City of Thomasville Administrative offices will be closed on Thursday, August 16, 2018 from 9:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. to allow Team Thomasville members to mourn one of their own. Karis Mills, Director of Customer Service, passed away suddenly over the weekend, leaving behind a legacy of service to not only the City of Thomasville, but to the entire community as well.
“Karis was a positive light within our organization, one that was lost way too soon,” said Kha McDonald, Interim City Manager. “Her impact is far reaching within our organization, and there are many who wish to pay their respects to Karis’ family and honor her memory by attending her services. We know this may be a temporary inconvenience to our customers, but we ask for your understanding and patience during this difficult time for our Team Thomasville family.”
Mills began her service to the City of Thomasville in 1996 when she was hired as an Energy Service Advisor. She was the City’s first Communications Center Supervisor when a centralized call center for all City of Thomasville services was created in 1998. She was promoted to Customer Care Manager in 2005, Director of Customer Relations in 2008 and finally, Director of Customer Service in 2012. “Karis took each opportunity she was given to expand her knowledge and grow as a leader, earning the respect of both her staff and her colleagues alike,” said McDonald.
Lynn Williams, Assistant City Manager for Economic Development and Communications, worked with Mills for much of Mills’ time with the City and says that her commitment to customer service will be greatly missed. “Karis was a true advocate for our customers and considered the impact to the customer in each and every decision that she made,” she said. “The wealth of knowledge that she possessed is irreplaceable, and her leadership will be greatly missed. Her legacy is one of excellence in customer service for our organization, one that her staff respected and worked hard to deliver to every City of Thomasville customer at every opportunity.”
Mills, a Grady County resident, was born and raised in Thomasville and was a graduate of Thomasville High School. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Science from Thomas College in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. She was the daughter of Brenda Justice Hunt and Tim Holt and was predeceased by her husband, Stacey Mills.
“Karis left her mark on so many in our Team Thomasville family,” said McDonald. “Her beautiful smile, contagious laughter and warm and giving personality touched so many of us who were fortunate enough to call her our friend. A loss is never easy, but this loss is particularly hard for everyone in our organization. She set the bar high for customer service, and we will honor her memory by continuously striving to reach that mark each and every day. We ask for our community’s understanding as we grieve the loss of our friend, Karis.”
Customers who wish to make payments on their utility accounts during this brief closure are encouraged to utilize the Utilities Online feature of Thomasville.org or the automated attendant, which can be accessed by calling 227-7001 and choosing option 2 and then 1. Customers may also make account payments through the City of Thomasville’s mobile app, which is available for both Android and iOS.
“While most questions can be answered by information available on our website, Thomasville.org, customers may also call our Energy Control Center at 227-5499,” said McDonald. “Any non-emergency calls will be returned when our offices reopen at 1:00 p.m.”