my story is about what it means to devote one’s life to public service. It has not always been an easy life. It comes with long hours, missing out on personal and family time, an enormous burden of responsibility, and considerable anxiety and stress and, at times, opposition and even hostility. It often requires putting aside personal fears to fulfill one’s mandate, and it demands rising to occasions that others might choose to avoid. But it can be a deeply purposeful and rewarding experience, one that centers on taking care of people and working toward the common good.