Sarah Moyer-Cale | Member Support Committee Board Liaison
The support we provide each other as managers can be likened to that of a good neighbor.
Neighborliness is, unfortunately, a somewhat dated concept. Many of us don’t know our neighbors anymore. We may describe them as, “the one with the dog that barks at night” or “the one that doesn’t move their garbage can back to the house until Thursday” or “the one that has a pristine lawn and lovely garden.”
But if they are good neighbors, we know them more for who they are and not just how they keep their property. They become, “the one that took in my mail and watered my plants while I was out of town” or “the one who brought over a casserole when I had surgery” or “the one who waves over the fence and chats while I’m refilling the bird feeder.” The best neighbors make you want to be a better neighbor, too. Good neighbors are people with a variety of backgrounds, experience, and skills who are brought together by little more than proximity and yet willing to support one another to ease the burdens of life; for no other reason than simply being there and knowing that everyone needs assistance from time to time.
Most of us probably don’t spend much time with our neighbors, but the good ones are always there for us. And we’re willing to be there for them too. Whatever they need, anytime, simply because they are neighbors. That is reason enough. We managers have all been placed in proximity to each other because of our profession. If we choose to accept it, that is all the reason we need to be there for each other. The nature of neighborly support is sharing—time, resources, and expertise; at times being a giver and at other times the receiver.
Everyone’s favorite and most memorable neighbor, Mr. Rogers, once said, “All of us, at some time or other, need help. Whether we’re giving or receiving help, each one of us has something valuable to bring to this world. That’s one of the things that connects us as neighbors—in our own way, each one of us is a giver and a receiver.”
The nature of neighborly support is sharing—being a giver and a receiver. Each of us can teach and learn from one another. We will be there for each other because we are fellow managers, and that is reason enough.
Sarah Moyer-Cale
Board Liaison, Member Support Committee
City Manager, Hastings
Sarah Moyer-Cale has worked in public administration for 10 years and is currently the city manager of Hastings, Michigan. Prior to her role in Hastings, Sarah served in village manager positions in both the Village of Paw Paw and the Village of Almont. She completed her undergraduate studies in urban ministry from the Moody Bible Institute of Chicago. In addition, Sarah holds a master’s degree in urban planning from Wayne State University and a graduate certificate in public administration from Central Michigan University. She has served on the MME Member Support Committee since 2021 and was elected to the MME Board of Directors for a three-year term that began in 2023.