A DAO in the Life January 2021
Goodbye 2020!
Glenda Bradley, Orange Assistant County Administrator for Management Services
By the time you read this article, it will finally be over: 2020, that is! As I write, I wonder how it will feel to see it all in our rearview mirror: the pandemic, the crazy politics, civil unrest like we’ve never seen before. I’ve never thought of myself as a “Deadhead”, but I’ve just got to say…what a long, strange trip it’s been! As we greet 2021 with vaccines in sight, I wonder how living through the past year will affect us. Somehow it seems our perception of the world may forever be changed by these (I hate to say it) unprecedented times.
Even before I heard about the coronavirus, I knew 2020 would be a year of great change and transition for me professionally, because the County Administrator I had worked with for the last five years was leaving. This led to a short period with an Interim County Administrator (thank you Brenda Garton) before the new County Administrator, Ted Voorhees arrived in April. At the same time, I was still finding my way in a fairly new role as Assistant County Administrator and transitioning away from full-time responsibilities for the County’s finances. Having worked in local government finance for thirty years, I was uneasy about stepping outside of my comfort zone and uncertain of the support I needed from leadership to add value in my new role.
Thankfully, both Brenda and Ted turned out to be excellent leaders. Although I’ve been working “outside of my comfort zone” most of the year, I could not have chosen better teammates to respond to the pandemic and other challenges of this unusual time. When the pandemic began, Brenda provided wonderful initial guidance in the form of policy recommendations to the Board and written communications for our employees. These set the tone for the County’s COVID response by emphasizing the goal of keeping employees healthy in addition to addressing the economic worries of employees by the use of paid administrative leave during early building closures. In an employee survey conducted over the summer, several employees remarked that the County’s COVID response showed how much it cares about its employees. The written policies and protocols also served as a framework for developing the County’s Infectious Disease Prevention Plan required by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry.
After Ted’s arrival in April, he worked with the Board and Department Heads to develop a comprehensive spending plan for the Cares Act Relief funds that spanned four critical areas: the County's Direct Response, Individual and Family Assistance, Business and Community Partner Support, and Broadband Access Emergency Projects. The largest single project was the construction of a wireless broadband network throughout the County to facilitate students accessing the virtual learning platform in use by the Orange County Public School System. The wireless network of six “hot spots” is also available for small business owners and others to conduct business remotely due to COVID. The multi-pronged approach to the use of Cares Act Relief funds enabled us to reach a broad spectrum of the community and I am gratified and proud to have been a part of it.
As the year winds down, I reflect on the fact that I’ve been able to grow professionally in ways that would not have happened without the unsolicited stretch opportunity presented by an evolving public health crisis and a transition in County Administrators. The year 2020 forced all of us to work outside of our comfort zones, in an atmosphere of constant change, evolving recommendations and incredible ambiguity in so many areas (ex. CRF Funds requirements). Being part of developing the County’s response efforts to the pandemic has been both a career highlight and a major learning experience for which I’m grateful.
On a more personal note, though 2020 has been a year full of uncertainty and hardship for many, this period of flux has also drawn attention to the simpler things in our lives, creating more space for gratitude for our loved ones and for new beginnings where they’re needed. I have found myself more appreciative than ever of my father (90 years young and still learning), my siblings, my significant other, my children, and even my work family during this crisis. I have realized just how important it is to make time for being a part of their lives (even through phone calls, Zoom and Facetime). It’s as though some of the busy distractions of life were swept aside by COVID restrictions and I realized just how unique and irreplaceable these folks are in my life. As we head into 2021, let’s remember what we’ve learned and continue to take care of each other on the other side.