{"id":54834,"date":"2023-11-01T08:45:45","date_gmt":"2023-11-01T12:45:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=54834"},"modified":"2023-12-19T12:19:28","modified_gmt":"2023-12-19T17:19:28","slug":"difference-maker-dylan-riveras-path-to-public-service-brought-him-through-utc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/11\/difference-maker-dylan-riveras-path-to-public-service-brought-him-through-utc\/","title":{"rendered":"Difference maker: Dylan Rivera\u2019s path to public service brought him through UTC"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Dylan

Dylan Rivera, who received a bachelor’s degree in political science: public policy from UTC in 2020, is the City of Chattanooga’s director of policy planning and implementation. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

The photo on the wall of his City Hall office reminds him of how far he has come and the importance of getting a college education.<\/p>\n

Dylan Rivera, a 2020 graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, is the director of policy planning and implementation for the City of Chattanooga. His work directly influences Chattanooga\u2019s minority neighborhoods by bridging the disparities in generational health, safety and prosperity.<\/p>\n

He said his role focuses on helping people \u201cmove up in where they are in their socioeconomic status\u201d and making impactful changes for their families.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a mentality instilled in him by his grandparents, Frank and Millie Rivera.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandparents were migrant workers, and I\u2019ve got the photo on the wall\u2014a reminder that they were migrant workers,\u201d Rivera said. \u201cMy grandpa was the first of 10 to graduate from high school. He was the youngest of the bunch.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd my grandmother, she graduated from high school and I think tried a little bit of college. They really drove home that education was important. They were the ones that said, \u2018You\u2019ve got to go to school.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Millie passed away in 2022 at the age of 69. Frank retired a few years ago from Bolthouse Farms in Bakersfield, where he became director overseeing distribution and warehouse operations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were the greatest hype people you could ask for,\u201d Rivera said. \u201cIt was those two who were the ones always saying, \u2018You\u2019ve got this. Keep going, keep working on it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A

A photo of Frank and Millie Rivera hangs from the wall of Dylan Rivera’s City Hall office (photo courtesy of Dylan Rivera).<\/p><\/div>\n

On his journey to becoming a first-generation college graduate, Rivera\u2014who majored in political science: public policy with a minor in criminal justice at UTC\u2014needed time to figure out his true calling.<\/p>\n

After graduating from Soddy Daisy High School in 2012, he left the area to pursue an athletic training degree at Middle Tennessee State University, \u201cbut I didn\u2019t love it as much as I thought I would.\u201d He tried online schooling; again, it didn\u2019t feel right.<\/p>\n

So he took a break from school, moving first to San Jose, California, and then to small-town Idaho Springs, Colorado.<\/p>\n

In trying to figure out what he wanted to do, he would often call his grandparents for support.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy grandma Millie was the one who introduced me to public service,\u201d he said. \u201cThat was just who she was, working at the food bank at her church in Bakersfield (California). She was always very much of a community-oriented, shirt-off-your-back kind of person.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery time I\u2019d call, it was \u2018Mijo (darling), when are you going back to school? Hey, you\u2019ve got to go back to school.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Performing public service gradually became synonymous with working for the government.<\/p>\n

\u201cI lived in a county that I think had 1,500 people in three or four cities,\u201d he said of his time in Colorado, \u201cand I started understanding a little bit more of how government works in a very small, concentrated form.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rivera returned to Chattanooga and enrolled at UTC with a plan of getting involved in city politics. The mission, he said, was to come back to his hometown \u201cto make more impactful change for all parts of the community, not just specific areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the same time, he worked nights and weekends and \u201codd jobs here and there.\u201d He spent time as a project manager with the non-profit Southeast Tennessee Development District. He also took 16 to 20 course hours each semester to catch up with his younger brother, Matt\u2014who was pursuing his psychology degree at UTC.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a lot and at times overwhelming,\u201d he said, referring both to the school\/work\/life balance and the race to be the first in his family with a college degree.<\/p>\n

Rivera credited UTC Professor of Criminal Justice Tammy Garland with pushing him to keep going.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe wasn\u2019t my initial adviser, but I was going to her so often with questions that she eventually just said, \u2018Why don\u2019t I become your adviser?\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cShe was huge in making sure that I understood the process and didn\u2019t feel overwhelmed by all of it. It was a lot to digest when you don\u2019t have family\u201d who had gone through the college process.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would go to her for everything. She was a huge cheerleader champion.\u201d<\/p>\n

Garland called Rivera one of her all-time favorite students, saying he was bright, critical \u201cand he always kept me on my toes.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMore importantly, he demonstrated a great level of understanding and empathy for the community,\u201d she said. \u201cIf you have met Dylan, you know that he has a big heart and is a force to be reckoned with. He is passionate about making a difference in the world and does not hesitate to challenge the status quo.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for being the first in the family to graduate college, the Rivera brothers\u2019 race ended up in a tie.<\/p>\n

\u201cI caught up, but it was a sprint to make sure he wasn\u2019t ahead of me,\u201d Dylan Rivera said with a laugh. \u201cWe both graduated at the same time. Yeah, same announcement.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf anything, we were just proud of each other for both accomplishing that,\u201d said Matt Rivera, who continued his education at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee\u2014earning a master\u2019s degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology in May. He is now based in Macon, Georgia, and works for the National Diversity Council\u2014where he was recently named people and culture coordinator.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know both of us just thought it was really cool that we\u2019re in the same class and we\u2019re first-generation students. The only bummer was that there wasn\u2019t an in-person graduation commencement because of COVID.<\/p>\n

\u201cOnce he graduated, he jumped right in there with Mayor Tim Kelly \u2026 and what he\u2019s doing is so impactful for Chattanooga.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Dylan

Dylan Rivera received the Chattanooga\u2019s Choice Award at La Paz Chattanooga\u2019s 2023 Latino Leadership Awards ceremony.<\/p><\/div>\n

In high school, Rivera worked part-time in an indoor soccer complex in the Hixson\/Red Bank area. One of the clubs training at that facility was coached by Kelly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a 16-year-old kid asking him questions about cars,\u201d Rivera recalled, \u201cand I don\u2019t think many people realize he\u2019s a pretty good goalie. I would watch and be like, \u2018He can move.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen he announced that he was going to run for mayor, I reached out to him and said, \u2018I\u2019m about to graduate from UTC with my degree in public policy, minor in criminal justice. I would love to be able to help in the campaign however I could.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Rivera quickly became part of the Tim Kelly for Mayor team. After Kelly was elected mayor in April 2021, he joined him in City Hall to serve as director of innovation special projects.<\/p>\n

In February 2022, Rivera was named director of policy planning and implementation. His role is to help guide strategic initiatives, working with departments across the city to help implement the mayor\u2019s One Chattanooga strategy.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I do is a lot of the upfront planning and front-end research of some of the policy directions we\u2019re going in,\u201d he explained. \u201cOn the implementation side, it\u2019s a lot of making sure that once we hit go on something, everything is in place, everything\u2019s in order\u2014so it hits the community in the way it was designed to.\u201d<\/p>\n

When he moved into his current position, Rivera\u2014at the time just 27 years old\u2014became the first Latino appointed to a Mayor\u2019s Office position in the city\u2019s history.<\/p>\n

\u201cDylan and I have spent many hours together talking with residents in every neighborhood across Chattanooga,\u201d Kelly said, \u201cand I can tell you from working alongside him here at City Hall that he not only cares deeply about our community but is increasingly seen as a leader who I expect will play an increasingly significant role in our city going forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cDylan has a unique ability to connect with people from every walk of life, and the city policies and partnerships he has cultivated will continue to serve our residents for years to come. Chattanoogans should count themselves lucky to have him in their corner.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rivera\u2019s work has been noticed outside City Hall. In September, he received the Chattanooga\u2019s Choice Award at La Paz Chattanooga\u2019s 2023 Latino Leadership Awards ceremony.<\/p>\n

This award, determined by popular vote, honors notable Latino people who have made significant contributions to Chattanooga\u2019s communities and industries while fostering cross-cultural understanding and relationships that benefit both the local Latino population and the city as a whole.<\/p>\n

\u201cI traveled back to Chattanooga for that award ceremony and it was just really touching to see,\u201d Matt Rivera said. \u201cI mean, he got the Chattanooga\u2019s Choice Award. People had to vote for him; it wasn\u2019t just one that was given out. He had to get community support for that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWinning that award shows that he\u2019s making a difference in a lot of people\u2019s lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn More<\/h4>\n

Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

Political Science and Public Service<\/a><\/p>\n

Criminal Justice<\/a><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dylan Rivera, a 2020 graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, is the director of policy planning and implementation for the city of Chattanooga. His work directly influences Chattanooga\u2019s minority neighborhoods by bridging the disparities in generational health, safety and prosperity.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1493,"featured_media":54837,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_slider":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_featurette":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[70,123864,61,3,122419,50311,7712,8244,12778,8325,72949],"tags":[123559,5012,123557,83313,123560,123563,123564,123558,119381,123561,123562,72918],"class_list":{"0":"post-54834","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academics","8":"category-advancement-and-alumni","9":"category-college-of-arts-sciences","10":"category-community","11":"category-criminal-justice-college-of-arts-sciences","12":"category-criminal-justice","13":"category-faculty-and-staff","14":"category-honors-and-awards","15":"category-political-science","16":"category-service","17":"category-social-cultural-and-justice-studies","18":"tag-city-hall","19":"tag-city-of-chattanooga","20":"tag-dylan-rivera","21":"tag-first-generation","22":"tag-frank-rivera","23":"tag-la-paz-chattanooga","24":"tag-latino-leadership-awards","25":"tag-matt-rivera","26":"tag-mayor-tim-kelly","27":"tag-millie-rivera","28":"tag-public-policy","29":"tag-tammy-garland","30":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nDifference maker: Dylan Rivera\u2019s path to public service brought him through UTC | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dylan Rivera, a 2020 graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, is the director of policy planning and implementation for the city of Chattanooga. 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