My name is Rachel Turman. I've been a resident of Bastrop County for 35 years and a Texan all my life. 

I'm the mother of two grown children who taught me a lot about navigating the spectrum of individuality in two very different people.

I'm a UT College of Communications graduate and have worked in the media industry for 30 years. 

For over 20 years I was blessed with a job that allowed me to change hats often and use & develop different skills. I've been a trainer, written & developed training & reference materials, I've served as a systems admin, a subject matter expert, and group facilitator. I worked on projects, both small and large, short term and long term.

Within my work community, I was a member of a cross functional team representing a diverse set of interests, skills and perspectives in the workplace. The team's primary purpose  was to communicate about upcoming projects and changes, determine who was impacted and how, and then build a plan that included all the players. 

In recent years, I've transitioned to the accounting side of the business. Today, I am a member of an A/R management team for a global marketing technology company. I manage a small team that oversees a $500M  dollar portfolio of accounts. The job requires attention to detail, a high level of problem-solving, and tactful communication with both staff and clients. 

What will I bring from life experience into service as Justice of the Peace?

• DETAIL-ORIENTED My work has always lived in the details. Details are 'the weeds'. Details make the world go 'round. The Devil lives in the details. I understand the answer lies in the details. 
• LISTENING FOR MEANING In my work with a cross-functional team, with clients, and with staff, I understand that listening and hearing are not the same thing. One is physiological. One is active & requires openness. To understand a situation, listening is required.
• FAIR & NEUTRAL As a trainer, as a project team member, as a staff manager, as an AR manager -- I know that failing is human. People make mistakes. No one likes to fail. No one. Treating people with respect, even when they fail, diminishes no one.
• DECISION-MAKING SKILLS As a cross-functional team member, as a staff manager, as someone who deals with clients failing in the contractual agreements, hard decisions must be made about the best way forward. There are wins & losses in those decisions. Ultimately, objectivity and a review of the facts are what lead to the best decisions.