Rosalyn Brown approved as Rusk City Secretary

A couple of new faces are manning the windows at Rusk City Hall as two seasoned staffers move into new positions.

Longtime customer service clerk Rosalyn Brown has been chosen as the city’s new city secretary and after just over a week on the job, she’s feeling pretty confident.

“I am extremely pleased I was afforded the opportunity to submit my resume and was chosen for this position,” Brown said.

Rusk council members unanimously approved Mayor Angela Raiborn’s nomination of Brown as the new city clerk, to enthusiastic applause from audience members, during a special city council meeting held Thursday, Aug. 23.

“I think she’ll do a great job,” Raiborn said whilst nominating Brown on Aug. 23.

Brown is an alum of the Rusk High School class of 1998. She also served in the U.S. Marine Corps after high school and has worked for the city of Rusk cumulatively for about 10 years. She is mom to three girls.

“I don’t know if I should be happy for sad for you, darlin’,” joked District 1 Councilman Ben Middlebrooks during the meeting, to the amusement of audience members.

Brown said at the time of the meeting, “I want to thank God for this blessing, and the Council for the opportunity.”

Brown’s duties as city secretary include records keeping; recording and transcribing minutes of each council meeting; organizing and overseeing the city’s elections for council and mayoral positions; and other duties.

She added Monday after the meeting, “The transition has gone as smoothly as you can expect, since we’re still adapting after losing (former City Secretary) Cinda (Etheridge) and (former Finance Director) Lindsey (Lankford), but I feel like we’re rising to the challenge.”

Both Etheridge and Lankford resigned from their respective positions in July.

Part of that challenge Brown said, stemmed from former customer service clerk Brittany Stith getting promoted to accounting manager about a month ago.

Stith, who transplanted to East Texas from Florida about two years ago, has worked for the city of Rusk for a full year and is now in charge of the city’s accounts payable, payroll and financial reports.

“I’m very thankful to have been given the opportunity to move up into this position,” Stith said.

City Manager Jim Dunaway added, “She’s really just jumped in with both feet and is doing a great job.”

As of Tuesday, however, the Rusk water billing department is fully staffed again since Beverly Lacey started Monday, Aug. 28, and Donna Hill started Tuesday.

Both are replacing both Brown and Stith at the windows of the city’s billing department at City Hall.