Excerpts from the nwitimes.com:

Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson had a starring role as the CBS television series “Undercover Boss” made its eighth season premiere. The series follows executives as they slip anonymously into the rank and file of their own organization.

She saw her appearance in the show as an opportunity to highlight the city and the opportunity to acknowledge the entire group of employees, especially the ones who appeared on the segment.

Shooting of the episode took place in early August and on the show she is shown working alongside employees at the Gary Sanitary District, the city’s park department, the fire department, and the police department. A well-known and often photographed mayor, Freeman-Wilson was disguised with the help of her staff and a local beautician. It took about an hour each morning for the disguise to be applied.

She said none of the employees recognized her, although she did veto working with one employee who she thought would see through the disguise. Employees were told that she was a contestant on a game show called Tough Jobs. 

Clips show Freeman-Wilson raking sludge at the sanitary district, helping to pick up trash by tossing a large container of trash into a large, 25-year-old beach cleaning vehicle at the city beaches, getting into a firefighter’s gear, and undergoing some police training. The job at the sanitary district was the worst, she said.

Based on what she learned, Freeman-Wilson said it was decided that a payloader would be a better piece of equipment to use for that on the beach. The city is also going to rehab the firehouses, beginning with the one she worked at, and obtain more police vehicles than originally intended.

The mayor said the experience with the employees left her with a real sense of pride and gratitude. The employees she worked with are underpaid and overworked, but were some of the most dedicated people she ever worked with.

thanks Asher

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