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World music in Franklin
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Mike Decker is retracing the steps he made 11 years ago when he left county government for a job across the street in Franklin’s town hall.
Decker is returning to county government as human resource director and deputy clerk to the Macon County Board of Commissioners — essentially a jack-of-all-trades who keeps county government running as a right-hand man to the county manager. Decker worked as the Macon County planner for seven years, then the Franklin town administrator for 11.
County Manager Jack Horton lauded Decker’s experience and familiarity with county and municipal governments, saying the longtime public servant had exactly the right set of complex skills needed for the dual job.
“We’re very happy to have Mike step in,” Horton said.
Decker follows Wilma Anderson, who retired as HR director and assistant to the county manager last month after 36 years.
As director of human resources, Decker — a newspaper reporter and editor before getting into local government work — will help oversee about 360 fulltime employees. As deputy clerk to the board of commissioners, he is responsible for keeping minutes for the elected board and notifying reporters about times and places for the meetings.
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“I’m grateful to be here, and I’m very grateful to have had time to work with Wilma before she left,” Decker said.
This fall, Macon County will have to fill another key government position when longtime Finance Director Evelyn Southard retires.
Decker is not the only one who’s played musical chairs between county and town government. When former County Manager Sam Greenwood retired from that job, he was soon hired by Franklin as the town manager.