Members of New Hanover County Board of Commissioners will miss the county’s budget director, whose plan to retire county officials announced yesterday.

Griffin, who has worked with New Hanover County for more than 30 years, has provided “strong leadership in the budget department,” county commission chairman Jonathan Barfield said Wednesday. “We have gotten a distinguished budget award every year for more than 20 years.”

In fact, it has been 24 consecutive years that the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada has recognized Griffin and her department with its GFOA Awards for Excellence in Government Finance, according to a news release from New Hanover County.

The award “recognizes innovative programs and contributions to the practice of government finance that exemplify outstanding financial management” and “stress practical, documented work that offers leadership to the profession and promotes improved public finance,” the release stated.

“I was sorry to hear about Cam Griffin’s decision to retire; she has been a tremendous asset to county government,” commission vice-chairwoman Beth Dawson said Wednesday. “She is a voice of reason and expertise I have turned to for guidance and advice in making tough decisions.”

With the “good information” Griffin has provided, Dawson said she has “felt confident” in making decisions that would be in the best interests of county residents. “[Griffin] has been very dedicated to New Hanover County, its citizens and its services,” she added.

Barfield said that Griffin knows the county organization inside and out, and understands very well how a budget works.

County manager Chris Coudriet also said Griffin’s departure will be a loss for the county.

“I am so happy for Cam, as this is something that she really wants to do, but it’s an incredible loss for New Hanover County. We cannot replace Cam, her experience and her talent,” Coudriet said in the release. He noted also that about one-quarter of the county’s employees are eligible to retire within the next five years – a fact that he finds worrisome.

Tuesday's announcement said only that Griffin would retire "in the coming months" and did not lay out a timeline. Barfield said he hoped that there would be time to ensure a good transition when her replacement is named.

"We have to make sure we get the right person in place," he said.