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Maggie Brooks: by Nicole Shein I photo by Brandon vick
Leadi
Trailblazer, role model, inspiration, Rochester institution: Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks has held a highly visible place in our community over the past three and a half decades, and it’s certainly true that she is one of Upstate New York’s most influential women. Yet, when I sat down with the televisionanchor-turned-politician recently, I found that she is also remarkably accessible and down-to-earth. She may be a trailblazer, but she’s also an Everywoman, one who understands the struggles faced by working wives and mothers the world over.
effective escape is just to find a quiet corner, pick up a good book and read. That’s what I do for my internal workout, my stress reliever.”
“Even though we’re in 2011, and you’d think that’s a non-issue, for a lot of women the balancing act of raising a family and having a career is still a major issue,” says Brooks. Asked about her gender, she says “I don’t know if it’s helped or hindered, but I’ve certainly been aware of it. The common theme in my career is that I always worked in nontraditional fields. When I started in radio in 1977, I was one of only two women who worked at WHAM. There weren’t a lot of women in that field. When I went to television, there were only three or four of us in the newsroom, and then when I joined the county legislature, there were only four women out of 29 legislators.”
Brooks also loves to take advantage of the city’s arts and cultural opportunities, as well as the recreational opportunities provided by the canal, Lake Ontario, and nearby countryside. Despite the fact that promoting the area’s natural and cultural resources is part of her job description, there’s a genuine enthusiasm in her voice as she describes the quality of life here.
Yet Brooks is fairly adamant that keeping the focus on gender is pointless at best, and can be destructive or debilitating when it comes to making and meeting career goals. “I tell other women this, if you focus on being female as your number-one qualification for a job, you know what? You’re gonna lose out on a lot. You need to get in there and bring the unique qualities that you have as an individual, not as a woman. “To be honest with you, I think in some ways women hold themselves back. We have issues that keep us from getting into the game in the first place—it’s hard, especially in politics and government, for women to put themselves in a spotlight that’s very personal. Your family is going to be criticized, your children. I think that’s a struggle for women.” Brooks, who started out as a general assignment reporter on the AM station WHAM, moved over to the television side of broadcasting in 1980, with an anchor slot on WHEC. Before embarking on her political career, Brooks also worked as the Vice President of Programming for Companion Radio, a Penfield company which provides satellite radio programming for senior adults and their caregivers. In 1995, Brooks made the leap to the public sector by winning a seat on the Monroe County Legislature, representing West Irondequoit’s 17th District. Two years later, then-governor George Pataki appointed her County Clerk—a position to which she was elected by voters in 1997 and again in 2001. Whether her day-to-day responsibilities centered on local news or legislation, Brooks made her family a priority. “I always made sure, when my kids were growing up, that I minimized the impact on them,” she explains. “If they had a school play, I tried to be there. I tried to be attentive to what they were doing in school. When I started in government my oldest daughter was eight and my youngest was five, and the media and government are very similar in terms of your visibility and your nontraditional schedule. As they’ve grown older, I think my daughters have come to appreciate the fact that I was able to balance home and work, but it a real challenge. You have to be able to be a mom, to be a wife, and to give 100 percent to your job.” What about time for herself? Brooks laughs at the thought, rueful but resigned. “‘Me Time’ is an elusive commodity,” she admits, “but I do try to find pockets of time that are just for me. I love to play golf, and I’m a big reader. For me the most
14 september 2011 :: rochesterWomanMag.com
A mystery buff, Brooks has been working her way down a list of the 100 Best Mysteries of the 20th Century, and discovering some new authors along the way. “It’s been a great mix, ranging from classics like To Kill A Mockingbird to modern books like The Ice House by Minette Walters.”
Given the chance to play tour guide to out-of-towners, she says, “I would try and cram everything into a weekend that I could! I certainly would give my guests a taste of our arts and culture. I would take them to the George Eastman House, to the Memorial Art Gallery, to hear great music at the RPO. We have great theatre here. And I would absolutely take them to the water, whether it be traveling on the Sam Patch or going up to Charlotte Beach. Having access to the water here is something that other communities envy. The things that put Rochester and Upstate New York on the map, in my opinion, are the things that will keep people coming back time and time again.” Originally from Irondequoit, Brooks moved to Washington, D.C. with her family when she was a pre-teen, then returned to the area to attend Ithaca College. After graduating, she says, it was tempting to try her luck in the big city, and she considered either returning to the capitol or maybe giving Manhattan a shot. “But both of my parents’ families grew up in this region, and upstate New York is in our DNA,” she laughs. “Rochester was always a comfortable place for me because of that family connection, and I love the quality of life here. You won’t find a better place for raising a family, for establishing a long-term career, for putting down roots.” Getting this message across to young professionals—those who might be tempted to leave the area for larger cities—is one of the biggest challenges facing Rochester, says Brooks, and one about which she’s passionate. “The cost of living here is affordable, this city is family oriented, and you can get that urban feel if you want it or you can experience the rural, agricultural lifestyle. There is truly something for everyone in Monroe County; that’s something I’ve really come to appreciate in my current capacity as County Executive, because I travel all parts of this community, and I see the variety in terms of lifestyle, but also in terms of the spirit of people, which I think is great.” Towards the end of our conversation, Brooks brings up other notable Rochester women, past and present, who serve as role models: Xerox CEO Ursula Burns, soccer star Abby Wambach, and of course Susan B. Anthony. “These are the women who are blazing trails and putting us on the map,” she says, and then jokes that although Democrats and Republicans both lay claim to Anthony, she’s a role model for all women, regardless of ideology. “I say to all women, her legacy is here, her spirit is here, and we’re going to be able to continue her legacy as we build a community of strong women.” “The one thing I want to do as a woman is to lead by example,” she adds—and when it comes to finding the balance between career-oriented trailblazer and modern American family woman, Maggie Brooks is a fine example indeed.