Please allow me to introduce myself, my name is Christopher Inglese and it is an honor to serve as your Newberry County Administrator. My family, wife Asmae and baby Noah, arrived full-time to Newberry in January and it’s been full steam ahead at the county offices. We’re extremely grateful to Newberry County Council for the opportunity to serve this special place we now call home.
My plan is to provide regular updates on the people’s business. It’s a busy time in local government, and we have many challenges and opportunities that, together as a community, we can continue to successfully navigate. There’s no doubt that the pandemic presented new opportunities for government to rethink processes and procedures and streamline its activities. We had to quickly pivot to online meetings and live streaming meetings for the public’s benefit. As we emerge from the pandemic, technology has been at the forefront of county activities. The county is committed to continuing live streaming services for Newberry County Council meetings. Please go to YouTube.com and search for “Newberry County” to find our channel.
Newberry County values transparency and wants to ensure that information is accessible to all county residents. As such, the county is working with information technology professionals to re-think the structure, layout, and ease-of-use of the county website. An updated website is on target to be launched later this year. Already, residents can view council meetings in real-time, retrieve documents, and subscribe to the CODE RED Emergency Notification System. The county is also working to make it easier to access real estate records, including deeds and mortgage records. The public will be able to access these documents online and at their convenience.
As part of our efforts to modernize the human resources functions, the county has created an online job application. We have also adopted the QR code printed below to assist with recruitment efforts. Job seekers can use the QR Code to view available employment opportunities at the County. We’ve also adopted a recruitment slogan: “Dreams and Teams Together for Newberry County.”
The County is also updating the classification and compensation system. These compensation/classification studies provide organizations with the framework to hire and retain qualified employees. Furthermore, the study will assist the county with identifying paths for career progression, addressing recruitment and retention needs, and establishing minimum qualifications to facilitate recruitment of talent. We’re experiencing the same workplace recruitment challenges in government as the private sector. Therefore, this effort will help keep Newberry County a preferred employer in the community. We believe the county’s benefits and compensation package, along with a supportive work culture, makes Newberry among the best places to work in South Carolina!
The county is in the process of converting to paperless paycheck statements. A mobile self-service app will allow employees to receive alerts and immediately view their pay stubs. As a result, employees will have 24/7 access to their pay information. This instant access will reduce the use of paper and save staff time while empowering employees to have information they need available anytime. It’s exciting to see all of the ongoing technology improvements that enable us to deliver excellent customer service to the residents of Newberry.
In other good news, Newberry had the pleasure of hosting Spartan’s Sprint 5K and Super 10K at the Johnson Farm and Lynch’s Woods recently. The Super 10K consisted of more than six miles of terrain and 29 obstacles, while the Sprint 5K consisted of more than three miles of terrain and 20 obstacles. The weekend-long event brought approximately 6,200 participants from across the country, and runners were cheered on by more than 500 spectators. The event was an astounding success, and we look forward to hosting the Spartan Race for many years to come.
Thanks to Newberry County Council’s leadership, there is a newly appointed Newberry County Economic Development Strategic Planning Task Force. The Task Force is developing a strategic plan to focus on future countywide priorities. Strategic planning is the primary method by which the county plans and prioritizes its goals in a transparent and accountable manner. As part of the process, council is seeking input from county residents and community stakeholders. The remaining community input meeting dates are:
• August 22: Prosperity, The Depot, 115 Grace St., 5:30-7 p.m.
• August 23: Newberry, Community Hall, 1207 Caldwell St., 8-9:30 a.m.
• August 23: Pomaria, Town Hall, 138 Folk St., 5:30-7 p.m.
Economic Development has three significant projects in progress. First, we are nearing completion of the Daeyoung Electronics USA LLC (Daeyoung) project. Daeyoung is a Samsung supplier and its new $55 million facility will bring 220 new jobs to Newberry. Second, the Mid-Carolina Commerce Park has a roadway extension under construction. Once complete later this year, the new road will create 8-10 potential economic development sites. And third, through the hard work of Economic Development Director Rick Farmer, the county has secured $3.7 million dollars to extend Mawson’s Way Road and resurface the existing road.
There is so much to tell you about it is impossible to fit in this section. Therefore, I will return regularly with the permission of the editors, to tell you more about the people’s business. In the meantime, please be on the lookout for the county’s newsletter and upcoming social media posts to keep in touch with what is going on at your county government. If you would like to sign up for the upcoming newsletter, please email Saralyn at syarborough@newberrycounty.net. I am happy to hear from you anytime 803-944-5066 or cinglese@newberrycounty.net.
Christopher Inglese is the county administrator for Newberry County.