Editor’s Note: This is the second story in a series introducing Winston County’s newest elected officials before they take office in January.
When Gwenita Mays decided to run for the Circuit Clerk position, she had one thing in mind – serving her community. Service is nothing new to Mays. She’s been an active member of her church since the age of eleven, and, at Mt. Moriah M.B. Church, she is currently a member of the Board of Directors. At the same time, her service didn’t end at the church. Mays has also been on the City of Louisville Board of Aldermen, serving Ward 3 for sixteen years.
She also served people in her professional life. Mays began her career at the Louisville Walmart as a personnel manager. She also worked as a cashier at Ellis Short Stop, and she worked in Human Resources at Winston Plywood and Veneer before accepting a position with the Walmart Neighborhood Market. Here, she would be instrumental in getting the store up and running.
Mays says she believed that her professional life was at a standstill, and “I wasn’t willing to accept that.” Desiring to continue serving in the community, she began praying for God’s direction. “Over the years, God has placed me exactly where he wanted me to be, and the challenges that I have been faced with only made me stronger.”
Mays’ life of service has prepared her for the Circuit Clerk position, and she intends to utilize her natural ability to treat people with respect, loyalty, dignity, and grace. She said that her passion for people prompted her to take up the campaign. In addition, she has strong convictions about educating people regarding voting. “As I campaigned, I encountered numerous young people of all ethnicities, who weren’t registered; some were registered but had never participated in the election (process) and did not know the location of their voting precinct.”
Mays remarked that she is forever grateful to the citizens of Winston County for trusting her with the new position. “I can only hope that by being a servant of Winston County for 37 years, I have touched someone’s life in a positive way.” She is looking forward to taking the position in a few short weeks, and she plans to continue her service to the county in the same way that she always has.
Mays is married to Charles Mays, and they have three children; the Mays are also blessed with four grandchildren. They have been married for 35 years, and they attend Mt. Moriah M.B. Church. Mays is a graduate of Louisville High School, Mary Holmes College; she is also an MML graduate of Basic, Advanced and Professional Development.
Natasha Walker
Tasha Walker is no stranger to the Tax Assessor’s office; she’s worked there since 1996, when she was hired at the tender age of 21. “This is all I know!” she said with a smile.
When Tasha began working as a deputy clerk in the tax office, Brenda Miles was the Tax Assessor. Since then, Tasha has worked under multiple county officials. While Tasha learned from each of those individuals, she credits the current assessor, Darlene Bane, with working diligently to ensure that there is a smooth transition come January.
It’s not uncommon to see Tasha with Bane at various county meetings. She’s also attended budget hearings with the local school district as well as Board of Supervisor meetings. Over the years, Walker has been able to attend multiple training opportunities. Her experience, both in the office and in various county meetings, and her willingness to learn all that she can about the position uniquely qualify her to serve the county in the tax office.
Walker has some innovative ideas that she hopes to implement to benefit the citizens of Winston County, including online tag renewal, paying real/property taxes online, and bringing the office up-to-date regarding technology.
Walker’s quiet and refined nature doesn’t lend to her bragging on herself very much, and she says that when she decided to run, she just felt that the time was right to do so. “I felt like this was my opportunity to take that leap of faith and go for it. That leap of faith, my years of experience in the office and hard work campaigning, family and friends, community support – that’s what got me elected.”
Walker eagerly anticipates getting started in the new position. She will be sworn into office on January 2, but she took the time to think about the community first rather than herself. “On that day, locals can sign up for homestead exemption. You are required to sign or re-sign an application if you turn 65 before January 1, experienced the death of a spouse, moved, bought or sold land, set up a life estate, changed marital status (married, separated, or divorced), built or purchased a new house, had any change in your deed, or became a 100% disabled veteran. Applications are accepted Jan. 2 – April 1, 2024.”
In closing, Walker wanted to express her gratitude to the county for trusting her with the position. Walker won her primary election outright with no run-off and no opposing candidate in November. “I look forward to serving as your newly elected Tax Assessor/Collector.”
Walker is married to her husband, David, and the pair have three children.
