This is to set out the reasons why I chose to resign from the Board of Commission for the JWSC and take on a new responsibility of working as the Temporary Deputy Director. I only had one more year to serve on the board and I did not plan on seeking another 4 year term. However, I did want to use all the knowledge and experience I have gained in the last 3 years to continue to benefit JWSC.

I have served on the Board for three years. Nearly nine months of that time has been as the Acting Executive Director. This was more than a full-time 40 hour week, as broken water and sewer lines often choose nights, holidays and weekends to break. This was during a crisis time at JWSC because we had lost our full-time director. JWSC is a 24 hour, 365 days per year business that could not go leaderless. Some people wanted to hire a consultant to come in to manage the JWSC. We felt that by the time they figured out what was going on we could have a new director. Some suggested using a current staff member to double up their work task. We felt that this only leads to neither job getting done properly.

Seeing this emergency problem, Commissioner Don Elliott and myself agreed to take on the task of guiding JWSC during this crisis until a new director could be hired. We both have been in leadership position in the military where we were responsible for hundreds of personnel and millions of dollars of assets and budgets. Having committed ourselves to service on the board we chose to take on the task of running the JWSC, at no compensation, until we hired a new director. This advertising, vetting, scheduling interviews and then finally contracting with the successful candidate took nearly six months. We then had to give the new director a few weeks to give his former employer notice of his taking a new job.

One of the most important things that Mr. Elliott and I learned during this period is that it is not a “one person” job. With over 140 employees, three waste water treatment plants, numerous drinking water production facilities, hundreds of miles of water and sewer lines, over 30,000 customers and a $28,000,000.00 budget, it is a job that needs constant attention.  

I’d like to believe that you would choose to make use of our services even if you had other options. 

That’s one of my core philosophies and it affects how I’ve handled my involvement with day-to-day operations over the 8 years that I’ve been with this organization. The services that you expect to receive, whether you’re making a cake for your kids or giving them a bath, should be reliable and meet or exceed standards of health outlined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Georgia Environmental Protection Division of the Department of Natural Resources. We take these standards seriously and actively protect you from the dangers that have recently befallen other utilities, such as Flint, Michigan. I’ve personally visited utilities in other countries, such as Venezuela and Mexico, and know first-hand how lowering your public utility standards can have a devastating impact on public health. Rest assured that the JWSC takes our responsibility to protect you and your family seriously. It’s our number one concern.

You’ve no doubt been aware of our constant media presence over the past couple years. Some of that news has been good, reflecting the progress that’s been made to the utility infrastructure, and some had been very unpleasant. With new leadership at the helm and renewed vision across all levels of management, it is my heartfelt conviction that we are moving in the right direction for being able to sustain long term growth while also being able to effectively maintain existing systems and services. We will operate with the utmost professionalism and transparency. We welcome communication with us via our customer service office, here at our website, and social media (such as Facebook and Twitter).

We want to give you every opportunity to have your voice heard. 

As one means to assist with this mission, I am honored to announce that the JWSC has selected me to serve the community as the Public Information Officer. Technically, my title is Public Education and Systems Analysis Manager. My responsibilities will be three-fold: IT Manager, Emergency Planner, and Public Relations. While all three will receive my attention, I believe what matters most to you at this time is the public relations aspect. We want to do our best to communicate to you as accurately and as timely as possible everything that you need to know to have confidence that we are operating with transparency and honesty.

To shine a light on our staff, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know each member of our team of 140 technicians, analysts and administrators well enough to say that they are highly motivated, very skilled and focused on providing you with the services that you expect each and every day. We have a top notch employee training program and we’re anxious to find even better ways to become more effective. I’d like to see our staff so well educated that they could choose to work anywhere but so well treated here that they wouldn’t want to leave. 

Our Commissioners and management team would also like to extend to you an invitation to attend any of our board meetings, held twice a month on Thursday afternoon. We will also be engaging you specifically once a quarter at a town hall meeting, providing updates on upcoming projects and hearing from you to help us ensure that your needs are being met. Recognizing that life is sometimes so busy that attending one of our meetings will be difficult for you, we’ll be looking at ways for you to stay connected with us using other available means, such as streaming our meetings, if possible. 

We believe that the water and sewer services that we deliver are the life-blood of both the residential and commercial communities within Brunswick and Glynn County. We want you to share in that understanding that we are as vital to you as you are to us.

Sincerely,

Jay Sellers

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