8 A
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 2015
City
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from 1A
council meets again Tuesday,
Jan. 20, in another executive
session.
Reynolds said, “At that
point, they will have a discus-
sion, and it will go onto the
agenda for them to actually
make a formal decision on
whether to accept (the contract)
or redirect Larry.”
She added, “I already know
what is in the draft and what
their goals are. I know person-
ally that I align with those very
well.”
Reynolds, 33, was born in
Albany, Ore., and spent most of
her life in the Willamette Valley
before moving to Florence with
her husband and two children.
Her degree from Oregon
State University is in business
administration with a focus on
accounting. She also earned her
certified public accounting
(CPA) certification.
“I came out of school and
immediately started studying
for the CPA exam,” Reynolds
said. In the meantime, she
worked for a public accounting
firm.
“It happened to have a niche
in government accounting. So
that’s where I fell in love with
government accounting and
learning more about the public
sector,” she said.
A later job at a CPA firm in
Eugene had a similar focus.
“Their niche was govern-
ment accounting and the Native
American tribal governments. I
worked there for four years. I
was falling more and more in
love with the public sector and
government in general,” said
Reynolds.
While the city manager posi-
tion has been open for some
time, Reynolds seriously began
considering the position in
November.
“It was just a very significant
moment in my life because it
was putting in motion a change
in career,” she said.
Reynolds knows her experi-
ences will help in the city man-
ager position.
“One of my leadership skills
is that I am skilled in adminis-
tration and being able to look at
the big picture. The really great
thing is, even though I’ve never
been a city manager before, I
do come with 3-1/2 years of
experience of the city’s opera-
tions.”
While she has been the
finance director, the city’s
financial department has
thrived.
“We’ve had very successful
budget seasons that went very
smoothly,” Reynolds said.
“We were able to just
upgrade the look of our budget
document, and the thorough-
ness of it, and the process of
our city’s financial audit, a
process I was able to streamline
and make a better process for
everyone.”
Her family is another reason
Reynolds applied. Living in
Florence has helped her gain a
“community perspective.” Her
children, ages 8 and 14, and her
husband Greg are involved in
the community as well. Greg
even won a “Tastiest Chili”
award, though it has his wife’s
name on it.
“Like I said, remember that
partnership deal? It was actual-
ly my husband who cooked the
chili and I brought it to a
potluck,” she said.
“He has been very support-
ive and a part of the team all the
way through my successes ––
they are our successes.”
She added, “We’ve just fall-
en in love with Florence.
There’s just no other way to say
it.”
It seems that the city agrees
with her. Former city manager
Jacque
Betz
presented
Reynolds with the Amazing
Employee Recognition Award
in October 2013.
“It was very special when
you receive any award from
someone you respect and
admire,” Reynolds said. “You
take it to heart. It was very spe-
cial to win that.”
Reynolds and her financial
team also won the 2013 Helen
and
Alan
Berg
Good
Governance Award through the
League of Oregon Cities for
work implementing an idea by
former mayor Nola Xavier.
While Reynolds looks for-
ward to the new position, she
knows there will be difficulties.
“There are significant chal-
lenges and we call them oppor-
tunities around here,” she said.
“Really my goal as the city
manager is for people to recog-
nize I’m the facilitator.”
One of the city manager’s
main responsibilities is work-
ing with the city council.
“They are the ones who
make decisions. … Working in
partnership with them makes
sure I’m implementing things
that they want in the way they
want them. Also, the partner-
ship goes both ways. It’s just a
Ladies Elks scholarships, grants still available
The Florence Ladies of Elks,
B.P.O.E. No. 1858, is offering
applications for scholarships
and vocational training to any
graduating senior from the
high schools of Siuslaw,
Mapleton, Reedsport and
Triangle Lake who plans to
attend an accredited college,
university or trade or vocation-
al education program.
The deadline for all applica-
tions is March 5, 2015, with a
Reporter
from 1A
for me.”
“I’m really happy that
Chantelle has agreed to be our
full-time reporter,” Baer said.
“During the time she spent
with us last summer, she
showed that she had the enthu-
siasm, the personality and the
skills to be a part of our news-
room.”
Meyer had the unenviable
task of having to interview
Awards
from 1A
Properties, Florence Dental
Clinic, Flowers by Bobbi,
Oregon Pacific Bank and Sand
Master Park.
Florence Chamber Execu-
tive Director Cal Applebee
said, “For eight years, the
Siuslaw Business Awards have
recognized leaders within
Florence’s business communi-
postmark no later than Feb. 28,
2015.
This year, $2,000 awards to
four-year institutions will be
available in addition to several
assistance awards of $1,000 for
one- and two-year professional
certification programs at two-
year institutions.
Students are advised to
request an application packet
from their counselor, along
with an information sheet
with not one, but two newspa-
per editors, outgoing editor
Theresa Baer and her replace-
ment, Ryan Cronk, former fea-
tures editor.
Cronk said, “Chantelle fits
in great with the newsroom.
She is energetic, upbeat and
meticulous, all important traits
for a reporter. We’re happy to
have her on board.”
“I got a feel for the news-
room when I interned at the
paper this summer,” Meyer
said. “The team is great. I feel
detailing the materials to be
included when submitting the
application packet.
All packets must be com-
plete.
Awards will be announced
in April.
Funds for scholarships and
grants awarded by the Ladies
of Elks are accumulated
through fundraising projects
held throughout the year.
two-way street. I just see
myself as a facilitator.”
“We’ll be learning some
things along the way together.
We have a great council and
great employees and I know we
can get some things done.”
Reynolds,
however,
acknowledges that she won’t
be working alone.
“I also have great staff and
people who have been around
doing this for a while and have
great experience in that. Our
city recorder has been with the
city over six years and she cer-
tainly knows what’s required of
running meetings,” she said.
Reynolds also hopes to “con-
nect the past and the future
while focusing on the present.
We can learn a lot from the
past, and we can gain a lot of
energy by dreaming for the
future, but we still have to fig-
ure out what we’re going to be
doing today, in the present. I
feel that’s one of my key roles
as the city manager is to have
that comprehensive approach
to things.”
“That’s my dream. What we
do between now and then –– I
think the possibilities are limit-
less,” she said.
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like I can ask questions and
easily get answers from any of
the reporters, staff or the editor.
It will be good to be a part of
such a dedicated team.”
Siuslaw News General
Manager Jenna Bartlett said,
“Chantelle is sharp and has a
great sense of humor. I look
forward to the added perspec-
tive she will bring to our
paper.”
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ty. With nominations submit-
ted from the community, this
award is truly a prestigious
marker of achievement.”
Winners will be announced
during the Siuslaw Awards
dinner, Jan. 21, at the Florence
Events Center.
The doors open at 6 p.m.
Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m.
Dinner tickets are $30 and are
available at the Chamber
Visitors Center.
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We love our locals!
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