Former Clerk of the County Board RC Woodford received recognition from NY Assemblyman Joe Angelino for his 37 years of service to Chenango County. (Submitted photo)

by Sophia Root,

Commerce Chenango

CHENANGO COUNTY - Each week, Commerce Chenango and the Evening Sun highlight local businesses and contributions of community members.

After nearly 20 years of service, RC Woodford has retired from his position as Clerk on the Chenango County Board of Supervisors.

Originally from Truxton, New York, Woodford raised cows when he was young and attended SUNY Morrisville and SUNY ESF, earning a degree in Forest Biology. A current resident of Oxford, Woodford jokes, “Being born and raised in Truxton, Oxford is the biggest place I’ve ever lived!”

Woodford’s career path to clerk wasn’t linear; he spent his young adult and college years in the bar and restaurant industry, and eventually ran his own restaurant and catering business in the Cortland area. He states, “One day, the health inspector came in, who happened to be a former coworker of mine. He suggested that I apply to the county health inspector position. I held my last clam bake on Saturday and started my new job on Monday.”

While working in Cortland County, Woodford claims he met a wide range of people who served as mentors to him. One of whom was named Skip from South New Berlin, who was prominent in Cortland and Chenango County.

The professional relationship between Woodford and Skip led to Woodford taking a job in Chenango County Environmental Health in the 1990’s. Since then, Woodford has worked for the Chenango County Planning Department, and eventually the Chenango County Board of Supervisors.

Woodford is proud of the work he did while in the Environmental Health Department, including the improvements made to make the municipal water systems safe and reliable. As the county clerk and auditor, Woodford served as the liaison between the County board of supervisors and 80 different departments. According to Woodford, “There was a lot that the board tool on, I was glad to be a part of it. Just a cog in the wheel.”

Woodford has great pride in his working relationships, stating, “Through my years at the County, I have worked with literally hundreds of different supervisors and coworkers and, looking back, I have always had good relationships with them.”

When asked what advice he would give a young professional seeking community involvement,  Woodford said, “If you have some criticism of government or a vision of change, run for office. Even spending some time as a village trustee will give you some valuable perspective.”

After dedicating over 30 years of service to Chenango County, Woodford has retired to focus on caring for his family. Commerce Chenango thanks him for his service to our County.

For more information about the Chenango County Board of Supervisors, visit chenangocountyny.gov/207/board-of-supervisors.