Susan Norman has spent more than 30 years serving the people of Laurel as an employee of the City of Laurel.

Norman, a Laurel native, is a Northeast Jones High School graduate.

Norman said it was her mother, Laura Thornton, who inspired her to join the staff of the City of Laurel.

“My mother was a deputy city clerk and she had worked here (Laurel City Hall) for a long time,” Norman said. “I knew she liked her job with the city. So, I decided to apply for a job with the city, never thinking I would be here for 30 years.”

Norman, who started out in 1978 in the records division for the Laurel Police Department, said she has enjoyed her three decades of service to the citizens of Laurel.

On Oct. 30 she celebrated her 30th anniversary with the City of Laurel.

Norman, who is currently serving as the city’s planning and zoning coordinator, has worked her way through the ranks.

“I started out at the Police Department, then I transferred to personnel,” she recalls. “I then went to work as the public relations secretary. Then, I went to engineering, then the inspections department and then the finance department.”

After that, Norman handled the city’s microfilming for a while.

She would later return to the inspection department, where she worked until 2006 when she was reassigned to planning and zoning.

Norman, an active member of the First Church of God where she serves as a Sunday School teacher and is a member of the church council, said she enjoys singing and reading.

Throughout the various positions she’s held, Norman said the people have made her job enjoyable.

“I love meeting people and helping people,” she said. “I’ve learned that there are a lot of different people in the world and they all have rights and must be treated with respect.”

Norman said her faith in God and her motto of “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” has helped her to keep a smile on her face and joy in her heart as she serves the people of Laurel.

Laurel Mayor Melvin Mack praised Norman for her dedication and service to the city.