Mike McCoy honored for work in aftermath of 2017 storms

ATLANTA — According to a statement released by Dougherty County Monday, the American Public Works Association-Georgia Chapter has selected interim Dougherty County Administrator Michael McCoy as its 2018 Administrative Manager of the Year.

“After the January 2017 storms in Dougherty County, McCoy served as a capable leader and reliable, accessible source for information in the community, specifically for the traditionally marginalized,” the statement said.

Former County Administrator Richard Crowdis praised McCoy for his work on the county’s behalf.

“Mr. McCoy stepped up at a time when the county needed his great leadership, after the January storms of 2017,” Crowdis said. “He transitioned smoothly; I never heard a complaint of his work, and he became the face of Dougherty County disaster recovery.”

Crowdis, who was injured during the storm, called on McCoy to work with state and national officials in the aftermath of Jan. 2 and Jan. 22 storms that left many homes in the county, including Crowdis’s, damaged and uninhabitable.

McCoy said he was humbled by the recognition, which was announced at a meeting of the Dougherty County Commission on Monday.

“I want to thank you all; I am privileged to serve this community,” McCoy told the board and those in attendance at the commission meeting. “During the aftermath of the disasters, it because very important that we recover as quickly as possible. I am very grateful to the members of APWA and I am humbled by the award.”

The statement released by the county further noted that McCoy “was the glue and bridge for Albany, Dougherty County, the state of Georgia, and the federal government’s emergency management team members while the Emergency Operations Center was operational. His knowledge, dedication and professional commitment to citizens led to his recent promotion from assistant to interim administrator in the Dougherty County government.

“McCoy worked mostly in the background in the aftermath of the storms to avert disruptions due to friction that occurred as a result of multijurisdictional entities working together in a high-pressure environment. McCoy was successful in keeping the peace and moving the process forward by leveraging many cross-agency relationships. Whenever there was an issue, McCoy could effectively bring resolve and ensure that the EOC continued to be operational.”

In making the announcement APWA District Director, Chuckie Mathis, Dougherty County’s assistant Public Works director, said, “I was somewhat surprised by this recognition, with 22 counties competing for the award. I’m honored that our submission garnered this award.”