Maggie Fitzgerald, former public information officer for the City of Statesboro, stepped over to county government recently by accepting the position of Bulloch County clerk.
Fitzgerald will serve as clerk to the Board of Commissioners as well as Bulloch County Manager Tom Couch's executive assistant.
"I am excited and honored to be the clerk of the Board of Commissioners and the executive assistant to the county manager," she said Tuesday. "Tom Couch, Garrett Nevil, and all of the county commissioners have been very gracious while welcoming me aboard.”
Fitzgerald will take over duties including serving as secretary for Bulloch County Commission meetings, including responsibility for maintaining compliance with the state’s open records and meetings laws.
She will also help Couch in coordinating various administrative duties, special events and projects.
"I'm excited about the skills and knowledge that Maggie will bring to the county," Couch said. "Her advanced education and prior experience as a legal assistant and in public relations will add new value and dimension to our senior administrative staff."
Fitzgerald said she is looking forward to furthering her experience in working for government agencies. "My new position will allow me the privilege of being more involved in strategy and will afford me a wonderful opportunity for continuing my education in local government."
A Savannah native, Fitzgerald, 29, holds a Bachelor’s degree in English and a Master of Public Administration degree, both from Georgia Southern University.
She was hired as Statesboro’s first public information officer in 2004, and was responsible for media relations and overseeing a variety of special projects for the city manager’s office.
After graduation from St. Vincent’s Academy in 1997, she attended Georgia Southern University from 1997 to 2001, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor’s of Arts in English and a minor in psychology.
In 2005, Fitzgerald graduated from GSU with a master’s degree in Public Administration. In addition to serving as Statesboro's public information officer until accepting the position with Bulloch County this year, she served as ex-officio for the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority.
"The Board of Commissioners is delighted that Maggie Fitzgerald has joined us," said Garrett Nevil, board chairman. "We conducted an exhaustive search that produced an unexpected number of highly qualified candidates. Maggie came out on top, and we look forward to benefiting from her unique experience."