Meet Gwyn Buckheit

Meet Gwyn Buckheit, the Santa Rosa Fire Department’s administrative and human resources analyst. Gwyn is responsible for a lot of the behind-the-scenes work that happens at the fire department, from running recruitments to risk management, to fire prevention, and hazmat support, and a lot in between! Gwyn never thought her career would be one in the field of public safety. She started out working for a mortgage company, but as the housing market began to crumble, she looked for something more stable and discovered an opening as a part-time senior administrative assistant with the City of Santa Rosa’s Transit and Parking Division. Not long after, Gwyn applied for a full-time position with the Santa Rosa Fire Department. Gwyn finds her work at the fire department incredibly fulfilling and couldn’t imagine working anywhere else. In fact, she encouraged her daughter to apply for a job with the City, and she is now happily working in the City’s planning department. It’s the variety and the challenges of her work that keep Gwyn coming back year after year. She loves that she gets to interact with the community in her position and that the job itself is never boring, with something new to learn and opportunities to grow each day. Gwyn’s advice for others looking to find their passion and start their careers is to seize every opportunity to learn and to think about and figure out what makes you happy. Most importantly, have confidence in yourself. Seek opportunities to promote, even if you don’t feel like you are ready, it’s important to put yourself out there and try. Or, if it is a new field you are interested in, ask for a job shadow or an informational interview, or enroll in a mentoring program. When Gwyn isn’t busy helping the fire department administration run smoothly, you can find her spending time with her 2 ½ year old granddaughter, camping in her travel trailer with her husband and friends, and traveling to Hawaii for vacation and family visits. Gwyn also enjoys taking long walks or hikes, working out at her favorite Sweatmood gym, and spending quality time with her two daughters, their family and her best friends.