Catoosa County’s chief election official Tonya Moore has gained a lot of experience in her first seven months on the job.
Since assuming her post last December, she has overseen a special election, a runoff election and early voting for a primary election that includes local and statewide races.
While all this activity could be considered as intense and thorough training for November’s general election, Moore says it is her career in customer service that has prepared her for the task.
“Our job is to make voting and elections as painless as possible – as natural as breathing,” she said recently as early primary voting began.
Running an office is something Moore is accustomed to, she was a retail store manager and bank officer before being hired to supervise voter registration and all public elections within the county.
“This is a totally political job,” she said. “But it is one where we must be impartial, follow rules and ethical standards, meet deadlines and make certain that our elections are efficiently run.”
What led a petite 39-year-old mother of two to become head of Catoosa County’s Election Commission?
ON THE BALLOTQ-and-A with Catoosa County Election Official Tonya Moore.Q: What are some of the memorable experiences of your career?A: My previous job introduced me to volunteering and helping in our community with civic clubs. Near and dear to my heart is our Civitan Club, we help with projects for senior citizens and disabled children.Q: What is one of the more rewarding aspects of your job as head of elections?A: Voter registration drives for our high schools. It is nice to know we can make a difference here, letting students know the importance of voting. They are our future.Q: What about your family?A: My husband John and I have celebrated our 19th anniversary on May 24. We have a 16-year-old son, Cody, and a 14-year-old daughter, Jordan. Both attend Heritage High School. John’s ancestors settled in the Tyner area and Moore Road, in Brainerd, is named for his family.Q: Are you a sports fan?A: I grew up as a UT fan but converted and now am a fan of Georgia Bulldogs football. A friend and co-worker had season tickets and asked me to go to a game with her. I was hooked. I think coach Mark Richt has done wonders for that program. My favorite pro team is the Detroit Lions because Matthew Stafford (former UGA standout) is their quarterback.Q: Any hobbies?A: Travel, golf and shopping.Q: Any outdoorsy activities?A: My father-in-law owns an archer shop, Turk’s Sport Shop, in Ooltewah and I shoot bow and arrow just to have family time. My son and I – and my dad – like to go fishing every weekend. I don’t like to hunt, I’ve been squirrel hunting once and felt like the Abominable Snowwoman because it was so cold, but my daughter goes deer hunting with my husband.Q: You like cars?A: Cars are my thing. I have a car fetish. I learned to drive my mom’s Cavalier when I was 15 and my parents bought me a new candy apple red Fiero when I was 16. I got a black Camaro RS when I graduated high school, and I’d never had a car paid for until we bought my son a used 2002 Mustang.Q: Favorite vacation spot?A: It’s a tie: the Virgin Islands or New York City.Q: What is your personal motto or philosophy?A: The Golden Rule: do unto others as you would have them do unto you.Q:What was your first paying job?A: McDonalds. I turned 16 and my parents bought me a car saying “you must pay for your insurance and gas.”Q: Favorite book, movie and magazine?A: The Bible, “Forest Gump” and People.
Moore said she grew up in Ooltewah and commuted to Ooltewah High School after her parents moved to Ringgold when she was 15.
“I didn’t want to transfer during my junior year,” she said.
At 16 she was hired by a retail store located in Eastgate Mall and went straight into management. As her career advanced from the local to regional level, travel became a constant – and something that caused her to rethink her career.
“I loved the job, but with two small children there was too much time away, something I realized when they started calling for Daddy instead of Mama,” she said. “One day I was taking a movie back to Blockbuster and stopped in at Capital Bank to fill out an application.”
She did not know it that day, but Moore handed her completed application to the bank’s president.
“They had just rolled out an Internet banking product and were looking for someone with sales experience,” Moore said. “My years in retail fit their need – I was someone who was not afraid to ask people for their business.”
Moore spent time as an assistant branch manager and headed the business development office and attended commercial lending school, but the banking industry changed with the souring economy.
“Banking ceased being fun,” she said. “I was so used to making my goals. I started waking up from dreams – bad dreams – about banking.”
That the election commission became available was a fluke, Moore said.
“I wasn’t looking for a job and no experience with elections but I was active in the community,” she said. “I was so used to customer service that this seemed natural.”
A regular voter herself, Moore said she feels it is important to get citizens in the habit of voting at an early age. To make that happen, the election commission carries its touch-screen voting machines into local high schools for in-school elections so that students become familiar with the process.
When asked how she decided on a career path that led her to becoming the county’s top election official and what she expects in coming years, Moore replied, “I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up, ask me again in 10 years.”