AMERICUS — Chealsea Austin Cromer is seeking election for Clerk of Superior Court of Sumter County to succeed Nancy Smith, who is retiring.
Cromer has worked in the nonprofit sector since 2011. She worked with the American Cancer Society managing staff and over 200 volunteers across 12 counties to promote local Relay For Life events including Sumter County. Currently, she is an employee with Habitat for Humanity International as a specialist in Volunteer Engagement where she recruits and coaches volunteers to travel internationally to build homes. She is familiar with the Clerk of Superior Court’s office. Her mother, Jane Austin Bailey, has worked for the Superior Court in Sumter County since 1993, when she became a Deputy Clerk of the Superior Court and Chief Deputy Clerk in 1999, and for the last 10 years she has worked as administrative assistant for Chief Judge Rucker Smith.
“I grew up around this office and the court system. Court jargon and legal terminology were commonplace at home,” said Cromer. She was also able to have the experience of working in the Clerk of Superior Court’s office herself under Nancy Smith and with the Sumter County Board of Commissioners’ office as administrative accounting assistant while earning her degrees. Through these positions she gained valuable insight into the workings of the court system, the Superior Court Clerk’s office as well as the local Sumter County government.
Cromer graduated magna cumkaude from Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus with a bachelor of business administration, marketing in 2007, and received a master’s in business ddministration from GSW the following year.
She is a native of Americus and Sumter County. She is the daughter of Jane Austin Bailey and David Austin, both of Sumter County. She is married to Jamie Cromer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Cromer, also of Americus. She and her husband have a two-year-old daughter, Tate. She and her family attend First Baptist Church of Americus. “This is my home. Americus and Sumter County are very important to me. I cannot think of a better way to continue my service to the community than as Clerk of Superior Court,” Cromer said.