Angela Hudson is a woman who sees from more than one perspective. Hired in mid-October as Union City’s new finance director, Hudson brings with her education, experience and a sense of accountability that spans the spectrum of city services.

Originally from Albany, Hudson comes to Union City by way of Brunswick and Athens. Her educational background includes course work at University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Science in accounting from Brenau University. Most recently, she served as accounting manager with the Glynn County Board of Commissioners. Prior to that she served in Athens-Clarke County in a variety of accounting-related tasks.

As accounting manager for more than four years in Brunswick, Hudson’s duties included supervision of accounts payable staff, revenue collection, payroll, cash receipts and coordination of external audits. Her responsibilities in Athens-Clarke County included work in internal audits, obtaining federal grants through the Human Economic Development Department and as a fiscal analyst involved with Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax accounting, where she managed approximately 75 construction projects totaling $187 million.

“The position here as finance director completes the circle for me,” said Hudson. “I get to take all the wonderful experiences in accounting and auditing that helped complete the cycle. My main responsibility here is to oversee the finances and to make sure we are accountable for the money, how we budget it and how we spend it. I want to make sure we are accountable to the public and that we’re looking at the types of services we can provide. I always try to look for a way we can increase service yet, at the same time, keep our costs down.”

Hudson said the city’s rapid growth necessitates a new look at fiscal processes. One of her first tasks is to put in place any needed policies and procedures that relate to the processing and procurement of a variety of services. That task extends to internal processes and controls, with the goal of reducing the possibility of any type of loss.

“I think that we will have more formalized procedures for procuring services. And with the budget process, I think it’s going to be a radical difference in that process for the departments,” said Hudson. “A lot of the things Mr. Jacobs and I are going to put together are really going to make them look at the level of service we are providing.”

As Union City’s finance director, Hudson brings with her much more than education and experience. Present in the position is an individual who was willing to notice the things she saw along the way, the things that transcend degrees and job titles, the things that stem from the willingness to see an issue from multiple perspectives.

“I worked my way through college, I didn’t go straight through. And that helped me a lot. It helped me to get a better understanding of the human aspect of things. And starting as an accounting technician and working my way up to where I am now helped give me a better perspective of things,” she said. “So when I look at things and how things should be run and the services we should provide, I can see it from the employee side, the management side and public side.”

Beyond her role as finance director, Hudson sees her new role as one where she provides instruction and help to the people with whom she works. The key factor in learning and acquiring new skills lies in the willingness to learn, she said.

“I’ve always emphasized that having a degree is not what it takes,” Hudson explained. “There’s nothing that I know that I can’t teach someone. If the person if willing to learn, I can teach them anything I know.”

Sitting in her office Monday, it was clear that Hudson’s concern about people extends beyond the boundaries of her responsibilities at city hall and the people employed there. As a new member of the Union City community, Hudson’s outlook is painted with the broad brush that includes everyone and excludes no one.

“I care about people being treated fairly and with respect. That’s what I value,” she said. “It’s amazing what a difference it can make in a person’s life when they are treated with respect, just by being acknowledged, even by being recognized. And when we actually mean it, it makes a difference. It’s not just a professional responsibility at work. It’s a human responsibility. The key is treating people like you’d like to be treated.”

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