Did you know that Riverside is the 4th largest county in California and may someday be the 2nd largest county in the state of California?  I just heard an inspiring message from Jay Orr, the Chief Executive Officer of Riverside County detailing the fact that as we grow in size and economic importance in this state, we need a vision for our county that matches our potential.

Mr.Orr emphasized that we need several things to help us move forward.  First, potential home and business owners need to come to see Riverside County as as a secure and prosperous place to live and work, filled with opportunity for personal growth and business enhancement. This is our vision for our county.  We need to be a place that is seen as attractive, filled with opportunity, right now and, in the future.

Along with the vision of a prosperous and attractive place to locate a family or a business, our county must strive to be a healthy one.  A population that is not healthy is a financial drain on resources and distinctly unattractive to potential businesses.  Too, a healthy workforce is a productive workforce.  Mr. Orr invited us all, as county employees and citizens of the Inland Empire, to consider ways that we can personally contribute to realizing this vision.

An essential component of our CEO’s vision for growth and prosperity is one that is shared by the Riverside County Law Library.  That essential link is a commitment to customer service.  Whatever business you may be in or whatever you may do in our community, you are in customer service.  A genuine desire to help those that you are serving is part of the duty of all county employees.  And believe me, when genuine desire to help is present it is recognized,  and when it is absent, it is equally obvious.  When public funds are used to do a job, a trust is implied.  That trust is that you will act with purpose and integrity in carrying out whatever you are tasked with doing for the public good.  Whether your position is that of a custodian, a law enforcement officer, social service worker, or even a Public Law Librarian, persons who do these jobs are charged with the responsibility of making sure that the best and highest possible use is made of public monies. Always keep in mind the fact that your real employer is the public in whose interest you act and who ultimately pays your salary.

If we as county employees really catch the vision of what our CEO is saying, our county will become a more prosperous and attractive place to live and work. And remember, it all starts with customer service, that desire to really help those that you are serving. If we all commit ourselves to do this, we will make our workplace, our city and our county, a healthy and attractive place to live, work, and invest.