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The Troup County Board of Commissioners honored longtime county employees in the final quarterly service awards during its work session on Tuesday morning.

A dozen county employees were recognized for a combined 170 years of service to the citizens of Troup County.

Two longtime employees, Sonya Conroy and Tara Turner, were recognized for 25 years of service.

Troup County CFO Sonya Conroy began her career with Troup County on Nov. 2, 1998, as an accounting clerk. Working her way up the ranks, Conroy studied to become a certified finance officer through the Carl Vison Institute at the University of Georgia in 2000. She was later promoted to assistant finance officer in 2014 and chief finance officer in 2020.

Assistant County Manager Jay Anderson said he has worked alongside Conroy for a decade, and she has always been a great help.

“She’s been a great help to me. She’s always willing to ask, ‘What can I do to help?’ ‘How can I help?’ ‘Let me show you how to do this.’ Because believe me, I need a lot of help with her getting things done. We’re very lucky to have such quality, dedicated and hardworking professional on our staff,” Anderson said.

Senior Deputy Clerk with Magistrate Court Tara Turner was also recognized for a quarter century of service.

Judge Vickie Sue McWaters was not present during the awards presentation, but a statement was read on her behalf for Turner.

“I have been lucky enough to have longtime employees in the magistrate court and one such employee is Tara Ward Turner. This is her 25th year with the Magistrate Court, starting out as a deputy clerk and is now the chief deputy clerk. She bears the weight of a very important aspect of the Magistrate Court, and she does so with grace and humility,” McWaters wrote in the statement.

“Tara truly has a servant’s heart. She never loses sight that she is serving that person in front of her who may not be having their best day but is never deterred from trying her best to make it a bit better for them. This may be her silver anniversary with Troup County, but I consider her a gold medal person.”

TCSO Detention Officer Doris Mosley was also recognized for 25 of service and Deputy Clerk Kimberly White was recognized for 30 years of service. Mosley and White were unable to attend the award presentations.

Brandie Newsome, Senior Tag, Title and Tax Specialist, was recognized for 20 years of service.

Firefighter/EMT Sgt. Eric Rogers II was recognized for 15 years of service.

Jail Cpl. Jacqueline Biggerstaff, Deputy Andrew Braman, Charles Brock, Marquita Fannin, Donald Lovelace-Ray and Deputy Clerk Jennifer Taylor were recognized for five years of service.