All About the Numbers
by Sue Bowron
photography by Mark Najjar
3651 Peachtree Parkway Suite 425 - Suwanee, GA 30024
Lynne Riley is all about the numbers. She examines them, balances them and makes decisions with them. She makes sure everything adds up. As Fulton County Commissioner of District 3 and a professional tax accountant, she ensures that her constituency gets the best business decisions available on issues that impact their lives.
Lynne grew up with numbers. Her father, Ken Torrey, was Executive Vice President of the South Scituate Savings Bank, a community bank in Norwell, Massachusetts, halfway between Boston and Plymouth. When Lynne was twelve, she remembers going into the bank on a Saturday with her dad. He turned to her and asked her to count the cash delivery. It was a huge responsibility for a young girl and she was thrilled that he had enough faith in her to perform the task.
Even though her family was steeped in banking, Lynne decided to pursue a degree in medical biotechnology. It did not take long for her to realize that her forte was in finance, so with a quick change in majors, Lynne pursued her studies at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts and Bentley College in Waltham, Massachusetts (where her father and both grandfathers attended). She rounded out her finance education by attending the American Institute of Banking in Boston.
After her college career, Lynne joined her father in managing his community bank. It was a job she loved, but when the bank was purchased, Lynne and her father decided not to stay with the bank they had managed for so long. The personal touch they had with their customers was slipping away from them, and it was a difficult decision for both of them. Lynne transitioned into her own business by developing a partnership with a local CPA, and her career turned toward tax accounting.
During her college days while working part-time summer positions at the bank, Lynne met Mike Riley, one of the bank's customers. They married in 1980 and moved to Connecticut near Mike's family in 1986. They were only in Connecticut for eighteen months when Mike's job moved them to the Atlanta area. Before they really had a chance to get settled, Mike's company laid off many of their employees. Lynne found herself in a new city, unemployed, living in an apartment and pregnant. Fortunately, The Coca-Cola Company hired Mike as Equipment Engineer, and as daunting as this new beginning appeared to be, Lynne was determined to move forward.
She became acquainted with Margaret Krueger, Johns Creek's devoted activist when Johns Creek was still a rural area. As she began to put down roots, she started her local civic career. She worked as a PTA volunteer at five Fulton County schools, as an officer of the Aviary and Cameron Homeowners Associations and as a North Fulton Girl Scout Troop Leader. She became a board member and treasurer of the Johns Creek Community Association and several Fulton County Citizen Advisory Boards.
Lynne started her own business, Riley Accounting Services, while working out of her home and raising three children. Following her father's example of being a life-long Rotarian, she joined the Alpharetta Rotary Club where today she is their Treasurer.
Lynne's interest in politics was also home-grown. Her parents left her a rich legacy of the value of public service. They taught her that public service is a privilege and a responsibility, not a casual activity. At every election, Lynne's parents worked the polls. In the days before computer voting, many times they would stay up all night counting votes after an election. Lynne's mother, Anne, just retired at the age of 78 as the town registrar.
As a Johns Creek resident, Lynne became involved as Treasurer and board member of the Johns Creek Community Association and she was a founding member of the Board of Directors of the Johns Creek Foundation. Watching Johns Creek move towards becoming its own city was gratifying for Lynne. Eventually, Karen Handel, Georgia's Secretary of State, with whom she worked with for two and a half years, and Debbie Gibson, Alpharetta City Councilwoman, mentored Lynne and encouraged her to run for election in July 2004 to finish Bob Fulton's term when he unexpectedly died. Lynne ran and won the seat. She ran unopposed for re-election in 2006 and will finish her current term in 2010.
As a Fulton County Commissioner, Lynne's desk is full. She works with the North Fulton Municipal Association (NFMA), which brings together the Mayors of Johns Creek, Alpharetta, Roswell, Mountain Park, Milton and Sandy Springs to cooperatively work on the issues that impact their citizens. One of the issues that concerns NFMA is the re-creation of Milton County. Lynne is studying the long-term effects of reforming the county. "We need all the facts," Lynne says, "Voters need to know what they're getting into. It can't be just an emotional decision but must be a financially good decision as well."
The most important thing on Lynne's agenda is accountability. She wants to ensure that every project in front of her receives a full analysis, that it makes sense both financially and structurally. She demands audits on everything to ensure her constituents are receiving the full benefit of the trust they have placed in their government. Tom Price ran for Congress in 2004 at the same time Lynne was running for Commissioner. She learned much from his demeanor about setting a high standard for government.
One of Lynne's biggest projects involves the Cauley Creek Water Reclamation Facility. Driven by the drought, a re-use utility and task force was formed in September 2007 to expand the distribution of reclaimed water. By 2009 the County facilities are expected to process 15 million gallons a day. The objective is to re-use every drop from the Chattahoochee River for non-potable use. Expanding Bob Fulton's vision for water conservation, Lynne's goal is to see that new development is proactively fitted for recycling water.
Lynne is proud to be a member of the Coverdell Leadership Institute Class of 2008. Designed for the development of Republican leaders, the year-long class looks at leadership from several Georgia counties culminating in a visit to the Capitol in Washington, DC in May.
Given that Lynne is on the American Cancer Society North Fulton Advisory Board, the The Johns Creek Foundation Board, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra/Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park Board of Trustees, her free time is at a premium. "I'm a big reader," she says, "I just finished Ken Follett's World Without End. What a lot of people don't know is that one of my favorite volunteer projects was working in the elementary and middle school libraries. Fulton County has such a great school system. It shows not only in test scores but also in the kids."
Down time for Lynne is as simple as a day at home with her family. Her daughters Katie and Eileen, both graduates of the University of Georgia, live in Alpharetta and Augusta respectively, and her son Greg, who attends Chattahoochee High School, get together as often as they can.
Lynne is a medieval and renaissance history buff especially delving into Welsh history and the Magna Carta. Who would she like to talk to? "Elizabeth I, definitely," she says with conviction, "And Elizabeth II. Neither one expected to be Queen; they had such odds to overcome." Then with a thought and a smile she says, "I would also like to meet Elizabeth III, whoever she might be. That would be interesting."
