Lee Harris Retires After 20 Years of Service to the City of Statesville
After more than 20 years with the City of Statesville, Lee Harris, Crime Analyst for the Statesville Police Department, is retiring.
When asked to reflect on her career, Lee joked that she would much rather make a map than write about herself.
Lee joined the city after serving as the GIS Administrator for Iredell County, where she worked primarily with parcel and address data. She was excited to come to Statesville for the opportunity to work on a wider variety of projects that supported departments across the organization.
One of her biggest accomplishments was helping build the city’s water and sewer mapping system. When Lee started, there were no GIS layers for that infrastructure. Over time, she entered the entire system into GIS and worked closely with the Water and Sewer Department to GPS much of the city’s infrastructure. Thanks to that work, departments today have better tools for planning, maintenance, and daily operations.
Lee also enjoyed mapping Oakwood and Belmont Cemeteries. She found it especially meaningful to document the graves and help make that information accessible to both employees and the public. It was a project that blended history and technology, something she truly enjoyed.
While she is proud of the work she has done, Lee says she will miss the people the most. After two decades, coworkers have become close friends. Seeing them every day will be hard to replace, though she plans to stay in touch.
In retirement, Lee is looking forward to turning off the alarm clock, spending more time with family, and finally traveling to places she has long wanted to visit.
Her advice to those just starting their career with the city is simple. Show up ready to do what needs to be done. Treat coworkers and citizens with kindness. Remember that people may not always remember what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.
We thank Lee for the steady, behind the scenes work that has helped move the City of Statesville forward for more than 20 years. Congratulations, Lee, and enjoy a well-earned retirement.
