Georgia County Internship Spotlight

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Heather Anderson, a Master of Public Administration graduate student at the University of Georgia, interned with Oconee County’s Financial Department this summer. Anderson was first introduced to local government through a course she took at UGA. Her internship allowed her to learn a wealth of information about how the finance department operates in conjunction with other county departments to work effectively for the citizens of Oconee County.

Over the course of the internship, Anderson was tasked with assisting staff members through a variety of duties. Her main accomplishment was a trend analysis over a 10-year period for the county from FY 2007 to FY 2017. The research required her to review county SPLOST information collected through memoranda and compare it to six neighboring counties. The information included real SPLOST distributions and the year-over-year monthly changes including their descriptions. Anderson made three recommendations based on her research. One recommendation was that the county investigate local and national events and trends in months of spiked revenue identified. Finding these spikes throughout the country, the county can better predict similar spikes in SPLOST distributions and anticipate the extra revenue.

When asked about her most rewarding experience, Anderson cited the creation of an Excel spreadsheet that organized, condensed and simplified pertinent information vital for procurement specialists. Anderson further enjoyed cultivating and expanding her software skills through utilization and exposure to various departmental software programs. Anderson said her favorite part of the internship was conducting research and creating real life, tangible programs to be used for the benefit of the county’s citizens. Along with the great relationships she developed over the tenure of her internship, Anderson felt that making a difference made going to work each morning exciting. In addition, the networking experience provided her with a number of new contacts that, in the future, will assist her in her career.

As Anderson finished her time with the county, she was asked to give advice to her peers interested in seeking internships. She advised future interns to do their research before accepting any internship and recommended applying for county internships based on her experience with Oconee County. In terms of future career goals, Anderson is definitely considering a job in county government.

For more information on the GCIP, please visit the ACCG Civic Affairs Foundation website at http://www.civicaffairs.org.