Chenango County Board of Supervisors clerk RC Woodford sits aside chairman of the board Jeffrey Blanchard as Woodford receives a round of applause after announcing his retirement at the June 10 board meeting. (Photo by Tyler Murphy)

CHENANGO COUNTY – Chenango County Board of Supervisors clerk RC Woodford has decided to step down as clerk after 20 years.

Woodford's journey in government service began with several years at the Chenango County Health Department, followed by serving as the planning director for the county’s planning department.

At this point, Woodford’s predecessor decided to retire as clerk, and Woodford volunteered to fill the position, despite initially feeling a little apprehensive. However, Woodford trusted his years of experience in county government to guide him in his new role.

Woodford began as clerk in February 2005 and says that this has been his favorite county position of them all. One of the main things Woodford said he learned as a clerk was to trust the process when it came to waiting for government initiatives to come to fruition.

“Government is a unique line of work. As a youngster, I came from the private sector and I had to learn that it can take government time to do things. That can be a good thing because anything done in a hasty fashion in government certainly has the potential to be a bad thing,” he said. “So sometimes, you need to let the process work.”

Woodford is confident that Pam Holcomb and Sheri Howe, the two people assuming the responsibilities of clerk, are well-suited to serve as clerks as he has worked with both women for a long time.