GRANTS - Scott Vinson, newly hired Cibola County Manager, is excited about the prospects of new challenges in another small community. “I'm a small town kind of guy,” he said in a telephone interview with the Beacon.

Vinson has years of experience in county government, including 16 years in Luna County, where he was county manager before accepting the same position here. Luna County has a population of between 28,000 and 30,000 people, with the county seat located in Deming, according to Vinson.

He has spent most of his life in southern New Mexico, originally hailing from Hobbs and living in the small town of Eunice, which has a population of 3,000. Vinson attended New Mexico State University, where he earned both a B.A. and M.A. in public administration.

Following his education, he entered the field of county government, serving as County Manager in Lea County, before moving on to Luna County. He has also lived in Lovington, a small city with a population of 10,000.

Vinson plans to hit the ground running to take advantage of grant opportunities offered by the federal stimulus package. “I was impressed with the Cibola County Commissioners and admire their goals. We face many of the same problems in Deming as you are dealing with here in Grants,” he said. “Unemployment and lack of economic development challenge many rural towns and counties in New Mexico.”

Vinson reiterated how much he enjoys small town life. “I've had opportunities to work in cities, but I'm a small town guy at heart. I was offered the county manager's position in Dona Ana County, but the Luna County Board offered to meet the salary offer and I was able to stay in the small town that I enjoy,” he explained.

The new county manager realizes that he faces a change in climate and culture when he relocates to Grants. “The country in Cibola County is beautiful, but I guess I'll have to buy an overcoat,” he observed.

Vinson is a long-time friend of newly elected Representative Harry Teague, who held a Town Hall meeting here in Grants on April 16. “I know that Harry is serious about helping his district,” he said.

He is the father of three adult children, including a daughter who is a social worker at a charter school in Deming. “I'm very close to her and her son, so I'm trying to convince her to move up to Grants too,” he divulged.

He has another daughter, who lives in Eunice and a son, who is finishing his degree in criminal justice at the Customs Academy at Western New Mexico University.

Vinson concluded the interview by saying, “I have 21 years experience and lots of expertise in county government, but I don't have all the answers.”