Life is a constant juggling act for Angela Nale, and her desk at Central Bank - a disarray of scattered papers and colorful sticky notes reminding her of meetings - highlights her hectic schedule. She joked she doesn't go - or more accurately, couldn't go - anywhere without her calendar, not with a schedule like hers.
"There is utter chaos in what I do," Nale said with a laugh. "But I thrive off of it. I love being busy. The day I retire will be the death of me. I don't think I could do it. I will be 80 years old working here at the bank and trying to be involved in things."
Nale is the public relations coordinator and marketing officer for Central Bank in Jefferson City, ensuring the bank is represented well in the towns it serves and that it gives back to the local community, whether that means financially supporting school activities or even volunteering to wrap and deliver Christmas presents to the Boys & Girls Club of Jefferson City.
However, that PR title only gives a small glimpse into Nale's active life.
In her marketing role, Nale serves on various local associations and has played a vital part in promoting popular community events and advertising the Capital City's assets.
Nale was one of the drivers behind revamping downtown Jefferson City's Thursday Night Live, which was starting to crumble under the old model.
Up until this year, Thursday Night Live took to the streets every Thursday evening in June to provide free entertainment. While that strategy worked for several years, Nale said, it proved unsustainable due to the unpredictable Missouri weather and an increase in event expenses.
This year, Thursday Night Live organizers spread the entertainment between May and October. They also added a $5 cover charge for everyone 3 years or older, as well as making changes to the stage and sound equipment.
"When you spread all of those events out, you're not putting all of your eggs in one basket," Nale said.
On top of a struggling business model, the west wall of the building at 200 E. High St. partially collapsed near the event stage in June 2018, only hours before Thursday Night Live was about to put on its first show of the year. The organizers canceled that show then had to cancel a week later due to weather.
"That was a very rough year for Thursday Night Live," Nale recalled. "That kind of put us in the hole a little bit financially, so we are happy to say we are no longer in the hole."
Working through the redesign of Thursday Night Live, as well as quickly adapting to the sporadic weather and crumbling downtown building, has been "the most successful thing" Nale said she has done with the organization.
Being involved in Thursday Night Live also helps Nale tackle another passion - making downtown Jefferson City flourish.
Nale's mother and stepfather worked in downtown Jefferson City, so Nale grew up watching the area evolve.
A revolving door of vacant buildings and fresh businesses in the downtown area makes her role in the Downtown Jefferson City Association crucial.
Nale joined the Downtown Association about seven years ago and currently serves as its secretary. While she does simple things like scheduling Santa Claus' downtown visits, she also finds ways to help downtown businesses, like promoting their services or highlighting the area.
Part of highlighting the area means addressing arising issues, like vacancies. Between businesses moving to different locations or closing up shop, there are four or five vacancies in the 200 block of East High Street alone.
"That's definitely not what we want," Nale said. "We want to fill them back up with businesses and restaurants (and) show people that this is a viable, growing area that's a great place for you to bring your business."
Nale's role in the Downtown Association has opened several doors for her, including sealing a position on the Salute to America association.
"That has been a whirlwind," Nale said, widening her eyes slightly in exaggeration. "It is such a huge event over like two days, and it's just, what can we do to change it and make it more exciting? You really have to think outside of the box."
While the 4th of July activities are exciting, Nale said, the combination of music, history and fun makes Concert Inside the Walls her favorite aspect of Salute to America. She remembers when the organization first kick-started the concert at the Missouri State Penitentiary, bringing in country singer Travis Tritt. Since then, the concert has showcased artists including Big & Rich, Wynonna Judd & the Big Noise, and this year's Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx.
"We've had to kind of test the market the last four years to really see what Jefferson City wants and we are your old-school, 'bring me my old rock 'n roll' type of town," Nale said.
It's difficult to image Nale doing anything besides racing around and making sure events are running smoothly, but she stumbled into her natural-fitting job only 12 years ago.
For a year, she worked in the trust department at Central Bank, until former Missouri first lady Georganne Nixon told Nale her personality was too big for that department and encouraged her to pursue marketing.
"I thought, 'Whew, I don't have to reel it in anymore," Nale said while laughing.
Nale said she enjoys working for an employer that encourages its employees to volunteer for an organization that "pulls at your heartstrings."
Ironically, the association that does just that for Nale is the American Heart Association. Her grandfather had a rare heart disease, while two of her grandmothers died of heart attacks. Those instances sparked a drive in Nale to educate people about heart disease, and she now chairs the association's Go Red for Women campaign.
"When you do gain weight or you do have a lot of stress, your heart is a little piece of your body, but you're asking something the size of your fist to fuel your whole body, and that's a big ask," Nale said. "You have to take care of it, so you have to take care of yourself."
Central Bank encourages its employees to exercise, providing a gym and examples of healthy diets. Nale took that one step further, having just wrapped up her sixth year coaching the Jefferson City Lady Nightmare Rugby Club.
While being involved and giving back to the community are her favorite parts of the job, Nale said, the risk of burnout is high.
Balancing her schedule is rough, especially as a single mother of two children. When her children were younger, Nale remembers taking them to her volunteering opportunities or meetings.
"Just showing them what it means to give back because they're growing up in a time where not a lot of people do that," she said. "There is no excuse - you have to give back to humanity. It could be as simple as ringing the Salvation Army bell. Take the 30 minutes out of your busy life to help someone else."