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On Monday, Sept. 23, Kim Reynolds celebrated her retirement after serving Shelby County for 32 years. (Reporter photos/Noah Wortham)

By LEAH INGRAM EAGLE | Special to the Reporter

COLUMBIANA – When Kim Reynolds began working for Shelby County in 1992, she had no idea that would be where she would spend her career.

“I was 28, I had bought a house in Columbiana and was a single mom of a 6 and 8-year-old,” she said. “I was looking for a job close to home and my kids’ school.”

Reynolds’ first role was working in the personnel department, then she worked for the public works director. After that, she began working for former county manager Alex Dudchock in 1995. She’s been in that role ever since, working for Dudchock for 25 years and the last five for current county manager Chad Scroggins.

“I had great respect for Alex,” Reynolds said. “I watched how he worked and his interactions with other employees and he was someone I knew I would like to work for.

Dudchock said that during his more than 30 years with the county, Reynolds worked with him and 39 different commissioners, three sheriffs and four probate judges.

“Kim has always been professional, whether it was an internal matter or external matter,” Dudchock said. “Kim was directly responsible for ensuring our purchasing and public bid documents were successfully released, awarded and recorded in compliance with state and federal law. She handled these actions along with many other administrative duties in an exemplary manner. I believe she was in our top 5 percent of all county employees in performance.”

Dudchock went on to say that Reynolds interacted with many personalities and characters during her service time and never generated any conflicts, drama or additional work for others.

“She was the first line of contact for the public with the County Manager’s Office and consistently addressed inquiries, complaints and requests,” he said. “I was truly blessed to have worked with Kim, and she made all of our operations a success.”

Over time, Reynolds’ job has evolved. She said in her first days with Dudchock, she was very “green” and knew little about how the county ran and how local government worked. It was when she began working with the commission in 1995 that she began figuring things out. She saw the end of the probate judge as commission chair, as the commission went to nine members.

“There were a lot of new things about that time,” Reynolds’ said. “There were lots of changes as far as policy and the workings of the county government.”

Reynolds said as things within the county evolved, she felt like she grew up with it.

“The collections business revenue office was brand new, and we started doing our own collections at that time,” she said. “We had a county clerk back then and the tax collector and tax assessor’s offices weren’t merged yet. The county has developed into what it is today over time.”

Reynolds said that Dudchock was always great at explaining “the why” which she said helped her after his retirement. She did consider retiring when he did, but said personally she wasn’t ready.

“I didn’t know who the new county manager was going to be, but thought I’d see who it was and how we worked together and try to help them get going,” she said. “Alex and Chad have both been great managers.”

Another coworker who has become a friend to Reynolds is Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Naugher. Naugher said Reynolds is the person you want on your team for many reasons.

“She is the most loyal and dependable person to so many people throughout the county,” Naugher said. “When I began my new role, Kim made sure that I knew what was coming up for the next few months on the calendar that directly pertained to finance. She made sure all new and current employees were set up to succeed.”

Reynolds knew her job was to serve the public, and whenever there was a problem, her solution was to get it figured out.

“I may not have been able to solve (each problem), but I knew who to get involved (to help),” she said.

It was over the holiday season in 2023 that Reynolds said she decided she was ready to retire.

“I could have gone at 25 years, and it’s hard to change managers after that long,” Reynolds said.

She shared her news with Scroggins on Dec. 27, 2023 because she was excited and also so she wouldn’t change her mind.

Scroggins said those who have worked with Reynolds know how dedicated she is to solving problems, but most don’t realize how much she has done to assist with creating a culture of efficiency within the organization.

“Kim is a person who loves the people she worked with and the residents she served very deeply,” Scroggins said. “I will personally miss seeing and talking to her every day.”

A retirement reception was held for Reynolds during her last week of work. Not one who wants the attention, she told Scroggins it wasn’t necessary. However, she said she did enjoy it, and got to visit with lots of current and former coworkers.

On Sept. 27, Reynolds’ had her last day after 32 years of service to the county. She said serving in this role has been her pleasure.

“To be able to serve the public and meet a need,” she said. “When everyone is on the same page and working toward the good for everybody, it’s a hard climate to leave.”

Reynolds said she is proud of her time with Shelby County and would be shocked to find a county that is run better than it is.

“There’s a positive vibe, and we try to keep that focus and not forget we are here to serve the public,” she said. “Back when I started, I was looking for a job where I could work and be a mom, but I got so much more. I got that but I also got provision of finances and pension and great people that poured so much into me, mentoring and teaching me.

At 60, she is looking at the timeline of her life and has lots of things she wants to do. She plans to spend more time with her nine grandchildren, has several trips planned—including a cruise and a girls’ beach trip—and will attend a bible study on Mondays.

“I was sure if I made it to 25 years, I was going to retire and get another job and retire from there,” Reynolds said. “After 32 years I don’t know what the future looks like, but I’m going to enjoy it.”

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