EP 5: Parking and Politics: How Maria Irshad Gets All the Stakeholders at the Table

We interviewed Maria Irshad, Deputy Director for Park Houston. We cover various topics related to curbside management, public stakeholder engagement, time management, and Maria's journey in the parking industry. Maria shares her story of how she unexpectedly got into the parking industry and became passionate about it. She also talks about her approach to communicating with government officials and the challenges and priorities of curbside management in Houston. We also touch on the challenges faced during Hurricane Harvey and the importance of building relationships in the parking industry.

Maria is not just an ordinary parking professional. She holds a master's degree in public administration and is a certified administrator of public parking. She's also actively involved in parking associations and serves on the board of the International Parking and Mobility Institute. But how did Maria, with a background in journalism, end up in the parking industry?

Here are some key takeaways from our conversation:

• The Power of Stakeholder Engagement: Maria shared a compelling story about winning over a customer who initially opposed the implementation of parking meters. It's a great example of how persistence, open dialogue, and community engagement can lead to positive outcomes
• Simplifying Complexities: Maria's approach to communicating with government officials is all about simplifying information. She believes in presenting a full picture of options and potential downsides to help officials make informed decisions.
• Resilience in the Face of Adversity: We discussed the challenges faced by Houston during Hurricane Harvey and the city's resilience plan. Maria emphasized the importance of parking's role in sustainability.

Maria Irshad's journey from journalism to becoming the Deputy Director for Park Houston is a testament to her passion and persistence. From her unexpected transition into the parking industry to her offsite with the American Leadership Forum, her story is one of the most unique in the entire industry.

Be sure to check out these great clips from the show:

Curbside management and ways to do it better [00:01:18] Discussion on the challenges and successes of curbside management and strategies for improvement.

Challenges and successes with public stakeholder engagement [00:01:46] Exploration of the difficulties and achievements in engaging with the public regarding parking-related issues.

Maria's tips and tricks for effective time management [00:01:46] Insights and advice from Maria on how to efficiently manage time in the parking industry.

Building trust and overcoming resistance [00:10:01] Maria's experience with a customer who initially opposed the installation of meters in her neighborhood, but eventually became a supportive advocate.

Effective stakeholder engagement [00:11:42] The importance of engaging with stakeholders and building relationships to achieve positive outcomes in parking management.

Communicating complex ideas [00:15:23] The significance of simplifying communication and using layman's terms to ensure understanding and gain support from elected officials.

The challenges of curbside management [00:20:48] Maria discusses the competing demands for curbside space, the need for prioritization and management, and the lack of digitized curb information and technology.

Lessons learned from Hurricane Harvey [00:24:47] Maria shares their personal experience during Hurricane Harvey and discusses the impact on parking infrastructure, the resilience plan implemented by the city, and the focus on building resilience into structures.

The importance of relationship building [00:29:08] Maria emphasizes the importance of building relationships across departments and disciplines within the city, maintaining communication, and staying informed about each other's work.

The shift to curbside management [00:30:29] Brian and Maria discuss the importance of sharing information and the relevance of parking in various aspects of life.

Time management tips and tricks [00:30:53] Maria shares her strategies for effective time management, including making lists, setting deadlines, and staying organized.

The transformative experience of solitude in the wilderness [00:35:57] Maria reflects on her participation in an offsite program and describes her profound experience of self-discovery during five hours of solitude in nature.

The power of journaling and meditation [00:40:32] Discussion about the benefits of journaling and meditation, referencing the book "The Artist's Way".

Maria Irshad's known phrase [00:42:16] Exploring the question of what phrase people in Maria Irshad's organization associate with her, with the response being "Let's get it done."

Changing public perception of parking [00:43:48] Discussion about the need to improve public perception of parking professionals and their work, and the idea of creating a parking movie to raise awareness and respect.

Challenges and Self-Doubt During the Trek [00:52:43] Tim Maginn talks about the hardest aspects of the trek, including self-doubt, keeping up with his experienced teammates, and contemplating whether to continue or turn back.

Reaching Base Camp and Accomplishments [00:54:35] Tim reflects on reaching base camp, the camaraderie with fellow trekkers, and the sense of accomplishment and readiness for future challenges.

The trekking conditions [01:00:49] Tim Maginn discusses the conditions during the trek in Nepal, including the accommodations, heating, and challenges faced.

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While delivering an excellent customer experience is indeed harder than it looks, we’re the experts. It’s all we do, every day, and we’re darn good at it. If you’d like to learn more about how we make managing the parking experience look easy, visit our website at www.parkertechnology.com, or shoot a note to getstarted@parkertechnology.com.