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After a search that lasted nearly a year, the Town of Allendale has hired a new town administrator who will be responsible for coordinating municipal operations, cross-department coordination and stewarding the town’s finances and grants.
Kathryn Harrison, a consultant and public administrator, started her first day as Allendale town administrator on July 8. Harrison holds a bachelor of international/global studies and a master of public administration from Georgia Southern University, as well as a bachelor of business administration and Ph.D. in political science and international affairs from the University of Georgia. At the Allendale Town Council’s July 10 meeting, the council introduced Harrison to the community.
The Allendale Town Council is a council form of government, with the council having most decision making power. The council is navigating multiple challenges, ranging from a lack of resources and funding for public works departments to financial mismanagement, which have come up frequently during council meetings.
The People-Sentinel spoke with Harrison about her past municipal experience, her hopes for the position and the relationship she hopes to have with the council and the community. Harrison declined to comment on specific financial issues that the town faces.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Elijah de Castro: How will your educational background play a role in your position as town administrator?
Kathryn Harrison: I had a concentration in marketing when I got the bachelors of Business Administration, which I think will be really helpful. This town is such a treasure, and I feel like if we can succeed in all of the initiatives that are out there we can really elevate the message of “All together Allendale.” I loved seeing those posters. My second degree was a bachelor's in international studies with a concentration in war and peace. You’re probably thinking, how in the world is that relevant to this? But the majority of what I’m going to be bringing from that degree is conflict resolution. My masters was in public administration, so everything falls into that; statistical analysis, policy analysis, public budgeting, things like that.
Elijah: You mentioned you think Allendale is a treasure. What is it you see in Allendale that made you apply for this position?
Kathryn: The people that I spoke with. I saw the opening for the town administrator position and knew I wanted to get back into public administration. This was a months-long process of multiple phone calls and in- person interviews. The passion with which everyone that I spoke to talked about the town and everything they could see in what the Town of Allendale can be just got me really excited about the possibility of being part of that.
Elijah: When people hear “administrator,” they might not think that it’s a face they can come to. How do you want to develop your relationship with the community more?
Kathryn: One thing I did today was just going and exploring. We visited the local Mexican restaurant El Jardin, and I was on the hunt today for a local dry cleaner I can use. I’m on the hunt for any local businesses that I can invest in and support. I want to be out there and I want people to feel comfortable being able to come up to me and approach me.
Elijah: The council struggled to hire an administrator, and there’s been a history of administrative malpractice in Allendale County. Of what importance do you think an administrator plays in the community?
Kathryn: The administrator by all accounts is in charge of running the day-to-day operations of the town. Without having someone taking care of the day to day it doesn't free up the council to be able to explore and innovate in the way that they need to because they're getting bogged down in that day-to-day. The importance of the administrator specifically for the Town of Allendale right now is to allow the council to stop pulling double duty; [they should] get out there and be creative. [The administrator should] be a support for the council and be someone they know they can rely on.
Elijah: There’s a lot of different departments within the town [government] and as administrator you’re going to be working between them. How do you do those collaborations when you’re working between different departments and there’s a lot of people to communicate with?
Kathryn: I’m doing a lot of one-on-ones with the department heads to start off. I really want to know what they’re struggling with, what they need help with and where they can be supported. Then it's time to get all of those department heads together. Let's look across the board and see if there are similar issues and see if we can come up with solutions across the entire town and not just in one department. Cohesiveness is one of the things that I value. Let’s get everyone in a room and hash it out and bring everyone to the table. When you have everyone engaged and have the creativity from having everyone sitting down together, you have no idea the potential that has.
Elijah de Castro is a Report for America corps member who writes about rural communities like Allendale and Barnwell counties for The People-Sentinel. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep Elijah writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today.
