County employee of the year selected

Columbia County officials recently recognized Linda Lindley as the 2007 employee of the year.

//

"I was overwhelmed," said the administrative assistant in the engineering department. "I had no idea this was coming."

Lindley started her employment with the county in December 1995 as an administrative assistant in the county commission office. She transferred to the engineering department in August.

"Sometimes in our lives we get to the point where we need something different and is a challenge," she said. "We all get stuck in our zone, and we hate to give it up. I enjoyed what I did, but I needed something different."

An added benefit of her job, Lindley said, is seeing how policies are formed.

"When I was in the commissioners' office, you see the final product," she said. "Here, it's different, because you see how that product comes together before it goes upstairs for a vote.

"For me, this has really been awesome."

As employee of the year, Lindley won a plaque, an umbrella, a $50 Wal-Mart gift certificate and a paid day off.

The county's Employee for Excellence Committee chose Lindley for the honor.

"My main thing is customer service," she said. "I'm not the only one who provides good customer service, but I guess it's going above and beyond just the daily duties."

An Augusta native with two Marine sons, Lindley said it requires a team effort to accomplish her job.

"I'm just one team member out of 700 employees within this county," she said. "My hat is off to them, because they are just as deserving of that award as anyone. It takes all of us together to make it work."