We recently connected with Sara Carroll and have shared our conversation below.

Sara, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

Starting my own business, putting my skills and reputation to the test in a very niche industry was a huge risk for my future!
I felt I couldn’t go any further in my position with learning or growth after 14 years of managing multiple water districts.
Each district had their own challenges and needs. No staff, no standard administrative processes and board members that had no experience with government requirements. I took them from barely getting by financially to thriving, self sustainable systems.
However, after many years, I found myself in a work environment with board and staff unwilling to continue to expand or grow for or with the districts. Egos and power struggles spoke louder than common sense and good work ethics. I knew this was no longer the place for me to be and was stifling me.
My knowledge of local government utilities and management was specific, but I felt that there was still a need for other districts to have resources and training to help make them successful also.
It took me about 6 months to prepare for the biggest risk of my life. Leaving a job that paid well to pursue a calling for growth and to connect with others in need of help was scary. I took a big leap of faith in myself and pulled from the deepest places within me that held my courage and confidence.
I found that when I let go of the people, fear and things holding me in a work cage, other people and opportunities lifted me like wind under my wings.
There are always risks in life, business, family and relationships, taking a risk on happiness and a better life has been rewarding for me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I grew up in rural Maricopa, Arizona, where my family had animals and vegetable gardens. There were only a few hundred people in the community with one school that was K-12 and a Circle K.
When I was growing up, there were not a lot of opportunities an the community of mostly farmland and cattle companies.
My community was entirely dependent on special districts for essential services like water, fire protection, irrigation, and electricity.
I didn’t know that the special districts would become my career path, my passion and be able to contribute something for Arizona.
In 2006, I began working as a part-time contractor for a domestic water district. By 2010, I became the office manager, and I have managed multiple special districts and nonprofit, local government water utilities in Pinal County.
In 2024 I started my own business to provide Administrative services and Training. I have also helped in the creation of two non-profit organizations for state and federal advocacy for the benefit of special districts.
My professional journey led me to my current roles as the Administrative Director for the Arizona Special Districts Alliance and the President of the American Association of Special Districts. I’ve personally witnessed the critical need for consistent training and administrative resources for Arizona’s special districts and am now part of a growing group to address the needs.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Having been in the special district arena now for 16 years, there have been many local and state agencies and departments interaction and collaboration.
I asked Many questions when I first started about how to do my job to the best of my ability with statute requirements in mind. I wanted to understand the why and ins- and outs of not only my job as an Office Manager, but how it connects to the processes of the county and state departments I answered to.
I would call or email and get referred to different staff and experts at the county and state level for answers. I began to create a network of people that could help me and over the years, when those people left positions or had inquiries from other districts, I became that expert with the hands-on approach and experience as a resource.
I often thought I was probably a bit of a thorn in their side, or seemed like a child that always asks “Why?”.
My questions would also get them thinking why their department did things a certain way and if there were better of clearer ways to address something. These type of interactions created more of a mutual respect as a professional to another professional.
I had a surprising reaction at a county training conference I presented at only a few months after I started AZ Districts Solutions.
A small group from a county department were going around introducing themselves to the conference attendees. When they reached my table, I introduced myself and were met with gasps, excited smiles and huge hugs from each! They were from the county treasurer department that I had been working with for 14 years but had not ever met in person. They were so excited for me, encouraging and said I was doing such a great thing for the districts with my new business path.
I knew then that all my interactions over the years were helping me grow my reputation, because I remained professional with people on my questions, through difficult situations and they were now confident in my abilities.
I approach new or potential clients and contacts with the same curiosity and professionalism to continue to build a stronger and wider network in Arizona and across the states.

Any advice for managing a team?

I’ve only managed 1 or 2 employees at a time. With small groups working together day-in & out, you come to know each other well and likely become friends. It’s important to grow relationships with trust to be able to rely on each other to get the job done and maintain a productive environment.
However, boundaries are also important between management and employee. I’ve seen it happen with colleagues many times where their personal life and business etiquette lines blur and bleed which makes for an unhealthy balance in the work place.
Managers should be friendly, understanding and respectful while maintaining a position of authority. Managers and employees should not be so comfortable that they over look work deficiencies to avoid fights as friends.
It’s also ok not to be everyone’s best friend.
When you have some separation of work and home, it’s easier to focus on them individually when you are at each location. This helps with morale and productivity of both manager and employee.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.azdistrictssolutions.org/
• Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/sara-h-carroll-68475128b
• Other: https://www.azdistrictsalliance.org/
  https://americasdistricts.org/

Image Credits

Cole Arreola-Karr &
Roach & Associates, PLLC