Los Alamos County Manager Anne Laurent speaks at the Oct. 8 Kiwanis Club meeting. Courtesy/Kiwanis

By BROOKE DAVIS
Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos

The Kiwanis Club of Los Alamos heard a presentation from Los Alamos County Manager Anne Laurent, during its Oct. 8 meeting at Trinity on the Hill. She spoke about her background, County projects and initiatives, and goals for the future.

After serving communities in Arizona and Michigan as a licensed architect and facilities manager, Laurent moved to Los Alamos in 2008 and went to work at the County. She first served as Capital Projects and Facilities director and later Community and Economic director becoming manager. In that time, she earned a master’s degree in public administration and has overseen many of our community’s largest projects.

As manager, Laurent has initiated a new County budget system and Management Action Plan to address means of achieving County priorities. The planning process is detailed and involves planning, public input, decision making (utilizing the community survey preferences and concerns and strategic planning), and adapting to change.

Los Alamos County has a workforce of more than 700 employees, much larger than most  communities of comparable populations. This is due in part to having a very large fire department that services both the town and Los Alamos National Laboratory, owning the County’s utilities, and being the only combined City/County in the state. Facing the challenge of workforce shortage, the ongoing priority is to keep County positions staffed.

Some of Laurent’s goals are providing the infrastructure for a community broadband, providing a variety of housing choices, and expanding the County’s social services.