“The ocean just a few minutes away,” Smith said. “How can you not wake up happy?”

Mayor Rick Solloway said Smith, 42, had signed a letter of intent with the town Dec. 24.

Of more than 80 candidates, Solloway said the Camden County, Ga. administrator was an obvious choice.

“Right out of the gate, it was very much her experience with processes and methodology that almost immediately gave me a comfort level with her,” he said. “When she came in town and met with us, that solidified everything.” He said Smith will assume command of Town Hall on Monday, Feb. 1.

Smith serves Camden County as director of strategic development, a post she assumed five years ago. Smith said her job was to develop five-year goals for the coastal county, including plans for development and financial growth and legislative objectives. She quickly developed a love for public service.

“That’s kind of where my passion is – I love working for local government. You get to see your accomplishments quickly. What you do matters, and it matters fast.”

While the northern half of Camden is rural, she said, the southern half has seen a steady rise in development since the establishment of Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay in 1978.

“It’s an absolutely beautiful place to live and work,” she said.

Smith rose to the position from county clerk, and she said she’s learned much from her colleagues and superiors.

But a 14-hour drive separates her from family in Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, she said, and as she gets older, staying close to family becomes more important.

“As my mom said, she sure isn’t going to mind visiting the beach,” Smith said.

While she had never been to Dewey before flying up for a face-to-face interview, Smith said she felt an instant affinity with the tiny beach town, which hovers around 300 people in the off-season.

“The community looks like it’s very active. The more people you have supporting a project or a program, the more successful it’s going to be,” she said. “When I walk around, I feel like this is where I’m supposed to be.”

Smith saluted former Town Manager Gordon Elliott, praising his efforts to move the town forward. Still, she said, she has plenty of ideas to update and streamline Dewey’s administration. She said she’ll start by reviewing personnel policies and evaluating purchasing methods.

She said interim Town Manager Ken Lodge is preparing documents to help her hit the ground running. But the key to an effective government, she said, is a close relationship with its employees.

“The best people to ask if something’s going to work are the people working it,” she said.

In Camden, Smith championed an incentive program called Suggestions To Assist And Reduce Spending, or STARS. Employees could submit any ideas to improve efficiency to their superiors. If the idea is deemed feasible, it is instituted for a one-year period. The employee receives an initial $50 bonus, as well as up to 10 percent of the net savings gleaned from his or her idea.

“Everyone needs to understand that they’re critical to making sure everything works well,” she said. Smith and her boyfriend, a recent law school graduate, are eyeing a home five miles from Dewey, she said. They enjoy the beach life, she said, though in different ways.

“He surfs,” she said. “I sit up on the sand.”

When she isn’t beaching or attending sporting events, Smith said she always enjoys a quiet house and a good book. She said she’s not expecting much downtime in her first few months as town manager, but she welcomes the challenge.

“Everybody involved wanted to make sure that they had the best candidate in place for the town of Dewey,” she said. “Now it’s my job to make sure they chose the right candidate.”