It wasn’t a coincidence.

Just as Kingfisher City Manager Jim Thomas was searching for a new community development director and building inspector, he got a call from Las Vegas.

It was Linda Garcia. She wasn’t looking for a job in Oklahoma… But for Thomas, it was the right person at the right time.

As Garcia was preparing to embark on a new life journey, she reached out to her former boss and friend for a little assistance.

The two became acquainted while Thomas was working as a city manager in Arizona and Garcia was serving as an intern in his office while pursuing a master’s degree in public administration (and a master’s in Latin American studies) several years ago.

After a more than 25-year career as an electrician, which at times can be physically demanding, Garcia began taking classes in construction management thinking it would be a good transition for someone who had a lot of years in the trade, she said.

During that time, a construction manager she greatly admired encouraged her to consider another route and do something she’s passionate about.

Contemplating the suggestion, Garcia thought to herself, “I know I want to be where I can serve people…so how do I do that?

“I’m not a politician and don’t have that personality, but I can work in government and try to make sure that everybody’s voice is heard.”

So, she stepped out of her comfort zone.

After earning her master’s degrees, Garcia said she knew she needed to “money up” before changing careers and put her tools back on for about 1 1/2 years before plunging into a new endeavor.

When she reached out to Thomas, Garcia said she was hoping he could set her on a path to find the right resources for her new career, but when he suggested a position in Oklahoma, her initial thought was “nope.”

Having spent most of her career in the Las Vegas area, Garcia was already nervous about leaving the trade she had devoted her life to and wasn’t sure about making a move miles away as well.

But with Thomas encouraging her that it would be a perfect fit with her background in construction and singing the praises of Kingfisher, Garcia she needed to check it out.

“I have all the faith in the world in Jim and it felt right,” Garcia said.

“So I thought maybe I need to fly out and see the community and talk to him face to face.”

After praying about the decision, Garcia has now been on the job for about two months and said it’s a nice town, where the people are very friendly.

Garcia is taking over the responsibilities of former Community Development Director and Building Inspector Jon Friesen as well as part-time Code Enforcement Officer Jeff Townsend.

Another one of her responsibilities is serving as the floodplain administrator.

Although Garcia has spent almost her entire career in the construction trade, she said that being a building inspector is a big role which requires a lot of specialized knowledge.

Currently, Garcia is certifi ed as the floodplain administrator and is working with a consultant hired by the city while doing building inspections and is completing the requirements to become a licensed building inspector.

As building inspector, some of Garcia’s responsibilities include issuing proper permits and licenses for remodeling, renovation or new construction and making the final inspection issuing a certificate of occupancy.

Codes, ordinances, zoning, permit and license applications as well as other information are accessible on the city’s website and Garcia said she is available for assistance.

When it comes to serving as the code enforcement officer, Garcia said she understands every situation is going to be a little bit different and she wants to treat everyone with kindness and respect.

“Nobody is happy when the code enforcement officer comes to visit,” she said.

“It’s hard because it may cost them time, money or both and I try to be kind and respectful as everybody is in a different situation and I hope they understand.”

As an outsider, it’s an advantage in some ways, Garcia said, because it’s a very even playing field with no personal scores, preferential treatment and nobody will get ignored either.

“These are the things the city commissioners put in place and my job is to enforce them, not to create my own rules or turn a blind eye,” she commented.

“I’m here to do the will of the city, not to do my own will. If the code says it, I’m going to enforce it. I’m not going to enforce something that isn’t already existing.”

Codes are in place to create order and maintain people’s property values, creating some kind of equity and it has to be the same for everybody, she said.

“I don’t want to make people’s life harder, but it also has to be fair for your neighbor,” Garcia added.

Understanding families may have limited financial resources, are elderly, have illnesses in the family or other situations, Garcia said she realizes there will be challenges, but hopes to be able to find solutions one person at a time, just talking with them.

After working together, if a solution can’t be reached, Garcia said she will send it up the ladder, because ultimately it is up to the city to make those decisions.

“I hope that I can serve the people the best I can and that people feel that they’re being treated with respect and fairness when I deal with them, especially as a code enforcement officer,” Garcia said.