By Tim Reavis, on July 5, 2012

Chris Kenrick is Orange County’s planning intern. I sat down with him to find out what he has been working on this summer.

Tim Reavis: How has your experience been in the planning department so far?

Chris Kenrick: Its been great. Right now I’m working on an  educational campaign for the county. I’m hoping to educate residents about various services the government offers.

TR: Sounds interesting. How are you planning on doing that?

CK: I’m designing a flyer to be distributed among  residents. There are several display locations I could see the flyer effectively getting my message across. For example, UNC freshman orientation, homeowners associations, and farmers’ markets all include OC residents that may not be aware of services offered by the county.

TR: What else are you working on?

CK: I’m also helping the department with public education of the triangle transit plan. I’m working on an educational faq. I want residents to know key specifics of the plan, and how it’s part of the county’s overall plan.

TR: Have you learned anything this summer that you didn’t expect?

CK: I’ve learned the different approach that graphic design requires in the public sector than in the private sector. The public sector has many more limitations than I would have guessed. The overall project must be purely educational. Where as the private sector  can advocate for a service or “sell” their service. Huge difference.

TR: What do you think of the idea of working for a city or county planning department for a career?

CK: Working in this department has opened my eyes to all the people and ideas that go into creating a thriving community. There are more opportunities for me to contribute to the public sector than I had originally thought. I could see myself serving in this capacity at some point in my professional career.