New Uptown Manager Dives  Into Job Pigs First

July 17, 2006

BY JOANIE BAKER

Index Journal Staff Writer

Just after a month of taking her new job on the third floor of the municipal building, Angie Jones found her office to be full of pigs.

Gold pigs, that is.

Jones recently moved from the City of Greenwood’s financial department to become the manager of Uptown Greenwood Development Corp. And she couldn’t have done it at a busier time. From the day she started, Jones had three weeks to complete all the final preparations and plans for Uptown’s biggest event — the Festival of Discovery.

Hours before the big kickoff Thursday, barbecue contest trophies topped with gleaming pigs smiled like an audience to Jones’ desk.

With the ease of someone who plans festivals for every weekend, Jones calmly attended to the ringing phone with an ear piece full of anxious questions.

Jones said, like herself, she is sure people have no idea how much detail goes into planning such a big event.

Everything from making sure all the entertainment is accounted for, to the nitty-gritty details of counting out five kidney beans for each baggy for the voting for Taster’s Choice in the barbecue contest. And while counting beans seems like a small task, the 2,000 bags stacked in Jones’ closet elevated it to a bean stalk of a job.

Jones said she hopes to use her experience “counting beans” as an accountant to benefit the budget for Uptown Greenwood. That experience, along with the ability to use her creativity, could assist her in achieving bigger goals for the area. “I would love to make Uptown a big part of the community as it once was and continue what has already been started,” she said.

The new manager also is responsible for planning the Live after Five concert series that has been taking place once a month in Uptown, as well as other events such as the Boo Bash in October. Though they are large tasks, Jones said she is looking forward to proving herself.

“It’s a lot to absorb, but I’m taking it one step at a time,” she said. “I’m very excited about it. I’ve been able to meet people and do things I would never have had the opportunity to do before.”

The active member of Hyde Park Baptist Church said the job has challenged her by making her a lot more outgoing.

“I’m having to come out of my shell so to speak,” she said. “But I’ve been able to become a part of so many things... I’ve had to become more outgoing and take initiative to get things done and make sure they get done. I have a lot more responsibilities than I did before.”

But Jones seems to be taking the responsibilities in stride. After the Festival of Discovery Saturday, Assistant City Manager Charlie Barrineau was all compliments about how Jones had proven herself.

“Angie is just a trooper,” he said. “She is gung ho and worked endlessly on nights and weekends at times when only other staff members knew how hard she was working. While our events are so good, it was because of the group effort between all the divisions.”

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