Berry College Student Charlotte Collins Interns with the Cobb County BOC
(Collins pictured below with Cobb County Chairman Tim Lee)

Charlotte Collins, a political science major at Berry College, interned with the Cobb County Board of Commissioners as part of the 2014 Fall Georgia County Internship Program. Prior to the internship, Collins was familiar with county government in the sense of the services they offered, but was unfamiliar with the bureaucratic structure, the functions of certain departments or the scope of work performed by county employees. 

Over the course of her internship, Collins learned about a host of factors that contribute to county government ranging from administrative tasks and internal politics, to public hearings and the influence of citizen expectations. Through her experience, she was given insight into the workload of Cobb County’s elected officials, as well as the necessity of a strong staff support team to address all issues that can arise in county government. 

Collins’ major responsibilities during her internship were to learn about certain county projects and initiatives, to stay updated on their progress, and then report back to the chairman of the Board of Commissioners with meeting summaries and talking points prepared for upcoming meetings. These projects and initiatives specifically included SPLOST, transportation projects with the Atlanta Regional Commission, Water Authority, and Cobb’s Sister City relationship. 

The most significant accomplishment for Collins was planning Cobb’s Sister City delegation visit from Seongdong-gu, Seoul, South Korea. This task required months of planning, meetings and budgeting. She was with the Korean delegation during the entirety of their four-day stay in Cobb County. Collins was thankful for the opportunity to be project leader and to have learned so much about project management, as well as a foreign culture. 

When asked about her favorite part of the internship, Collins responded it was the variety of experiences that she had gained. Each day of the internship was different and always brought in a challenge. She was constantly surrounded by professionals with a strong work ethic and was always afforded the opportunity to ask for assistance when needed. The internship also provided Collins with an opportunity to learn hand's on about the dynamic of politics on a daily basis, which was more than her political science degree could provide. Additionally, she was able to expand her network of people exponentially due to the exposure from the internship. 

In terms of the skills gained from her time with Cobb County, Collins noted that all of the experiences she had in her internship will prove extremely beneficial in helping her to meet future career goals. She further stated that she has gained invaluable knowledge of working in local government. Collins was able to see firsthand the influence of citizens, the media and the overall environment of politics at the county level. Through the internship, she gained specific skills in project coordinating and management, and she strengthened her writing skills through preparing summaries, letters and talking points. Collins’ exposure to meetings and working on various projects allowed her to see the variety of issues that encompasses county government. It further allowed her to learn and work with completely new projects and economic expansion opportunities, such as the Braves coming to Cobb County. 

When asked about Collin’s future plans, she indicated that based on her internship experience she would definitely consider a career in county government. She believes that Cobb County’s employees embody professionalism and expertise in their field and she feels honored to have been a part of such a great team.  

For more information on the GCIP, please visit the ACCG Civic Affairs Foundation website at www.civicaffairs.org.