Greetings from Cherokee County. It is a humbling honor to have been elected and to be trusted to serve as the new secretary/treasurer for the North & East Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association. I look forward to the knowledge I will gain from the opportunity to work with Polk County Judge Sydney Brown Murphy, Cass County Commissioner Paul Cothren, Cooke County Judge Jason Brinkley, and Johnson County Commissioner Rick Bailey as we serve this Association.
Cherokee County is easy to find on the map; we are the long, skinny county located in the Piney Woods of East Texas. We are a rural county with a population of just over 50,000 residents, and we are part of the trunk transportation system that connects the Port of Houston to the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex.
I am currently in my third term as Commissioner. Prior to becoming Commissioner, I was in the nursery business for 25 years raising bedding plants and servicing the Dallas/ Ft. Worth area.
When it comes to serving, I am no stranger. I serve on many boards and volunteer groups. I am a part of the Texas Association of Counties Core Legislative Group. I am also a director of the East Texas Council of Governments.
I am a deacon in my church, I participate in city organizations such as the chamber of commerce where I serve as the chairman of the transportation division, and I am involved in civic and volunteer groups throughout my community.
When elected as Commissioner, I had many preconceived ideas as to what this job would be like and the things I would or could accomplish. One thing I have always tried to keep in the forefront of my mind is the importance of servant leadership.
In the traditional leadership model, oftentimes the leader’s main focus is the thriving success of the related company or organization.
A servant leader shares power, puts the needs of the employees and their constituents first, and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. Servant leadership inverts the norm, which puts the customers being served as the main priority. Instead of the people working to serve the leader, the leader exists to serve the people. I would like to challenge you as an elected official to focus on being a servant leader.
We are all faced with challenges that occur on a daily basis; some are clear, and others we need help with, but together we can make the world we live in a better place.
As your newest officer, I look forward to serving as your secretary/treasurer of the North & East Association and to strengthening relationships within our membership. Thank you for allowing me this opportunity.
By Cherokee County Commissioner Kelly Traylor
Newly Elected Secretary/Treasurer
North & East Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association