Dawson County Commission Chairman Billy Thurmond has been on the board for two years, but his experience with the county extends decades. Thurmond began his career in 1978 on staff with Dawson County Parks and Recreation before going to EMT school, receiving his paramedic certification, overseeing operations of the county’s EMS division and later being named Emergency Services director in 2001, a position he retired from in 2015 prior to running for board chair. Coming from that county government background, he knows all too well how operations can be slowed by policy and procedure. Thurmond sat down with the Dawson County News earlier this month to talk about ways he wants to improve operations countywide in 2019. While his goal from the start has been and continues to be improving communication not just internally but with the citizens as well, Thurmond is setting his sights on improving two specific things in 2019. “To me, 2019 is going to be a success based on two words: increasing productivity and efficiency,” he said. “I say that because I think the citizens are looking for their government to be a more productive government and a lot more efficient; that’s what I want the board to work toward this year.”