Following a lengthy executive session on Wednesday evening, members of the Edgefield County Council selected Lynn Strom as the new assistant county administrator to serve under interim administrator Roger LeDuc for the foreseeable future.

Mrs. Strom is well known in the county as she has served as county finance director for some time. She will maintain that current responsibility with her new duties.

Strom was selected from a list of four finalists which included Thomas Brooks, Jerry Presley, and Robert Sherman.

“I was really excited (following Council’s decision) and I look forward to working under Mr. LeDuc,” Strom said Thursday. “I think this is the best way to handle things (under LeDuc’s tutelage) because there are aspects of the job that I’m unfamiliar with, so having an opportunity to work under someone like Mr. LeDuc will do nothing but be a benefit to the county and me.”

Council Chairman Dean Campbell said Strom was met with the unanimous approval of the Council.

“I think Council expressed its confidence in her with a unanimous vote, but we were impressed with all four candidates,” Campbell said. “It was a good crop of candidates.”

Chairman Campbell added that Strom’s six years of experience in dealing full time with county finances certainly played a role in her landing the position.

“After the interviews we thought Lynn was the best fit for Edgefield County’s future,” Campbell said. “She’s had six years as financial director and that is a very big plus for a future administrator. Just understanding the nuances of the budget and all that’s related to it gives her a head start on doing a good job.”

“There are other areas an administrator has to deal with that she’s had limited exposure to, but having Roger Leduc there to mentor and train her gives us great confidence that over the next 6-9 months she’ll become a more well-rounded and seasoned administrator when she takes the reins.”

The county will also be looking to fill the position of Clerk to Council, following the retirement of Barbara Stark. Previously, the job had been somewhat linked to the new assistant administrator position, but with Strom already handling dual responsibilities the Clerk to Council position will now be hired separately.