BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
The Union County Board of County Commissioners has hired a new Director of Solid Waste to serve the county. Residents may be surprised to discover that they already know him well.
Lamar Edward Griffis is known to many in the county as the Mayor of Raiford. He also works as a communications officer at the Union County Emergency Operations Center. In the past, he has worked as a shift supervisor for Sequel in Raiford and as an inventory receiving and zone manager for Walmart after he retired from the Florida Department of Corrections as an assistant warden. Griffis has received extensive training in multi-department logistics and other management skills, mostly through FDOC, in supervising up to 500 employees.
Twelve people applied for the position made vacant when previous Director Kimberly Hayes left county employ to take the position of City Manager for the City of Lake Butler.
The solid waste director’s position was advertised on the county website and, on Facebook, on the Lake Butler Community Page (with a link to the county site).
Personnel Director Michaela Clemons and County Coordinator Jimmy Williams vetted the applications and selected five candidates for interviews. One of the five withdrew his application before the interview process began, so only four candidates were interviewed.
After the initial interviews, the four candidates were scheduled for a second interview by the board, who would select their choice.
Once again, one applicant pulled out of the process before the scheduled board interviews, so only three applicants made up the pool of choice. The three applicants interviewed by the board at a special meeting on Jan. 29, 2024, were John William Gilmore II, Richard Bruce Kingsbury, and Griffis. Board members had already stated they were seeking a director with management skills and experience overseeing a substantial staff. This is because the UC Solid Waste Director wears several hats in the position – solid waste, mosquito control, and animal control.
John William Gilmore is from Starke and is currently employed as a probation counselor in Jacksonville; and has served in the ministry at three churches (Orange Park, Melbourne, and Jennings). He has earned a bachelor’s degree in theology and a master’s degree in ministry. He listed numerous skills, including customer service, facility maintenance management, and administrator.
Richard Bruce Kingsbury is from Lake Butler. He has worked as a maintenance construction supervisor for the Florida Department of Corrections since late 2006. Kingsbury has completed many courses in his work for FDOC, including certificates in Diversity on the Job, Cross-Functional Team Fundamentals, Working with Difficult People, Essentials of Interviewing and Hiring, Creating and Maintaining a Positive Work Environment, and several certificates for FEMA functions.
After completing the interviews and discussing the results, the board selected Griffis and offered him the position. He accepted, and his first day was Feb. 12, 2024. Former Director Kimberly Hayes will work with him to help train him in the specifics of the areas he will be responsible for.
