By Lorrie Ross
Staff Writer
Several years ago, Clay County Progress, ran a series focusing on directors, managers and other leaders of Clay County. Over the years, changes have occurred so once again, the newspaper will focus on the folks who oversee the various departments in Clay County. Fittingly, the series starts this week as we celebrate Labor Day.
Meet Clay County Transportation Director, Marie Gunther. While she has worked at Clay County Transportation since 2006, Gunther was named Transportation Director in 2016 when Becky Smith retired.
Gunther first worked as administrative assistant to Smith and Clay County Transportation. “I worked my way up,” she explained. “I’m thankful to have had a long training period for the director role because there is a lot to learn in the areas of federal and state compliance.”
Before working at Clay County Transportation, Gunther worked various office jobs and retail positions. “Probably the most relevant in terms of paperwork was working in the financial aid office at Appalachian State University,” she said.
When asked if she imagined working in local government when she was younger, she replied, “Local government work was not on my radar when I was younger. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else.”
Yet there are no typical days because they are all different. Gunther shared some details of her work. “Some of the fundamentals of my job are: supervision of Clay County Transportation Department and staff of 11 employees; short and long term strategic planning; policy development; completing grant applications and researching funding opportunities; adherence to budget; tracking ridership and completing numerous reports for the state.”
In addition, she oversees programs and policies mandated by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, which includes things like System Safety Planning, the Americans with Disabilities Act and Title VI.
Plus, there is even more to the job. “I serve on numerous non-profit boards to stay connected with the community and I am always available to make presentations for any organizations that would like to know more about our service,” she added.
Like any job, there are things she really likes and things she does not enjoy as much. What does she like least? “Being a recipient of federal and state grant funding comes with a lot of challenges,” Gunther said. “The constantly changing reporting requirements, regulations, policies and audits can be nerve-wracking at times.”
However, Gunther who was born and raised in Clay County, mostly enjoys her role. “I love the community and people here,” she smiled. “I am glad to be a public servant and help people get where they need to go.”
She is hopeful residents will learn more about Clay County Transportation. For example, many do not realize the service is for anyone who lives in Clay County, regardless of income.
“I also think people consider it to be an easy job, but the drivers have a lot of day to day responsibility. There is a lot that goes into laying out our daily schedules,” she said. “We have one of the biggest service areas in the state-traveling as far as Asheville, Atlanta and Chattanooga for medical appointments.”
She believes Clay County works to make things happen for its citizens. “Clay County is a very special place to work. There is great communication and coordination between all of the county departments, non-profits and churches to help people,” she continued. “If you know someone with an unmet need — you’re only a couple of phone calls away to finding a solution.”
Despite this, when asked what she would do if she could do any other job, even for a week, she responded. “Campground host at one of the National Parks.” Then she added, “Retirement goals-lol.”
Perhaps Gunther could implement her knowledge of transportation in one of the parks which is without transportation.
To see the schedule or book a ride, visit Clay County Transportation’s website: www.transportation.claync.us/ or call (828) 389-0644.