helped
that my future boss had spent many years in India and had a
great love for it.” But, things were initially not so easy .
Srivatsa had to prove that she was capable of doing the job—
as a woman. “Starting out in the early 80s as a planner in the
local government, the glass ceiling was real and awfully low,”
she recalls. But she eventually worked her way up to Chief
Planner for the City of Naperville.

Being a professional woman also meant balancing family
and work. Fortunately for Niroop, either her parents or
mother-in-law stayed with her when her children were
younger and the flexible job schedule allowed her to spend
time with her children.

Her sons are older now and pitch in to help out at home.
“They give me every bit of support imaginable. I couldn’t do
what I do without my wonderful family,” she proudly points
out. Srivatsa also made a conscious decision to live in the city
where she works. That also means her work doesn’t end
when she leaves the office. She keeps running into people at
the grocery store, at school, or the park who want to talk
about City business. “I really don’t mind—it makes me feel
part of a community,” says Srivatsa.

Today, she is highly regarded and her colleagues claim
that she possesses the “irreplaceable combination of
technical skills, remarkable experience, and style and grace.”
Srivatsa herself regards this job as a privilege and works hard
at delivering what is promised. “Civil service jobs are no
longer ‘jobs for life.’” According to Srivatsa, to excel in this
profession, one should have “a passionate desire to make a
difference in the world in which we live. “No egos,
absolutely!” she proclaims.



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