Latest / Saluda County Unplugged / Introducing our New County Administrator
Transcript
- Josh Morton: Have questions or an idea for an upcoming episode? Email us at publicinfo at saluda county dot sc dot gov. And as Bill and Ted always said, be excellent to one another. We'll see you next week. Bye. years a long time to serve one community and that kind of experience doesn't come around often. And now that experience is stepping into one of the most important roles in Saluda County government. Today we're sitting down with Regina Turner to talk about her new role as County Administrator. This week on Saluda County Unplugged. All right. Well, we are here today with Saluda County's new County Administrator, Ms. Turner. Regina, welcome to the podcast. Thank you. I'm glad to be here. Thanks for being here. So Regina, you've been serving in Saluda County for a long time. Let's take it back to the beginning. How did this start for you? Well, I was raised here in Saluda and attended Saluda schools and my family enjoys the pace of life here. and the rural community. And I started working for the county about 30 years ago in the treasurer's office then promoted to deputy treasurer and then on to purchasing and finance. ⁓ been the ⁓ administrator for the last five years. 30 years, that is a long time ⁓ work in one place. lot of people don't stay in a place that long. So what has kept you working Saluda County for that long? ⁓ I working for the county ⁓ and a public servant. I've worked with all departments in the past and learned a lot about operations from beginning to end and how the work flows from one department to another. So Regina, you're behind someone who held the position for a really long time. How is that stepping up into that role and kind of what did their leadership mean to you going forward? Over the years, Ms. showed me how patience really is a virtue. Some decisions need to be made quickly, but the best decisions are well thought out, planned, listening to the true ⁓ of the community. talking about ⁓ and being patient. I think a lot of times people don't really understand just how challenging these jobs can be. ⁓ And, really do have to balance ⁓ what's best for community as a whole. ⁓ And, that can very difficult. All right. So for those that are listening that aren't as familiar with the position that you're in, what does the county administrator actually do? Well, the day-to-day task is more budget and operational troubleshooting, but the big task is planning ahead economically and financially and keeping up with the community concerns. The goal is getting ahead of things and leading the county forward and not being reactionary. Proactive, not reactive. Yes. ⁓ Okay. So as you step into this role, what are kind of your top priorities right now? Top priorities now is more in the line of planning and economic growth in the right places positive interact with other agencies and the public. And I think this podcast is a huge step in the right direction. I think a big deal that we so committed right now to. trying to get good information out to the public and making people aware of what Saluda County has going on. And that's why we have you here So what are a couple of the biggest challenges in your opinion, facing Saluda County today? One of the challenges ⁓ for all government agencies that I've seen over last couple years has been ⁓ the concern about negative feelings from the public even with each other. We all need to work together for what is best for the community with a positive attitude. These agencies are operated by your neighbors and who you go to church with and who you grew up with. And just because you may have a different viewpoint on issues and you feel a little different about things, that doesn't mean that they're your enemy. Everyone should feel free to discuss issues and work on solutions together. And that is something that I in today's society, not just in our county, but in society in general, we've lost that ability to sit down and have conversations and discuss things and debate things without getting mad at each other, totally going off the rails. And the important thing that we all need to remember is we all want what's best for our community. We just may not always agree on exactly what that looks like. Yes, I love listening to everyone's opinions gives better view of where you're going and where you've been. Yeah, absolutely. And we all want to get there together. Yes. so kind of flipping this question the other direction, talking about some of the challenges, but what are you most excited about right now as far as opportunities in the county? Well, the upcoming capital project sales tax committee that has been working hard, those projects to me are very exciting opportunity for the county going forward. I haven't seen the the final list yet but I know what I've heard from ⁓ of the meetings and from conversations it sounds like there's a lot of things in there that could really ⁓ benefit our community push us forward. what something that ⁓ you want people in Saluda County to understand better about how local government works? Just that government is here to work for you. From public safety to the court systems, recreation, library services. I would like for ⁓ everybody come involved with your fire departments. You can help coach or cheer for the children in sports activities. You can sign to help with elections or their plenty committees and board opportunities to be involved in. and that has with the County and the town, you just need to reach out and let us know what you're interested in. And we mentioned earlier about collaboration, really it takes everyone working together ⁓ to make our the best place that it can possibly be. And so, if you're listening and you are interested in getting involved with any of these opportunities, feel free to reach out, you what would be the best place for them to call? That would be Rachel. Awesome, so you can call our public information officer, Rachel Porter, who is also my co-host, and we will be happy to point you in the right direction. Yes. what's the best number they can reach you on? the best way to reach me is if you dial ⁓ our number 864-445-4500 my extension is 2340. can also reach me publicinfo at saluta county dot sc dot gov. ⁓ All right. Well, Regina, thank so much for joining us today and ⁓ we look forward to working you in your new role. Thank you. I'm glad to be here.