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Employee of the Quarter: Abigail Courington
Courington is a planner in the Community Development department. She was hired in August 2022.
Nominated By: Senior Planner Mariel Fowler, who said Courington routinely exceeds expectations, offers incredible customer service, and takes on any challenge she is given without complaints.
Tell us a little bit about your career path up to this point.
Before working here, I had graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Public and Urban Affairs. My goal was to get a job in planning regardless of where it took me in the state. I couldn’t be happier that I ended up in Bedford County.
What do you enjoy the most about working in Community Development?
I really enjoy getting to work with the public and helping them with their zoning issues.
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Navigating the complexity of the Bedford County Zoning Ordinance and applying it to real life situations.
How do you stay organized?
It is extremely important for me to stay organized as I have so many projects that I am currently working on. Because each project has its own set of requirements, I have a whiteboard in my office that I keep all my open projects on. Each project is organized into the different types, and I always include a brief description on what the individual project needs.
You are also very involved in Bedford County’s Wellness and Engagement Committee, which formed in 2022. Which initiatives or events have you been the proudest of?
I am most proud of the Sudoku Puzzle Challenge I initiated. The eight-week challenge started with easy puzzles emailed to all staff and ended with expert-level puzzles. We had a lot of participation from staff and look forward to doing another similar challenge in the future.
How do you spend your free time?
I spend the majority of my free time either reading or creating flower arrangements out of paper.
Employee of the Quarter is selected by the County Administrator and Deputy County Administrator through nominations from Bedford County staff.
