County manager surprised by building dedication

Stan Kelley knows about every item on the agenda each time there’s a Lumpkin County Board of Commissioners meeting. As county manager, it’s his job, and a job he does well.
This made it difficult when the board decided to honor his legacy as Lumpkin County’s first and only county manager by naming the future Development Services Building the Kelley Building in his honor, as the resolution had to be passed during the last Board of Commissioners Meeting.
“First thing, I can’t believe that y’all have kept this a secret,” Kelley said. “That is absolutely amazing....I really appreciate y’all coming out, I really, I didn’t have a clue.”
Having to pass a one-time naming exception to allow the county to name a building after a current county employee, as well as amending the agenda to add the resolution that would resolve to name the building, it didn’t take Kelley long to figure out what was going on.
With a packed boardroom, full of former commissioners and other elected officials, family and friends, Kelley accepted the honor with the humility he’s become known for over his 15-year tenure as county manager.
“I’m privileged to have had this opportunity,” he said. “I thought I wouldn’t say this until I get ready to retire but I have to really thank Steve [Gooch] and all the commissioners that were on that first original board that gave me the opportunity to serve this community. It was a great privilege, it still is a privilege to be able to serve the people of Lumpkin County. I’m really humbled tonight.”
Kelley was named the interim county manager in January 2005 when the county switched forms of government from a sole commissioner to a board of commissioners before being named the county’s first official manager two months later.
“We were looking for a county manager and we decided as a group we should hire an interim manager and so he took the job and we never looked back after that,” said Senator Steve Gooch, who was on the first board of commissioners in Lumpkin County. “We did put RFP’s out and took applications. We had a lot of applicants for the job. Stan had the least amount of experience of everybody that applied, because he had never been a county manager before. Everyone else that applied had experience, so we knew we were going to take a risk of being criticized...but we talked about it as a group. The commissioners all knew Stan personally...We had confidence, not only in his ability to get the job done, but his character integrity and we knew that was very important going forward. So the five commissioners voted unanimously to offer Stan Kelley the job as our first county manager and I don’t think we ever questioned that decision one time.”
The board interviewed 47 candidates before deciding on Kelley.
“I’d just like to say, I am so proud and so honored that the very first decision we made as a board of commissioners, was to bring Stan in as the interim county manager and looking back, I know it was the best thing,” said former commissioner Deborah Hutcheson. “...My life is better for knowing Stan Kelley.”
Kelley said that he never dreamed of being a county manager until he was offered the job.
“God works in mysterious ways,” he said. “I never thought I’d be in this job, ever. It didn’t even exist until Steve called me and said ‘You want to come up and be the interim manager?’ and I said ‘Well I need a job, I guess I will.’”
Since being hired, Kelley has helped shape the history of Lumpkin County, working with the first board to establish the groundwork the county government has since operated by as well as contributing heavily to the efforts of the county to improve the quality of life of its citizens.
“During his 15 years serving as County Manager he has spearheaded countless projects increasing the quality of life for the citizens of Lumpkin County, such as constructing a new Justice Center, Library, Splash Park, “All-Accessible” Playground, and the forthcoming Aquatic Center,” the resolution reads. “Stanley J. Kelley made improvements to the Community Center, Senior Center, Animal Shelter, Elections, and Administration Building and led us through a vast ADA Project Civic Access compliance project, and worked diligently to lead the county back to an excellent financial position.”
Current chairman Chris Dockery told the room about how Kelley has not only helped the citizens of Lumpkin County, but has also been a role model for the commissioners.
“I certainly appreciate his honesty, I appreciate his faith, I appreciate his leadership,” Dockery said. “Because honestly, not only does he set an example for his subordinates, he sets an example for this board.”
Kelley talked about his appreciation of the job and his colleagues.
“It really has been an honor and a privilege to work with all of the commissioners throughout the years, all the way back to 2005 and I appreciate that opportunity,” he said. “And this board as well has been great to work with. I have come to respect them very much and appreciate their leadership of Lumpkin County and what they’ve done and what they’re doing. They are really leading this county in the right direction and we’re seeing a lot of things happening in Lumpkin County, so we’ve got a bright future ahead.”
Kelley, who is on pace to retire in 2021, closed by thanking his family for supporting him through all the late nights and long hours and touting his staff, which he said was “the greatest staff of anybody anywhere.”
The county looks to start renovations to the future site of the Kelley Building, currently the old library building on Courthouse Hill, in December and expect the building to be finished within eight months.