By By ROBERT BLANKENSHIP – Managing Editor
Employees at the Escambia County Department of Human Resources received a special guest Thursday afternoon as their boss stopped by, delivering a motivational message.
Bill Fuller, commissioner of the Alabama Department of Human Resources, told local employees during his afternoon visit that they provided important services to the people of their community and that workers should remember that what they do is very important.
Fuller visited Escambia as part of a statewide tour which will see him stop in all 67 Alabama counties.
Mary McClelland, program supervisor for adult, child and family services at the Escambia County DHR, said employees were excited about the visit.
Fuller has served as DHR commissioner for two years. Prior to that, he served in the Alabama legislature, representing Lee and Chambers counties, for 18 years.
Among those needs was settling a class action lawsuit filed against a division of child services. While he said that lawsuit is about to be behind the department, there is still plenty of work to be done in other areas as well - especially in adult protection services.
Fuller also spoke of some of the state's strengths and pointed to the child welfare system as a perfect example of where things are going well.
DHR is the state's largest agency, accounting for $1.2 billion of this year's budget. Fuller said that the most important message for Alabamians to receive is that money given to DHR is an investment.