Page 2 - Aug 2020 Citrus
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2 • AUGUST 2020 - Senior Voice of Citrus County
C i t y M a n a g e r L o o k s F o r w a r d
t o I n v e r n e s s ’ N e x t C h a p t e r
By Megan Carella before moving to Citrus
County and joining the
People often work in public Florida Division of Forestry
service for a time and then as the senior forester for
take their experience to the Hernando County.
private sector. Or, they start a
public service career working “Working on the private side
for a small government – a was rewarding but, when
small city, perhaps – then I moved to Florida, I was
move to positions in larger looking to expose myself
governments like a county or to the public side of land
state. management,” he said. “I
wanted to see how the other
Eric Williams has done the half lives, so I took the job
opposite and couldn’t be with the state to see how it
happier. The new Inverness went.”
City Manager went from
a career in private land After serving as Assistant City Manager for six years, Eric It went well. He was
management to jobs in the Williams was promoted to Inverness City Manager in early promoted to manage the
Florida state and Citrus January 2020. (Photo by Jim Vavala) region’s GIS, focusing on land
County governments before management and wildland
joining the City of Inverness fire/disaster response. The
as manager in training in program was successful and
2013. offered him the opportunities
to work around the state and
“Most people go from nation for response to natural
little government to big disasters, providing GIS
government. I’ve done the support to incident command.
reverse,” he said. “I love The work led him to Citrus
that I’ve been able to be a County government, which
part of different facets of was in its infancy of learning
government. With a city, you how to bring GIS into its
have to be involved with all midst.
arenas of management.”
In 2008, Eric was hired by
Eric, age 39, uses all his Citrus County to be part of a
career experiences, including development team to build a
land management and new GIS system. As the team
planning, his civic-minded Eric spearheaded the renovation and reopening of the Valerie succeeded, Eric did too. In
activities, and his love of the Theater as a non-profit cultural center and continues to oversee three years, he had become
outdoors to steer a steady projects that beautify, and bring interest in, the city. (Photo by Jim Vavala) the director of geographic
course for the adopted city said. “For the last 20 years, bachelor’s degree in forestry/ resources in Community
he loves. Despite the recent Inverness has been a builder land management and Planning.
challenges with COVID-19, of great open space, and economics, and a master’s
he still believes Inverness is a redeveloper of blighted degree in biometrics and GIS is, simply, a computer
poised for great development streets and areas. We have the Geographic Information system capable of holding and
and success. opportunity and tools to go to System mapping (GIS), from using data describing places
“My passion is to see the next level.” Mississippi State University. on the earth’s surface.
a community grow and Born and raised in southern He worked in private land “If you’ve ever used Google
maintain its appeal,” he Alabama, Eric earned a management in Mississippi
and Alabama for five years Continued on page 3
