Georgia County Internship Spotlight

Chloe Crosby, a sophomore at Georgia College and State University, got a double dose of county government as a GCIP intern during the summer of 2023. She interned with two different counties – Camden and Glynn – and had the opportunity to explore a range of county activities and responsibilities. An accounting major, Crosby worked as a Planning and Development intern in Camden County and a Finance intern in Glynn County.

Before her internships, Crosby had limited familiarity with county government operations. Though she understood the fundamental functions of county government, her time with the counties illuminated a fuller scope of county responsibilities.

In Camden County, Crosby worked on projects in the planning and development department. Working alongside the permit technician and building official, Crosby learned about department procedures such as the permitting process, inspection protocol, flood control measures, and the approval process for buildings and businesses. She also worked on setting up permitting files and records, implementing GIS files, and organizing paper and digital planning files. Of her many projects, Crosby noted that her most significant success was preserving historic county maps. Crosby carefully repaired, brightened, and scanned heavily aged maps for easy accessibility of county staff and residents.

Crosby’s favorite part of her internship with Camden County was her work with the Citizen’s Academy, a course for citizens to learn more about county government. Crosby assisted the planning and development department during their week of classes. As part of the classes, Crosby helped host a mock planning commission meeting, which she said was incredibly informative. “It was exciting to see citizens learning about what services we provide,” Crosby noted.

In Glynn County, Crosby took on a very different set of responsibilities as a business office intern. Working with staff in the finance department, Crosby assisted with creating a five-year and ten-year Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). She conducted research for the CIPs, updated internal project reports, attended meetings, and organized interviews with county officials to discuss the plans.

Crosby also reviewed county infrastructure and social projects related to the CIP such as funding from the American Rescue Plan (ARPA), Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) revenue, and other grant sources. She said her most significant success was creating a webpage for SPLOST 2022 project updates. "This project was a synthesis of lots of pieces of information beneficial for the public. These pages will allow for transparency and public involvement in important projects."

Across both internships, Crosby enjoyed meeting and engaging with county staff including department heads, commissioners, and other government stakeholders. Though her responsibilities varied between counties, Crosby developed and honed her skills through her internship work. From permit filings and building inspects with Camden County to conducting interviews in Glynn County, both experiences enhanced her communication and organization skills.

Crosby's experience in local government illustrated the importance of local government and the impact that county jobs have on communities. In the future, Crosby stated she will definitely consider a career in county government. “This has been an eye-opening experience to different possibilities I could pursue,” she said.

To learn more about the GCIP, please visit our website at https://www.accg.org/caf_index.php.

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