Beaufort County Records Management Director Recognized for Improving FOIA Request Process

Beaufort County Records Management Director Tamekia Green-Judge saw an opportunity to improve the way the county processes Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests, and she seized it. Her innovative thinking was honored at this year’s South Carolina Public Records Association (SCPRA) Annual Conference when Green-Judge was awarded the prestigious Bob Rogers Leadership Innovation Award.

Green-Judge implemented a platform called Exterro to update and streamline Beaufort County’s FOIA requests. The new platform can process thousands of requests more quickly, efficiently and thoroughly.

 “It’s an honor to be nominated by SCPRA for this award. The Exterro platform is a much more efficient platform that simplifies workflow both for county departments and citizens who file requests,” Green-Judge said. “Implementing this platform has been a two-year process. The key to success in government is transparency, and that’s what Exterro provides. Citizens are able to track their FOIA requests, obtain updates and receive external text notifications through the online portal. It’s a simplified workflow but with greater transparency.”

Green-Judge has been with Beaufort County for 20 years, starting in the Zoning Department and moving to the Records Management Department three years ago. Beaufort County Records Management provides storage for all permanent and inactive county records for the duration of their established retention period as approved by County Council and the South Carolina Department of Archives and History. Each year, the department averages 15,000 boxes of records and more than 1 million pages of documents scanned or microfilmed.