Vici Smith now has a new title within Lyon County, Public Relations Manager.
Smith’s new role was announced during the Lyon County Commission’s regular action meeting Thursday morning. Smith brings 31 years of knowledge and experience to the position and began her professional career in 1991 as a legal secretary for Perkins and Hollembeak.
She then worked with Steve and Jack Atherton in the same role from 1993 to 2004 before being hired as the office manager and administrative legal assistant for the Lyon County Court Trustee and Assistant County Counselor’s Offices. Smith says she is excited to take on her new role and says her main focus will be increasing transparency between the county and community in all areas of county operations.
Smith’s hiring follows the announcement of Christine Johnson as the City of Emporia’s Communications Manager roughly two months ago. Smith says having both a city and county communications professional will lead to not only more transparency between local government and community members but better cooperation between city and county leadership.
Smith will officially assume her new role in October.
In other business, commissioners approved the purchase of fitness equipment for the county’s new employee fitness center set to be constructed inside of the Lyon County Courthouse Annex. The more than $66,500 purchase from Ringside-CSI-Fitness First will be paid through American Rescue Plan funds and will include free weights, treadmills, barbells and ellipticals.
County Commissioners set aside $100,000 total in APR funds for the fitness center project. Lyon County Commissioner Scott Briggs says the new fitness center falls “directly in line” with APR criteria.
He adds, one of the major benefits to county employees will be the “ease of access.”
A timeline for the project is not available at this time.
For additional details on the county commission’s meeting visit this story at KVOE.com. The Lyon County Commission will reconvene for its weekly meeting next Thursday at 9 am inside the Lyon County Courthouse Commission Chambers.
