This news item expired on Friday, November 15, 2019 so the information below could be outdated or incorrect.
Updated Nov. 12 with Trena's retirement party information.
What: Trena Parker's retirement party
When: Thursday, Nov. 14, 4 p.m.
Where: 50 Coxe Ave. (Election Service's storage facility)
After nearly a quarter-century of service to Buncombe County, Trena Parker Velez will be retiring. In 1994, Trena began her tenure as Election Services Director. Over those years, there have been significant changes, and Trena’s leadership provided the County with stability and vision as the County and elections landscape evolved with technology and other advancements.
As she prepares to move forward, Trena says she has numerous memories from her time with Buncombe County. Of her absolute favorite memory, she says: “In 2008, I was checking my watch while busily climbing up and down the stairs preparing for Early Voting. My heart sank because my watch revealed it was 3:30 p.m., and I realized not much of the day was left. Truly, I was having so much fun I did not want the day to end. Of course, I immediately recognized how very lucky I was to have a job I loved that much!”
Trena recalls another memory from 2016: “I walked into a café and the owner yelled in a booming voice to the whole restaurant, ‘There’s the election lady! Thank you so much for the great job you do.’ The whole café clapped and cheered.”
Buncombe County would also like to give Trena a standing ovation as she enters the next phase of her career. As for moving forward, she says her coworkers will be sorely missed, noting they are, “The best, the brightest, and the funniest I’ve had the pleasure of working with.”
Starting in mid-November, Trena will be the Deputy Director for Election Administration with the North Carolina Board of Elections. Congratulations on your new role and thank you for your hard work and guidance as the County’s Director of Elections.
Stop by Trena's retirement party to wish her well.
What: Trena Parker's retirement party
When: Thursday, Nov. 14, 4 p.m.
Where: 50 Coxe Ave. (Election Service's storage facility)