Georgia County Internship Spotlight

                                  

 

Stephanie Allen, an accounting major at Coastal Georgia College, and David Shoemaker, a public policy major at Georgia Tech, interned with the Franklin County Board of Commissioners during the summer of 2020.  

 

Allen and Shoemaker helped to codify the county code which had not been updated since 2001.  There were many components to this project. To begin, Allen and Shoemaker were tasked with reviewing all the county’s resolutions and ordinances and examining minute books to fill in any gaps. The interns then worked with department heads to determine which ordinances and resolutions were not currently being utilized. Next, Shoemaker and Allen created a database of all resolutions and ordinances with key words, scanned all files into an electronic format, and created a list of draft changes and resolutions that needed to be created. 

 

When asked about the favorite part of the internship, Allen noted to learn more about her home county and gaining a better understanding of county issues. Shoemaker enjoyed reading the older resolutions and ordinances which not only taught him more about the law, but also gave him more insight as to the planning of the community.

 

In terms of skills, Allen felt that the internship gave her an opportunity to work more independently by being responsible to make decisions and accomplish established goals. She further stated that the internship helped to reinforce the importance of managing your time, prioritizing, setting benchmarks, and implementing the plan-all of which Allen feels will help further her career when she enters the workforce. Shoemaker felt that his time with the county gave him a much deeper and broader understanding of county government. He further noted that he learned a great deal from the county manager on county governance through his work on this project.

 

To learn more about the Georgia County Internship Program, visit our website at ACCG Advancing Georgia's Counties.