Recent UAlbany graduate Sean Millington discusses his new role as the inaugural Mayoral Fellow for the city of Albany. Mayor Dorsey Applyrs has tasked Millington with helping to develop programs and policies that nurture and retain local talent. From employment to housing to recreation, Sean is laser-focused on addressing issues important to young people.
Sean Millington, Inaugural Mayoral Fellow, City of Albany, NY
Dr. Dorcey Applyrs, Mayor, City of Albany, NY
The Engagement Ring, Episode 37: Capital Idea! First Mayoral Fellow Encourages Young People to Put Down Roots in Albany
[Lively, upbeat theme music plays as program host Mary Hunt introduces the program and plays excerpts from the program.]
ANNOUNCER/MARY HUNT:
Welcome to The Engagement Ring, your connection to an ever-widening network of higher education professionals, scholars and community partners working to make the world a better place. I'm Mary Hunt today on the podcast…
SEAN MILLINGTON:
A third of the people in Albany are ages 18 to 34, that is a huge amount of people. So we need to make sure that we are addressing them, because these are the people that we want to seek out and make sure we're saying, “Hey, this is a place for you, and we want you to stay here.”
ANNOUNCER/MARY HUNT:
Recent UAlbany grad Sean Millington discusses his new role as the inaugural Mayoral Fellow for the city of Albany. Mayor Dorsey Applyrs has tasked Millington with helping to develop programs and policies that nurture and retain local talent. From employment to housing to recreation, Sean is laser-focused on addressing issues important to young people.
SEAN MILLINGTON:
There is a ton of opportunity in the city of Albany. We want to address college students, but we also want to address adults who have a career and are trying to buy their first home and start a family.
ANNOUNCER/MARY HUNT:
Here's my conversation with Sean Millington.
MARY HUNT:
Sean, welcome to the podcast.
SEAN MILLINGTON:
Yeah, it's a pleasure to be here. Thank you.
MARY HUNT:
It's great to have you back on campus. For those people who don't know, you were an intern in the office that I work in, the Office of Government and Community Relations, and you brought a lot of great experience to that role. And I know you're bringing a lot to your new role, but tell everybody a little bit about your experience at UAlbany, to begin with… your major, some of the programs that you were involved with in terms of government and politics.
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SEAN MILLINGTON:
Yeah, yeah, certainly. I'll start by giving some background. So, I am a proud Capital Region native, born and raised in Troy, New York. I went to Lansingburgh High School, and then I attended the University at Albany for three and a half years. I studied political science. As a freshman, I knew that's what I wanted to do, so I got involved in various political organizations, whether that be college Dems, or the Student Association on campus. So, as college Dems’ president, I went to places like Pennsylvania and campaigned for Kamala Harris. I was involved in the Student Association where I was the director of civic and community engagement, where we went out in the community. We did community cleanups; we did we did community breakfasts. We tried to show that the Student Association was here for the greater Albany community. I was also involved in the SUNY Student Assembly, which is the student organization that represents all SUNY schools around New York State, and that's about 1.3 million students. I was the director of policy. I was the deputy chief of staff. In this past year, I was the chief of staff, and the main purpose of that organization is every February we go to the New York State Capitol and we lobby legislators on behalf of students to get key wins for them. So that was big for me, getting hands on experience and learning how to advocate. And then I also took part in numerous internships. So, I interned for both houses of the New York State Legislature, the Senate and Assembly. I interned for the Rensselaer County District Attorney's Office, which was a blast. It was an interesting experience. And that's my home county, of course.
MARY HUNT:
Yeah, you're telling me stuff I didn't even know.
[Sean and Mary laugh.]
SEAN MILLINGTON:
And then I went to DC, where I interned for Congressman Tonko as a part of Rockefeller College’s Semester in Washington Program. And that was an awesome experience as well. That was a full-time position. You get paid and you live in the city of Washington, DC. You get to experience a whole new place. And that was a huge learning moment for me, as I had never really been outside the Capital Region. And then, of course, my favorite internship of all…
[Sean and Mary laugh.]
SEAN MILLINGTON:
I interned for two years with the Office of Government and Community Relations, where I did various things, whether it be going out in the community and showing the community that, hey, UAlbany is here. We're a resource. We want students. We want to support you. And then I also helped out on the government side as well, whether that be helping prepare asks we were going to have for legislators and any other things that the university wanted to get accomplished. And that really, really prepared me to take on government and work for Mayor Applyrs. And I have to say that is all because of the University at Albany and the experiences that the University at Albany gives you. There are other great political science programs around the state and SUNY, right. You have Stony Brook, you have Binghamton, but they're not in the state capital. You can't study and work at the state legislature in the same week like you can at the University of Albany. So, I'm eternally grateful for the opportunities that the university has given me.
MARY HUNT:
Wow! Well, I would say that our loss is the mayor's gain. So, you know, you left a big hole in our office and big shoes to fill. So, we wish you well, of course, and we're really proud, but tell me, so now you you're in this new role as the inaugural mayoral fellow. What's it been like? You've only been there a short time. The mayor just was sworn in not too long ago. So, I'm sure there's a lot of things piling up on your desk and you’ve got a big agenda, but so far, what's it been like?
SEAN MILLINGTON:
Yeah, it's been a blast. It's been fast paged; the pace is crazy. But that's because we have a lot of things that we want to get done for the people of Albany. The mayor has given us a certain charge, and we need to achieve that. So we're hitting the ground running. We have a lot of plans, a lot of announcements coming up.
MARY HUNT:
What specifically is your charge? This is the first time this position has been in the administration. So, what is the mayor expecting of you? What is your role?
SEAN MILLINGTON:
So for me, my role is making sure that young people feel like they have a future in the city of Albany. And that's broad, right. So that could be college students coming to Albany for the first time. That could be graduates trying to find their first job. That could be young adults trying to buy their first home, and all the way up to starting a family here in the city of Albany. So, my charge is broad, but overall, we want to show the young people in the city of Albany that this is a place for them.
MARY HUNT:
So you have the advantage of youth, your lived experience. But what else will you rely on? You know, what other data, what other input are you seeking so that you know, okay, I know what young people in Albany want; I know how to advise the mayor and initiate policy?
SEAN MILLINGTON:
Yeah, that's a great question and I think there are a few things. First, I believe it's a third of the people in Albany are ages 18 to 34. That is a huge amount of people. So we need to make sure that we are addressing them because these are the people that we want to seek out and make sure we're saying, “Hey, this is a place for you, and we want you to stay here.” And then I think another part, and this is just a broader conversation that's been happening around the country, is affordability, which is a key part of making sure that that young people have a future in the city of Albany, and that's certainly on the top of our mind as well. I know there's one striking data point, and it's the median age of a first-time homeowner in America right now is 40 years old. And, I believe, that’s the oldest it's ever been in in American history. So that's why when the mayor created my position she created it broadly, right. We want to address college students, but we also want to address adults who have a career and are trying to buy their first home and start a family. So young people are the base of the city of Albany, and we want to make sure that we are addressing that need right there.
MARY HUNT:
Are you finding you're talking to a lot of young people? Do have plans to get out there and meet with them, whether formally or informally? How are you doing that? And I understand the university and colleges, and other universities in the area, are going to be a real resource base for you. You’re going to be reaching out. But talk a little bit about how you're going to really be talking with people to find out what they need and want?
SEAN MILLINGTON:
Yeah, I think I certainly have an advantage, because I'm from the region, right. So I know a lot of folks at the University at Albany already, my peers that are young. I also have an older brother, and I know his friends and thankfully because the city of Albany is a professional city, there's a lot of opportunities to meet young people. I know there's a young professionals’ reception this Friday. I'm going to take every single advantage I can to go to those places and meet young people and hear their perspective. But I also think it's important to acknowledge that people who are outside of the range I'm focusing on were once young as well. And I think they have a perspective. So one thing we've heard a lot is that the nightlife and all that was better in the past compared to what it is now. And I think that perspective is important as well. So I'm keeping my attention broad in terms of who I'm talking to and focusing on as well.
MARY HUNT:
Well, you bring up the nightlife and sort of the nighttime economy, businesses, culture, entertainment. Albany is a capital city, so for many years, it's kind of been known as people come in… there's so many government workers in the city… they come in from eight o'clock, nine o'clock and depart the city around five or six, go back to their homes in the suburbs. But I understand that you are helping to shape or lead, guide a council that will be addressing that issue specifically — the mayor's new, inaugural Advisory Council on Nightlife Economy. How will you be working with businesses, the cultural community? What it is you want to achieve? It's a challenge we've had in the city for a long time. How are you approaching it? What do you think you might have to bring, and when I say you, I mean you and the administration, that might be a little bit different, a fresh approach that might be able to really turn the tide and really make some progress in that area this time.
SEAN MILLINGTON:
Yeah, so one thing that's been on our mind, right, is young people, they want to be able to have fun in the city of Albany, and that's something when the mayor was campaigning, she heard a lot about is that there was a lack of opportunities in that aspect, especially in a safe manner. So the mayor put this Advisory Council on Nightlife Economy together to address that, and that's made up of business owners all around the city of Albany who work in industries that operate at night. And their charge is they have they have to come up with… in 100 days they have to come up with an initial report. And then by July 1, they're going to come up with a final report that will include a diagnosis of the problems that are going on in the city of Albany-related nightlife. And then by July 1, we're hoping to see some recommendations or wins that that the mayor can act on. And one thing I want to highlight here, and this is something I've learned in the past couple weeks learning with the mayor, is she really values listening. She really does, and that's why she created this this council is because she recognizes that she can't have all the answers, and she needs to rely on others, especially others who work in the industry and are closer to these problems, to actually come up with solutions. So that's why she put this council together, and we're hoping that it can help address the challenges that the city has been facing.
MARY HUNT:
Interesting, and there's a lot of other things. We say nightlife, but it's a lot more than clubs and bars. It's cultural events. We have theaters in the city, just as you say, the safety issues. There's a lot of issues that go into trying to create a vibrant not just atmosphere, but economy. Any ideas you're kicking around now you can share with us, or do you want us to wait a few months, I suppose, till you have those? But you probably have some thoughts in mind.
SEAN MILLINGTON:
So there certainly are some announcements that I can't bring up yet, but I do think there are a few things that we have been… a lot in terms of what action items we wanted to pursue. So one of the things you brought up is public safety, right. People want to feel safe, and people aren't going to go out downtown if they if they don't feel safe. So the mayor has two ideas that have been really big for her in terms of addressing public safety and making people feel safer. One of them is an ambassador program. So, I believe Oakland has an ambassador… Oakland, California has an ambassador program. And essentially, what these people do is they wear these big bright jackets that say ambassador on the back of it, right. And they walk around the city, and they're there just to help out, point people in the right direction, point out restaurants, pick up garbage. There are other cities that have this around the country as well. The city of Albany actually has a program. It's not run by the city. I believe it's run by the BID, but it only operates on the weekend, a few days in the weekend, and at certain times, we are looking to expand that. We think it should be, hopefully, seven days a week. So we're looking into the possibilities of strengthening a program there, and then another program that's on the mayor's mind is the Office of Violence Prevention we're looking to establish. Other cities around the country have this as well. And it's an office that is directly charged with addressing violence in cities. I know one city that has been very successful in this is South Bend, Indiana, which is city that are similar to the city of Albany. So we see other cities that are similar in terms of population size that have been successful with bringing down crime and violence. And I think we're looking to try and establish something here as well.
MARY HUNT:
And one thing that's important, obviously, to youth is jobs. What are you thinking about in terms of that? Are you working with the universities, with the schools locally? Because some students will come out of high school and begin their careers. Others may be new to the area and be graduating from the university or other schools and stay in the area. But how are you addressing this idea of opportunity?
SEAN MILLINGTON:
Right, right. And I'll say I think there is a ton of opportunity in the city of Albany. It's a state capital. There are a lot of government entities here. There's a lot of businesses here, and there's a lot of opportunity in the city of Albany. So our job, and what we believe we should do, is make sure that people know this. I think the University at Albany does a great job at this. I know we have platforms like Handshake which show job opportunities on there. So we're going to continue working with colleges like the University at Albany, Maria College, and all these other higher education institutions in the area to say, hey, there are jobs here for you and we want you to be here. So we're exploring ways to make sure that people know jobs are there. But I also think it's important to note that not everyone goes to college as well. So, so we need to make sure we also do a good job at showing that there are jobs that you don't need an associate's or bachelor's degree for. So we're exploring every way to make the awareness there
MARY HUNT:
You talked a little bit about some of the experiences you had while you were at the university. Obviously, those things have prepared you, not just for this role, but for life. Those are really important experiences. But I'm kind of curious what experience or training in particular, or skills that you developed during that time, do you think really prepared you for this role. What are you really going back and saying, I'm glad I knew that, or I feel more confident because I learned this?
SEAN MILLINGTON:
Yeah, I think one thing that I think people might take for granted, don't think about, is the networking aspect. So while I was in Washington, DC, the people who run the semester in Washington Program, they really hammered down on us to make sure you go to these receptions. They actually set up receptions for us when we get there to have us meet with Rockefeller alumni and introduce ourselves. And when you get to DC and you get in an environment, it's a young professional city there, and there's a lot of opportunities to meet people. And I'm glad I took advantage of that and I grew those skills. Because once you're in, having been in here for a few weeks now, networking is really important to getting things done and delivering for the people of Albany. So that's one skill that I think is really valuable that I learned at my time while at the university.
MARY HUNT:
And you've had the advantage you have now with Mayor Applyrs, but also with Representative Tonko... those are two real people-people.
SEAN MILLINGTON:|
Yeah, extroverts!
MARY HUNT:
Yeah. Talk about how you might... they might be role modeling for you some skills that you want to work on in the future. What are you learning from them? What have you learned from Representative Tonko? What do you think you're going to pick up from Mayor Applyrs?
SEAN MILLINGTON:
You have to always smile. That’s how you get through the day. I think there are some days that are certainly challenging, and there are some days that demand a serious demeanor, but you have to make sure you don't take life too seriously, and you need to smile through it. And they both do a great job at doing that. Their stamina is impeccable. They'll go from the morning straight through the night. And I don't know how they do it. I've been to events with both the congressman and the mayor, and I get tired with them running around, and that's one event, and they’ve been doing it all day.
MARY HUNT:
And you've got lots of energy, Sean!
SEAN MILLINGTON:
Yeah.
[Mary and Sean laugh.]
MARY HUNT:
That scares me. I've watched you, Sean. I've seen you in action. So when you look back, say in one year or two, year three, four years, whatever the length of your term, and you know, whatever sort of benchmarks you set for yourself, what do you hope to see that you've accomplished, whether it's personally or as part of the administration?
SEAN MILLINGTON:
Yeah, I want young people to feel like the city of Albany is a place for them. There's a narrative that we've heard around what the city of Albany used to be for young people. And I would like to hear the current narrative, which hasn't been good, change — maybe not even go back to the old narrative. We want a new narrative. We want to show that this really is a young city and a place for someone to start their family, start their life, get a job. So, if at the end of my four years with the mayor, people are saying that, then I know it's a mission accomplished, and I know that there are going to certainly be challenges on the road. And of course, resources are limited at the time we are in right now, but we're going to do everything in our ability to make sure that this happens.
MARY HUNT:
Outstanding! Well, Sean, I wish you the best of luck in your new role, and we at the university are looking forward to working with you and working with Mayor Applyrs on her ambitious agenda for Albany. Best of luck to whole administration.
SEAN MILLINGTON:
Thank you so much.
MARY HUNT:
Thanks for being my guest.
SEAN MILLINGTON:
Yeah, of course, happy to be here.
ANNOUNCER/MARY HUNT:
Sean Millington serves as the inaugural Mayoral Fellow for the city of Albany, New York, a position created by Mayor Dorsey Applyrs to help address a wide range of issues important to young people, with a focus on nurturing and retaining local talent. Millington is also a member of the capital city's inaugural Advisory Council on Nightlife Economy. The council will provide recommendations to Mayor Applyrs on how to best enhance the vibrancy of Albany's nightlife industry, a critical contributor to the overall city economy.
For more information on Sean and the city of Albany, visit the resource page for this podcast at the dash engagement dash ring dot Simplecast dot com.
The Engagement Ring is produced by the University at Albany's Office for Public Engagement. If you have questions or comments or want to share an idea for an upcoming podcast, email us at UAlbany O P E at Albany dot E D U.
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