On Monday, Dec. 5, at 10 a.m., the Guilford County Board of Commissioners held its 2022 “organizational” meeting and, in less than an hour, did a lot of things.
First, the board welcomed the only new Guilford County Commissioner this year – Pat Tillman, who’s been serving as the county’s District 3 Board of Education member and will now take over the District 3 duties as a county commissioner.
Second, the board said goodbye to Commissioner Justin Conrad, the departing District 3 commissioner who, last year, when he decided not to run for that seat again, said that the seafood distribution business he runs was becoming more and more time consuming.
At the Dec. 5 meeting, Conrad, a Republican, said that, even though he didn’t always agree with the Democrats on the board, he felt as though he was fortunate to have developed friendships with his fellow commissioners. Commissioner Carlvena Foster said that she considered Conrad a good friend and Commissioner James Upchurch said Conrad had been something of a mentor to him.
Third, the board swore in the commissioners who had been reelected or newly elected. Commissioner Kay Cashion, as she always does, brought a giant contingent of friends and family to stand with her as she is sworn in. She always wears the same red blazer for swearing in ceremonies and she pointed out to the audience that this time she did as well.
Also the board voted to make Commissioner Skip Alston the chairman of the board for the eighth time. Alston spoke on what the county has accomplished in recent years and what the county must do in the upcoming year.
