It was election night, and after what some might call the longest job interview one will ever have — Chris Chmiel and Charlie Adkins prepared to take on the roles of Athens County Commissioners.
The last time Athens County had two new commissioners in the same term was 1998 — the year current Athens Commissioner Lenny Eliason took office along with former commissioner Mark Sullivan.
After almost a month in office and with the assistance of their fellow county employees, Chmiel and Adkins are adjusting to the responsibilities of their new positions.
“I’m not sure I understand it all yet; there’s definitely a learning curve,” Chmiel said. “Anytime someone gets a new job it takes (him or her) a while to figure it out.”
Despite the help he has received from Eliason and other County officials, the job can get stressful at times, Chmiel said.
“All this new stuff I’m learning about, some days it feels overwhelming,” Chmiel said.
“I’m kind of an idealistic person. I don’t want to lose my ideas or get discouraged.”
Adkins, a former Ohio University union official, and Chmiel, previously a farmer, bring different perspectives to the table — something Adkins says has not been a problem.
“I’ve told Lenny and Chris if there’s an issue I’m not fully familiar with or not comfortable voting on, I tell them I need some more time and that has not been an issue,” said Adkins.
Adkins said some of his priorities while commissioner will be to restructure essential services such as 911 and solid waste, as well as to increase job growth.
Chmiel, on the other hand, will be focusing more on green technology and letting the citizens of Athens know that they are able to contact him with their concerns.
“I just hope people feel they could call me,” Chmiel said.
Chmiel uses his Facebook page “Chris Chmiel for Athens County Commissioner” to communicate with the citizens of the county, he said.
Though Eliason has been a commissioner for 15 years, he said it is important to stay up on current events and new legislation.
“It’s a matter of you’re always learning … You can never say you’re not learning something in this job, because if you’re not, you’re falling behind,” Eliason said.
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