County Administrator Loretta Brantley is retiring after 18 years of serving Warren County. She has worked for the county for nearly two decades, but spent the last four years as county administrator, a position she assumed in 2020.

“The county administrator works very closely with the supervisors and fulfills the wishes of the board, whatever needs to be done,” Brantley said.

Brantley said there are two parts to the job: fostering communication among the board and the accounting work related to the county budget.

“(I’m responsible for) managing the budget to make the best use of the county’s funds,” she said. “A lot of researching is involved so you can report back to the board so they can make informed decisions.”

Brantley said she is excited about the prospect of retirement.

“My husband and I are going to kind of relax a little bit and vacation, visit our children, who are all in different places,” she said.

Relaxing is something Brantley is especially looking forward to.

“So retirement, for me, is going to be different because I’ve always worked. I’ve been working since I was 15. So I’m excited that when the families want to go and do something, I don’t have to check my work schedule.”

Nkemdili Lewis is currently the chief accountant for the county and has worked with Brantley for the past year and a half. Brantley recommended to the board that Lewis fill her position.

“When she interviewed me, I just felt a sense of, ‘I need to be here. This is where I need to be.’ And since I’ve been here, she has welcomed me with open arms,” Lewis said. “And it has been a great learning experience. I have learned a lot from her.”

One thing Brantley feels fortunate to have is her health.

“As I look back over my years of employment, I have been so blessed. I’ve never been out sick for an extended length of time. I’ve been able to work, and that’s good,” she said. “So I’m most excited about being able to retire with my health and strength.”

Brantley said that what she will miss most about the job is the people.

“It’s really like a family atmosphere. After you’ve been with people so long and worked with them, you get to know them. You know their families and they know you. I like that,” Brantley said. “I’ve really been blessed because all the folks I’ve worked with have all been good people.”

Brantley said she is fortunate that she found a career that was rewarding.

“I feel blessed that I’ve been able to do what I like doing,” she said. “So many people work on the job, they don’t like the job, don’t like the people. I love it.”

Brantley’s retirement will take effect Oct. 31.