BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
Lamar Griffis is settling in well after his first week in his new position as the Solid Waste Department Director for Union County. He says he likes the job and the people he is working with.
Griffis is well known in the area as the mayor of Raiford – a position he said he will continue to serve in as it is not a conflict of interest with his job with the county. He has, in fact, already been a county employee as he has worked for some time as a dispatcher for Union County.
Griffis was born in Bradford County and graduated from Bradford High School in 1974. He moved to Raiford in 1988. He has worked in management and administrative positions most of his adult life and received much training for these roles while working for the Department of Corrections. He said he applied for the solid waste position because it sounded interesting and, as does his involvement in politics, it would allow him to be of more service to the community than in some of his other jobs.
The first thing Griffis would say about his new position is to compliment the former director, Kimberly Hayes, who is now the city manager of Lake Butler.
“Kim has done an excellent job here, both in running and improving this department,” Griffis said. “I came in, and everything was in good shape – no problems to fix or messes to untangle. I could not ask for anyone better to come in behind. She is already working at the city, but she has an open-door policy to assist me in learning the job, and I can call or go see her anytime I have a question.”
Griffis wears three hats in his new position –the solid waste department director and animal control and mosquito control director.
He is very much a family man. He and his wife, Benita (who also works for the county in the property appraiser’s office), have eight children: three girls and five boys. They married in 2013. They are the proud grandparents of 28 grandchildren, and Griffis said that spending time with his wife, children, and grandchildren is his greatest joy in life. He said he enjoys hunting and fishing occasionally and confesses to being a Seminole fan, inspired by his great admiration for former coach Bobby Bowden. In quiet time, he enjoys reading political and religious material and listening to 1980s rock and southern rock.
“I think I am going to enjoy this job,” Griffis said. “I want to keep things running as Kim did and try new things as they turn up. I have great people working here and see no reason we cannot continue at the high level of excellent public service that county residents have become accustomed to from these departments.”
