American City & County names 2002 County Leader of the Year
Atlanta Ñ American City &County has selected Joey Preston, county administrator for Anderson County, S.C., as the 2002 County Leader of the Year. The magazine presents the award annually to recognize outstanding leadership in county government.
Joey Preston’s local government career began in the mid-1980s in Charlotte, N.C., where he worked in the city’s Operations Department while studying political science at the University of North Carolina in Charlotte. In 1988, he moved to Cherokee County, S.C., to become the county’s first assistant administrator. One year later, at age 24, he was the youngest county administrator in the history of the state.
Preston joined Anderson County six years ago, and, since then, he has led the county through $30 million in capital construction projects. He also has lured new industries and recreational opportunities to the area, started a bus system to connect four area universities, and led the county in developing long-range road and sewer construction plans. He also has reorganized county departments, improved financial reporting and boosted employee benefits to recruit qualified employees and to reduce turnover.
American City &County readers submit nominations for the County Leader of the Year Award. The magazine’s editorial staff and editorial board select the award’s recipient each year.
American City &County will honor Preston at the 2002 Annual Conference of the National Association of Counties, which is being held July 12-16 in New Orleans. A profile of Preston and his award-winning work will be featured in the July issue of American City &County.
American City &County has been the voice of local government since 1909. The magazine serves an audience of city and county officials who are charged with developing and implementing local government policy, programs and projects. The magazine maintains its leadership position by providing its readers with news, government trends, policy alternatives and operational solutions. For more information about the magazine, visit www.americancityandcounty.com. American City &County is published monthly by Primedia Business Magazines &Media Inc.