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| Outgoing County Manager Reflects on Her Tenure in Lewis County By: Nick Altmire (nick@linkinglewiscounty.com) 06/12/17 10:00am |
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on June 23rd, after holding the position since April of 2014. Mrs. Swearingin announced earlier this year that she would be resigning and relocating to northern Kentucky, when her husband accepted a new position in that area. She agreed to stay on until the county could find a viable replacement, which was recently announced as Ryan Piche. Mr. Piche will be starting on June 21st. I had a chance to sit down with Mrs. Swearingin last week, as she reflected on her time in Lewis County- which came after an over twenty-five year career in the airline industry, as well as executive roles at U.S. Steel, a pair of software companies and a non-profit organization. "The main difference is the pace," Mrs. Swearingin said, when asked how government differs from the corporate world. "Government works a lot more slowly than the corporate world does, partly with good reason," she explained, noting the rules and regulations in place making the government process more deliberate. "Your hands are tied in a lot of ways that in the corporate world you wouldn't have to deal with, especially in regards to the Civil Service system." "I brought kind of a unique background," Mrs. Swearingin said, "with a very strong general management background. I've led very large, unionized organizations, I've worked with very small entrepreneurial software companies, but consistently have had a role in managing financials, budgets and investments, giving me a very strong financial background," she continued. Her experience in dealing with labor organizations and leading new initiatives also played a role in her time as County Manager. She noted that the introduction of software and technology as well as new programs such as solar and clean energy, in addition to education, were all new things taken on during her time that her experience helped implement. Across county departments, Mrs. Swearingin has been credited with streamlining and modernizing departments, while finding ways to save money during some challenging budgeting times. Under her leadership, the county has embarked on installing the new Tyler Munis software system, streamlining accounts and payroll across county departments. The county also saw an $11 million upgrade to the emergency 911 system, the conversion of the vehicle fleet to leases through Enterprise, the undertaking of a solar array project and implementation of other clean energy initiatives, and a focus on bringing higher education options to Lewis County residents. Tackling the county's issues with the self funded health insurance plan has also required a great deal of attention. "These projects are all tangible things that have been accomplished, but in more general terms, I think the other thing I've brought to the county is creating a professional and structured environment for the departments to work in," Mrs. Swearingin said. "There is a cohesion here now with consistency in training, leadership training, how departments handle their financials and budgets, as well as how departments request and obtain goods and services." "My first goal when I got here was to obtain financial stability for the county," Mrs. Swearingin reflected. "You have to stabilize a situation before you can fix it. Making sure I understood the budget and that the department heads understood their budgets, while challenging them to cut where needed, was an important first step. Stabilizing the situation at the hospital early on was a big deal, we had to have that in place to move forward with how to become more effective and efficient." When asked what she thought was the greatest accomplishment of her tenure, Mrs. Swearingin said that they all carry their own significance. "I was the catalyst, but I could not have done anything without the staff of people here who put the blood, sweat and tears into making things happen. They often don't get the recognition they deserve." I asked the outgoing county manager what some of the biggest fiscal challenges facing a small rural county such as Lewis County are. "Many of the mandates initiated at the state and federal level are really targeted at more populated areas with a smaller geography, and the unique characteristics of our county makes it more challenging to implement many of these policies, creating a lot of extra work with no real benefit. The margin for error in a small rural community is a lot less than it is in more populated counties," she explained, noting things like decreased funding in foster care, implementing the Raise the Age legislation, and the increase of the minimum wage and other factors, all happening at once, makes the ability of a community with minimal resources to react successfully nearly impossible. Taking one of the poorest per capita communities and implementing these additional policies, which may all be good, doesn't always make sense for a county our size, she explained, adding it is very concerning. Mrs. Swearingin noted some of the projects started, that she hopes will be completed, including the county's broadband initiative to bring broadband internet service to all areas of the county, the launch of the county's new website, and the leveraging of the new financial system. "Leveraging technology to make government more effective and efficient should remain a key focus," she said. We have a strong agriculture industry and great schools, Mrs. Swearingin said, noting infrastructure and a strong workforce are key to attracting jobs to the county. Getting communities to work together on projects, such as with the southern water district study, will be key in advancing opportunities. Educational opportunities are also important, preparing the workforce for today's job market. Tourism is an area the county could further advance, according to Mrs. Swearingin. Mrs. Swearingin has had a few conversations with incoming County Manager Ryan Piche, who will take over the position on June 21. "He is an extremely bright young man and I'm really excited the county is getting somebody young in, because we really need more younger individuals involved. They bring different solutions and think of things differently. He is bringing a lot of enthusiasm and I think he is going to do great things." "Lewis County is a very unique place, in many positive ways. The people and natural beauty of the county are phenomenal, it truly is a diamond in the rough. The people here have restored my faith in humanity, and you can quote me on that, " Mrs. Swearingin concluded. Mrs. Swearingin said she hasn't decided if she will be keeping her place in Brantingham, and does not currently have a new position lined up. It's safe to say that she has made a huge impact on Lewis County, during her short time here, and we wish her the best of luck in any and all future endeavors. |
