Tell us about yourself.

Hello, I'm Cortni Motes. I graduated with honors from Greenville Technical College, earning an associate degree in marketing and a certificate in non-profit marketing. My life is brightened by my wonderful boyfriend and our beautiful stepdaughter, who brings immense joy to our family. I've been a resident of Waterloo all my life, residing on the property my parents acquired from my grandparents. During the summer, you'll often find me enjoying the lake, while in the winter, I embrace the thrill of hunting. I consider myself a quirky and fun-loving individual. Each day, my personal goal is to spread positivity and kindness by making at least one person smile or feel good about themselves. After all, a little kindness goes a long way!

Tell us about your job.

I am employed by Laurens County, and I am the Executive Assistant to the Public Works Director. The aspect of my job that I cherish the most is the camaraderie among my colleagues. I genuinely look forward to coming to work each day and interacting with my coworkers, as together we create an environment filled with excitement and enjoyment. There's always something happening in the office, ensuring that dull moments are a rarity.

What motivated you to become an ambassador for our organization?

I aspired to take on the role of ambassador with the aim of fostering greater community engagement and encouraging local businesses to actively participate in enhancing our county.

What makes Laurens County special to you?

Ultimately, it's the people who make a place special and Laurens County has some of the most exceptional people. The connections we build and the supportive community that surrounds us can profoundly enhance our experiences, creating a genuine sense of belonging, and for me, Laurens County embodies that feeling of home.

If you could have any fictional character as your best friend, who would it be and why?

I would want to be best friends with Olivia Pope from Scandal and Genie from Aladdin. Olivia Pope is fierce. Everything from Pope's strut to her glamorous attire and her natural ability to lead, made her a force to be reckoned with. Yet her character had vulnerabilities and knew the world had its eyes on her with every move she made. She is a tenacious overachiever who can be manipulative. Olivia uses her ability to read people and situations to maneuver those around her to her (and her firm’s) advantage. In her words, “My gut tells me everything I need to know.” And if her gut tells her that the person sitting in front of her is innocent or a good person who made a mistake, Olivia will stop at nothing to help. However, Olivia values honesty over everything, and if a person lies to her or tries to hurt someone she loves, she will use all the means at her disposal to bring that person down. My other choice would be Genie from Aladdin. Genie of the Lamp has a very happy, fun-loving character and is rarely seen without a big smile on his face. He often likes to crack jokes, in his impersonations or other forms, and does this in serious conversations to help ease any tension. His warmth, fun loving, wise crack attitude are wonderful traits to have in a friend and a few wishes here and there wouldn't hurt either!!!