Meet CAPS Office Manager, Laurie Hire

“If you’re going to have a work family, this is a good one to have.”

Creating this warm sense of place within an office setting is certainly no easy task. Doing so requires a certain skillset and mentality that helps to accommodate diverse personalities and work styles. 

These staff members make Missoula County great and we are immensely fortunate to have them.

If you walk into the Community and Planning Services office, a friendly face will be there to greet you.  After even a brief conversation, it becomes evident that Office Manager, Laurie Hire, is exceptionally knowledgeable, curious and helpful. Having the opportunity to work with her, it is even more evident that she is an incredible person and helps to make our Community and Planning Services department (CAPS) a special place.

Having worked at the County since 2005, Laurie has come to know many individuals and processes well. However, it was a unique and unplanned situation that initially brought her here.

“I was working at the Missoulian when a friend left for a job in Justice Court. She called me the next day to say that the job wasn’t for her and that I should do it,” Laurie said.

It was at this time that Laurie was hired as a temporary clerk to migrate civil files into newly purchased software. After a year of work, Laurie was hired full time as a judicial aide and worked in that office for four years.

“I was able to bring my boys to work after they were born which helped to bring some happiness into the office. I enjoyed my time there but after a while I was interested in other opportunities at the County.”

It was at that time that Rural Initiatives was hiring for an Administrative Aide. The position was a perfect fit for Laurie where she could use her journalism and graphic design background.

“I knew I didn’t want to leave the County but that I wanted to do work that more closely aligned with my degree. This position offered outreach and to work on publications.”

When the Office of Planning and Grants went through a restructuring process, Laurie’s position grew into her current role where she works on a variety of things including the eNewsletter, brochures and redesign of both the RI and CAPS logos.

Now, as CAPS Office Manager, Laurie ensures the daily operations of the office run smoothly. She connects with the public through outreach efforts, including email correspondence, website updates and drafting the CAPS newsletter. Laurie also pulls together all CAPS budget reports, pays bills, edits letters and takes minutes for meetings.

“I’ve gotten to know everyone really well and make sure that they have what they need to accomplish their work. When we transitioned into CAPS it took time to develop working relationships with new staff. I wanted to step in to find ways to bring people together and to have fun.”

Aside from these duties, Laurie works very closely with community councils in providing administrative support. She is there to answer questions about how meetings should be run and conducted, translates agency jargon, maintains the handbook and supports their activities.

“Councils are a valuable part of our department and Missoula County. They’re the eyes and ears of their community and in turn help us share our message with that community.”

With such a wide array of responsibilities, Laurie enjoys outreach work to be able to provide information to the community while sharing CAPS’ projects. The most rewarding aspect of her role is knowing that in some way or another she is making someone’s job easier.

“We have a good staff. They’re fun and easy to work with. Everyone is professional, responsible and fun. I could not do my job without Genevieve [MacDonald] and am so thankful to work with her.”

Outside of work, Laurie enjoys many hobbies including reading and spending time with her husband and two sons. In fact, Laurie’s husband, Sean, also works for the County. They met in French class while attending the University of Montana and have been married since 2004.

Although Laurie wanted to be a creative writer as a child – and still enjoys doing so when she has the time – Laurie is happy with her career choice and to be working for the County.

“I’m in a really great place. It’s not what I thought I would be doing but I have the flexibility to take care of my family and myself. I have fun here which makes it enjoyable and rewarding. Missoula County really looks out for each other. I don’t think people fully understand how much the County values staff. Feeling support by your coworkers and elected officials is something really special.”

Favorite Book: I love everything from Camus to David Sedaris. My mom was an English teacher.

Favorite Movie: Star Wars trilogy, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Shawshank Redemption.

Favorite Color: I love color in general, so The Pantone chart.

Favorite TV Show: I Netflix binge and can watch Arrested Development and Deadwood over and over again.