Women in Municipal Finance Series: Leading with Compassion with Natalie Moore
As part of our “Women in Municipal Finance Series”, MFOA is highlighting inspiring and trailblazing women across Ontario’s municipal finance sector. This month, we met with Natalie Moore, Director of Finance and Treasurer at the City of Timmins. Natalie emphasises the importance of respect and empathy in leadership roles.
Municipal Finance Journey
Natalie: I didn’t know that I wanted to work at a municipality. After spending almost 10 years in public accounting, I decided it was time for a change. I saw a job opening for Chief Accountant at Timmins and decided to apply because the prospect of working on different projects and teams seemed interesting.
It didn’t take me long to learn that I absolutely loved working for a municipality. I like the variety of projects and that anytime I traveled to different parts of the community, I felt like I contributed to pieces of it. I could say I helped work to revitalize that building or helped write the grant to get that project done. It gave me a real sense of community and I was all in.
After five years as Chief Accountant, I became the Deputy Director of Finance/Treasurer at Timmins. Eventually, after five years I moved to the Director position. I was lucky because I had great mentors and bosses who helped move me along the succession plan. People always comment about how passionate I am about my job. I’ve been all-in since the beginning. Municipal government is the most difficult level of government to work in, but it’s the most rewarding as well.
Small Wins and Building Relationships
Natalie: I dedicate a lot of my time to my family and I think I’ve done two things well in my life – raising my kids and building a great career. I have a lot to be proud of in my career, there are a lot of incremental wins, such as working with the local college on a micro-credential course, getting my CA designation, getting the Director of Finance and Treasurer position, and becoming the first female Treasurer in Timmins.
But the biggest achievement in my career is the relationships I’ve developed across the corporation, as well as partners in the community. I feel that my strong suit is my relationships with staff and counterparts in other departments. This makes me very proud because I put a lot of emphasis on interactions with people and valuing others.
It was incredibly heartwarming to be nominated by my team for the MFOA Excellence in Municipal Finance Award. I didn’t realize the impact I had across my team, and it meant a lot to be recognized by them.
At the municipal level, we are always competing with the private sector and its benefits, so how else can we attract and retain staff? It’s those small, little gestures and kindness to others.
Inspiring Inclusion
Natalie: I always go back to making sure you treat everyone you meet with kindness, empathy, and give everyone a listening ear. I make sure my staff feel like I value their opinion and who they are as individuals – it’s in my nature to care. Kindness and respect go a long way to building relationships.
To build an inclusive workplace, there is value in doing your own inner work, to be more authentic and genuine. These traits will translate in your personal and work life. If you’re a well qualified manager who works well but isn’t genuine in your actions, it will be hard for others to view you as a leader.
Be Passionate and Take Risks
Natalie: My advice for young women is to be passionate about what you’re doing and everything else will fall into place. Be proud to be a civil servant! I value everything that city staff do, whether it’s our bus drivers driving residents to work or to medical appointments or our water crews repairing water breaks to bring water to residents’ homes, it is all such valuable work!
Be confident in your skills. Working in the municipal sector means you’ll be on a variety of projects across different departments. The job varies, but you should always stay confident. Being on different project teams, you may come across people who make you feel challenged. Don’t avoid the tough situations because that’s where you’ll mature in your career and grow a thicker skin. I’m a stronger personality in meetings now than when I first started. With maturity comes confidence.
I never shy away from being a part of a team where difficult people may be involved because I know my knowledge and skills are valuable to the project. Don’t dodge difficult situations - you’ll grow the most as a person from it. If there’s a difficult conversation to have, just have it. It will either go horribly bad and you’ll learn from it, or it’ll end up okay – most of the time it ends up okay.
Listening to Others
Natalie: In team meetings or group settings, if you’re the type of person who only pushes your own agenda, it will be difficult to feel heard and respected. If you’re part of a team you have to make sure others have a way to feel that their voices are heard. If everyone feels heard then when you talk, they will listen. Be open to other opinions and collaborating in a conducive fashion.
The Mentors Along the Way
Natalie: My first mentors were my parents. I had a textbook childhood, and I am who I am because of them. They taught me compassion, hard work, and respect for all. Those values come across in me and my career.
My true mentors came when I began to work for Timmins. The two previous treasurers were amazing to work with – they encouraged me to consider being a treasurer some day. Presently, my current CAO is a great mentor to me.
Mentors don’t have to be a manager or supervisor; they are the staff you work with side-by-side day after day. There’s two people that have worked in our department who I greatly admire. The purchasing manager at Timmins has worked here for 30 years, and he comes to work everyday so passionate about his work and has a sense of commitment to the municipality. He always comes to work with the best intentions and positive attitude. He’s not my boss, he’s a coworker I look up to.
We had an Administrative Assistant who is now retired, but she used to always recognize people’s milestones and birthdays. She would always bake cakes and we all called her our work mom. What I learned from her is what a small gesture can do for someone. When a person went through difficult times, she would always rally the team to help the person out. You have to take the time to recognize those things.
I’ve been so lucky to have a lot of good people around me that I admire. I could go on about all the coworkers I’ve had who had an influence on me, but these are just a few.
