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By Karen Norris, Interim Executive Director, Texas Association of Counties |
There’s a pen and pencil set on my desk; a gift
from retired Garza County Judge Giles Dalby
to commemorate the ribbon-cutting of
the TAC building in 2003. Giles was the president
of the Texas Association of Counties in 1984 when I
joined the staff for a year or two to monitor a special
legislative interim study. The set is inscribed “we’ve
come a long way” and for me, how true that is.
Now, I have been honored by our board of directors with being selected to succeed Sam Seale as executive director of TAC. Sam was my boss, friend and mentor and I am humbled by the challenge of moving into his office and assuming the responsibilities of overseeing your association as we move through the natural transition that will follow the loss of a our leader of more than 20 years. Since joining TAC, I’ve come to know and work with hundreds of county officials across the state, but I know there are many more who I’ve never met, so let me introduce myself. I grew up in the small community of Santa Anna in Coleman County, the only child of an elementary school teacher and an oil field “wildcatter.” I fell into political work in the mid-1970s. After economic pressures forced a massive layoff at the healthcare association where I worked, I found myself at a fairly young age out around the state working with our members, visiting legislators in their districts and establishing a political action committee. After I graduated from the University of Texas, I got a legislative job working with a group of attorneys and later served as a committee clerk for the Retirement and Aging Committee in the Texas House of Representatives. Then in 1984, TAC Executive Director Sam Clonts hired me to monitor a major initiative to redefine state and local responsibilities on indigent health care, and I’ve been wrapped up in county government ever since.
Through the years, I’ve seen lots of change – both at TAC and within county government. I’ve seen TAC grow from a small six-person office focused on governmental relations with outside contractors managing our self-insurance operations to the strong, broad based organization we are today. It’s been rewarding and challenging to work with a core group of exemplary staff to build this organization and we’ve been so very blessed with a long line of association leaders who established challenging goals in the interest of Texas counties and then gave us the resources to get the job done.
So today I find myself leading a group of 130 or so who do nothing but live and breathe county government. We have a true passion and love for county government’s unique and essential system, with all its challenges. Nothing gives our staff a sense of accomplishment more than meeting your needs.
County government itself has changed as officials in office today tackle an array of issues that are much more complex and demanding than ever faced before. That means officeholders are particularly concerned about effective use of their time. They want continuing education programs that help them do their jobs in practical ways. Similarly, they want communications from their association that are informative and insightful about the political environment in which they must operate. And now more than ever, I meet county officials who see technology as essential to maintaining county government’s relevance in the future. They are challenged to meet major responsibilities with dwindling resources in an ever more complex world. Changes in county government seldom affect only one office and actions by state and federal governments can have huge impacts on counties at any time.
As I’ve said, my first glimpse of the inner-workings of county government began with then TAC Executive Director Sam Clonts. Sam was a spare West Texan with a sharp wit and a wealth of wisdom. I remember asking Sam how any organization could represent the divergent political and operational needs of all Texas counties and all county officials. Sam’s response was “very carefully.” This advice has stood me well.
A year or so ago, Sam Seale launched a series in our publications titled “Spotlight on Commitment”. Through it, you’ve met members of our staff talking about their personal commitment to you, our members. Sam did this for two reasons. He wanted you to get to know us better but more importantly, he knew these personal statements would strengthen and focus our staff to serve you even better. So as I take on this challenging role, here is my commitment to you. I learned that early lesson and I will indeed be “very careful” with this wonderful resource that I have inherited for a period of time. I will follow the guidance of our association leaders to nurture it and grow it to address your ever-changing needs and I will do all that I can to position Texas county government for the leadership role that is needed in this state.
With the leaders TAC has today – Brazos County District Clerk Marc Hamlin as our president and Tarrant County Commissioner J.D. Johnson as our president-elect – it will be a rewarding and enriching experience. I am grateful for this opportunity. I will need help and guidance from each of you