Lexington County hires Sturkie as new administrator

Lynn Sturkie, a lifelong resident of Lexington County, was named the county’s new administrator Tuesday night.

Sturkie, 55, has been the interim Lexington County administrator since Jan. 1, 2021, after the retirement of Joe Mergo. He’s had the opportunity to perform the day-to-day duties of the job this year, as well as prepare for the upcoming budget cycle, according to a news release.

Out of 41 candidates for the position, Sturkie was the top choice because of his leadership experience and “his passion for serving the residents and visitors of Lexington County,” according to the news release.

“Lynn’s background and his attitude of giving all of himself to the service of our community is what solidified our decision,” Lexington County Council Chairman Todd Cullum said. “We know that he will do an exemplary job of continuing to propagate a culture of selfless and high-quality service within the County for years to come.”

In 2012, Sturkie joined Lexington County government as the director of technology services. In that position, Sturkie coordinated and developed the implementation of technology-based systems and policies throughout various departments and ensured the security of Lexington’s technical services.

Before working as the IT director, Sturkie worked in the private sector for 25 years and was a director at CGI Group Inc. in Columbia. He was responsible for implementing production support, account management and financial forecasting.

Sturkie lives in West Columbia with his wife. He has four children and one grandchild.