Walker County Chairwoman Angie Teems announced the addition of several key administrative staff members. Aleksandra Jagiella-Litts will serve as compliance officer, Lisa Richardson has been appointed county clerk, and Hugh Delacruz has accepted the role of human resources director.
“These are three pivotal positions Walker County Government has been lacking for some time,” said Ms. Teems. “Recruiting experienced professionals who will help elevate our organization has been one of my top priorities. The additions of Ms. Jagiella-Litts, Ms. Richardson and Mr. Delacruz to our team will strengthen the county’s ability to meet the needs of our citizens and employees.”
Ms. Jagiella-Litts brings over 20-years of experience as a practicing attorney to Walker County Government. In addition to providing court services and grant administration for the Walker County Sheriff’s Office, she has criminal litigation experience as a juvenile prosecutor at the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s office, as well as experience in business law, real estate, foreclosure, civil litigation and alternative dispute resolution.
As compliance officer, Ms. Jagiella-Litts will be responsible for handling code violations in Magistrate Court, protecting the county from liability, and collaborating with department heads to address policy related issues. She will also support county departments with researching and finalizing grant applications, and compliance with grant requirements and guidelines.
Ms. Richardson, who will receive training to become a certified county clerk, has decades of private sector experience in organization and structure. She most recently handled travel and events coordination for Volkswagen Group of America and worked in operations and ground control in the airline industry.
In her new role, Ms. Richardson will serve as the official custodian of records for all actions taken by the Walker County Board of Commissioners. Along with preparing minutes from board meetings and attestation on official documents, she will coordinate with departments on records requests and keep the county’s online repository of resolutions and ordinances updated.
Mr. Delacruz joins Walker County Government after earning the rank of Sergeant in the detention division of the Walker County Sheriff’s Office, where he managed human resources for 35 employees and over 200 inmates. Delacruz also established and directed employee recruitment efforts there, which led to better staffing and career growth opportunities. He retired from the U.S Army after 12 years of service.
As part of his duties as human resources director, Mr. Delacruz is tasked with building a recruitment and retention program for county employees and improving their quality of life through workload management, work/life balance and career growth. Mr. Delacruz says the Army taught him a lot about the importance of career advancement and retention, and how it ultimately leads to organizational improvement.