Two of Greene County’s key services – emergency medical and planning and zoning – were the recipients of special organization awards recognizing their contributions to their fields of community service.
Gary Usry, Greene County commission chairman, brought forward special recognition at the conclusion of last week’s county commission meeting.
“This is a big deal,” Usry said. “It continues to demonstrate the high standards we have for community services and speaks to the professionalism we strive for here in the county. We are fortunate to have dedicated staff and departments working to provide excellent service to our residents. Their hard work has been recognized and helps make Greene County a great place to live and work.”
The Georgia Emergency Medical Service Association recently presented Greene County EMS with the award as EMS of the Year for the State of Georgia. The award recognizes the skills, expediency and proficiency of a county’s EMS service, which includes life-saving measures to area residents.
Anna Sheridan is the county’s new EMS Director and has served in the position for a year following the resignation of Jeff Smith.
Sheridan, 33, holds a B.S. in Biology and received certification from Athens Technological School as a certified paramedic. As the new director, she oversees a fiscal budget, 31 personnel and both procedural and protocol measures for the paramedics and technicians in the county. She has served as an EMS professional for more than 11 years in rural communities and also flew on medevac flights out of Milledgeville.
“Greene County’s EMS is a 24-hour service that provides year-round care to our residents,” she said. “Presently, there are three stations where our dedicated crews operate out of. They include the Richland Connector, Union Point and our headquarters at the government complex. Each is manned by a certified paramedic, a shift supervisor and an EMS technician.”
The county also received recognition for its Planning and Zoning department under Director Chuck Wooley, director of building, zoning and project management.
It received recognition from the Georgia Soil and Water Conservation Commission as the local issuing authority of the organization. It seeks to recognize those county agencies that exemplify a commitment to conserve, protect and improve the soil and water resources of the state.
With approval given to initial phases of the future developments of Airabella, a 136-acre planned unit development featuring retail and single-family homes along Linger Longer Road, and a new, hotly contested 1,400-home development by Kolter properties along the Richland Connector, planning and zoning often comes with challenges to meet conservation needs.
Wooley oversees a staff of eight, who appropriate regulations and plans for the county. They recommend and guide the county on the boundaries of the various zoning mandates, enforce its regulation and plan for future land use. This includes checking for compliance, recommending variances and changes and defining how county land can be used.
“This award, along with many other recognitions the county has received, solidifies the leadership of its county government,” Wooley said. “This has included listening to community input and input from county governance into attainable goals. Greene County continues to be and is a most-in-demand place to live.”