While you might think county government is an occasionally dry topic for social media, Michelle Mills sees it exactly the opposite. As Alamance County’s Public Information Officer, a role she took on at the end of 2016, Michelle is charged with making government interesting and accessible.
“Are you kidding- there is always something exciting going on in our community” Michelle said. “Alamance County always has a lot going on, and making sure people are knowledgeable and have access to services is job one.”
A finalist for the Rising Star Award at last year’s Leading the Way, Michelle left Alamance Public Libraries after more than five years in a variety of roles including Branch Manager at Graham Library and Associate Director of Community Relations. During that time, she led the County’s effort to obtain a book mobile and advance the StoryWalk Project, an initiative of the United Way of Alamance County.
She decided to take on the Public Information Officer position as a strategic move. She has also started grad school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill seeking her Master’s Degree in Public Administration. When she successfully completes the master’s program at UNC Chapel Hill in 2018, it will be her third graduate degree, joining a Master’s degree in Education from Pensacola Christian College and a Master’s degree in Library Science from Rutgers University.
“I am a passionate learner,” Michelle said. “But I am not just an academic – I am also someone who needs to be getting my hands dirty making a difference in my community.”
Committed to being a public servant, she sees making a lifetime commitment to Alamance County – an incredible commitment for someone born in Korea and raised in Connecticut so still a relative newcomer to our community. But it is par for the course based on the feedback from her peers, who see her as an emerging leader who will make a big difference for the people of Alamance County. And for now, she sees doing that one Facebook post at a time.
“The next generation of local leaders are online, and we need to meet them where they are,” Michelle said.
We agree, hence the launch of this blog! WRC celebrate Michelle Mills for her commitment to our community and for fighting the good fight for the eyes of constituents on social media.
