Two Carter County Courthouse employees are celebrating 25 years on the job this month.

Carter County Trustee Randall Lewis and Gloria Colbaugh, deputy trustee, began their tenures working for the county Sept. 1, 1994. “We began working the same day. Gloria was my first hire, and I have not been disappointed in the least about her work and service to the people, who visit this office day in and day out,” said Lewis.

Prior to his being elected Carter County Trustee, Lewis had worked 14 years at the Elizabethton Electric System. “I decided to seek public office because it was just something I wanted to do. Naturally, it was a learning process, but I’ve enjoyed it, especially the people I’ve come to know through my work in county government,” Lewis shared.

Both Lewis and Colbaugh credit Carolyn Mains, former deputy trustee, for getting them through that first year of work. “She trained us both. Carolyn was old-school and she made sure that I understood my duties and that I did it right. She knew everything about this office except computer and she was a huge asset to both Randall and I,” said Gloria.

Colbaugh was a stay-at-home mom with two little girls when she took the job of deputy trustee. “I had been out of the workforce six years when I began working this job. At first, it was difficult because you were on your feet all day. We didn’t have computers so everything, including receipts, was done on paper and stored in file cabinets. We were constantly going from the counter to file cabinets,” Colbaugh explained.

Now, the office is completely computerized and it makes the work as well as record-keeping much easier.

Both Colbaugh and Lewis have witnessed a lot of changes in the office, the biggest being computer. Lewis is most proud that the office has never had an audit finding during his time in office. “I think this speak well of our staff,” he said.

“When we came into office, we were handling a little over $8 million in funds, now we take care of over $21 million. The interest rate was much better when I first took office. It is up some even from a couple of years ago,” Lewis said.

In addition to adding computers, Lewis noted that some 2,000 Carter Countians are now receiving tax relief. “This is especially good for our elderly landowners,” he added.

Also, Lewis and Colbaugh said they have seen a lot of changes not only in their office, but at the Courthouse during their 25 years of employment, most notably among the staff. “We’ve seen so many come and go, and that is true of many of the people that we do business with. You miss those people, because many of them were good for Carter County,” Lewis said.

Colbaugh said the busiest times of the year for the office was October through April when tax collections begin. She said she had enjoyed most working with veterans and senior citizens on tax relief.

Most of the staff in the office have been there 10 years or longer. “They are well seasoned and experienced,” said Gloria. She especially noted the work of Elisa Wright, who has been bookkeeper for 20 years. “She does a great job and the fact that we have never had an audit finding is in large part due to her work,” said Colbaugh.

The office employs five people in addition to two or three seasonal employees. “We work well together. It’s never been my job, but our job. We have laughed together, cried together, and in many cases, watched our families grow up,” Colbaugh shared.

“We have seen a lot of improvements made to the office. We have made a lot of friends, a lot of memories, and we’ve seen a lot of people pass that we got to know through serving them,” said Colbaugh.

Colbaugh is married to Dale Colbaugh, who is now retired. They are the parents of two grown daughters, Amy Ensor, who is married to Zachary Ensor, and Hannah Colbaugh. She also has a granddaughter, Libby Kate, four. Amy and Zachary are teachers in the Elizabethton School System and Hannah is a surgical tech with Ballad Health.

Randall’s wife, Kim, is manager of the TVA Credit Union office in Piney Flats. They are the parents of two children — Chad, who farms and is in the landscaping business, and Andrea, who works at Northeast Community Credit Union. Chad and his wife, Brittany, have blessed Randall and Kim with three grandchildren.

Both, Lewis and Colbaugh feel they have been blessed to work in their positions for as long as they have and to serve the people of Carter County. “It’s been a wonderful experience. It’s a job I look forward to coming to each day,” Colbaugh said.

Last Friday they were treated by their staff with a reception.