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One-On-One With Janice Gilley, Escambia County’s Next Administrator

Monday, the Escambia County Commission chose Janice Gilley of Molino as the next county administrator.

After contract negotiations are complete, her employment will be ratified by the commission, making her the first female administrator for the county.

“I am absolutely thrilled to have this opportunity. I wanted to purse this because our community has so much potential,” she told NorthEscambia.com shortly after the commission made their choice. “I knew I needed to get involved to make it reality. We need a stronger, more quality Escambia County.”

“I am extremely excited to work with Janice Gilley as our next county administrator,” District 5 Commissioner Steven Barry, who added Gilley to the finalist list two weeks ago. “She has so many of the qualities that Escambia County citizens deserve in their county administrator; integrity, aptitude, savvy, and a true heart for public service. I know she is going to do a fantastic job, and I can’t wait to for her to get started.”

Gilley’s 100 Day Plan, “Strive to Thrive in 2025″

Gilley has drafted a potential 100-day plan of “things I wish to accomplish and hold me accountable,’ she said. “There are four buckets of things — people, policies, processes and plans — a 100-day listening, learning and learning strategy.”

She plans to review the past county budgets, understand collective bargaining agreements and analyze the county’s organizational chart.

“There are 40 departments; that’s a lot of departments I want to look and see if the functions match, maybe organize them into divisions,” she said. “I also want to look at the how the procurement process works, making improvements to the process to make things move along. It should not take six months, plus three months on the street (to receive bids) to procure. At that point, almost a year has gone by without executing a plan.”

She is also concerned that less than 3-percent of county vendors are minorities. “I just don’t think that is acceptable,” she told NorthEscambia.com.

It’s all part of the strategic plan Gilley is calling “Strive to Thrive in 2025″.

“Recruitment and staff development are big issues, as are employee engagement programs,” she said. “Employees should know their role in government. Some feel like they have special privileges because of who and what they know, and that’s just not acceptable today.”

Escambia County EMS and Fire

As for the problems and the state investigation into Escambia County EMS, Gilley said she’s not able to offer much comment at this point. That’s because she only knows the little information that has been made public. More details have not yet been released outside current county administration due to the ongoing investigation.

“What I do know now is this…I do like transparency and accountability in government. The community should be involved in such a way that people don’t get surprised when something like this becomes public. I  want to make sure everyone is aware of what is going on.”

On another public safety topic, Gilley said she is supportive of continuing with a mix of career and volunteer firefighters if the system continues to work.

“As long as our volunteers are able to take the time and respond, I am 100 percent supportive of a volunteer service. We have to look at some metrics and numbers, and what is the level of service we will guarantee.”

Gilley’s Background

Gilley currently serves as the associate vice president of external affairs for the president at the University of West Florida. She oversees the management of special projects and governmental relations and serves as the liaison to the university’s board of trustees.

In addition to her professional experience at the University of West Florida, Gilley has served in the governor’s office, was a member of the Florida Legislature and is currently a member of the Santa Rosa Island Authority. She previously served as an Escambia County commissioner from May 2002 to November 2004, Escambia County School Board member in 1999 as well as a member and vice chair for the Three Rivers Conservation and Development Council from 1993 to 2007. Her volunteer services include working with the Pensacola Opera Board, American Cancer Society, Leukemia Society, Children’s Home Society and Trinitas Christian School.

Gilley earned her master’s degree in public administration from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s degree in journalism, public relations and communications from the University of Southern Mississippi.