By Patricia A. Scheyer
NKyTribune reporter
The name Jordan Dallas Turner might not be on the tip of everyone’s tongue today, but soon people will become aware that this energetic lady is on the job.
Turner took her seat as the first female county attorney in Boone County in January.
“I am really enjoying the job,” Turner said after two months on the job. “I think until you’re actually in the position, you are not sure what to expect, but I am finding that it is pretty true to what I expected.”
Jordan Dallas Turner
Turner grew up in this area and attended Conner High School and Chase Law School, but also achieved a degree in Communications from Northern Kentucky University. She believes that degree is a bonus to almost any career, because communicating with others is a key to a civil society.
Her husband, who grew up in Eastern Kentucky, is also an attorney. They have three children, 9, 7 and 4 1/2.
Turner likes being an attorney. Early in her career, she worked as a prosecutor in Floyd county in Eastern Kentucky, and she liked doing that job, largely because she felt she was helping people.
Moving back to Northern Kentucky, Turner and her husband have a private practice office on Shelby Street in Florence, and Turner felt that she was comfortable with her career choice and could do this job the rest of her life.
“I consider myself an introvert, a private person,” she explained. “I never thought I’d be a public official. When the county attorney announced that he was retiring, someone came to me and asked if I would be interested in running for County Attorney. I laughed at the time — I didn’t think it was for me.”
She thought about it, however, talked to more people, prayed about it, and over time, she came to the realization that God really cleared things out of the way so the path for her future became clearer.
“It was still a leap of faith,” she remembered. “My husband was my biggest supporter. He was a rockstar. And it was a great experience for the kids, because we were able to expose them to things they might not have been exposed to. My son took a definite interest in government and how it works.”
Turner did run unopposed, but engineering a campaign was an eye-opening experience. She liked it, however, because she was able to get out and talk to people, and get a feel for the community.
“I feel like mine was a listening campaign,” she said. “I take being elected very seriously. The fact that all these people put their trust in me is not lost on me — it really sticks with me.”
Now, two months into the job, she is happy. She said she deals with educational public services, with the fiscal court, and that is working very well, because of the caliber of the people on the court.
“Everyone is very helpful, and they are always making sure I have everything I need,” Turner said. “I am also very impressed with the commissioners. They work so hard to make sure they are doing the right thing for the people they represent.”
Another thing Turner deals with are the misdemeanors in district court. Felonies, she said, go to circuit court. She also presents evidence in family court, where there is no jury; the judge makes decisions.
“Something that was an eye-opening experience to me is dealing with juveniles in district court,” she said. “These are kids under 18 years old. Seeing what these kids are dealing with, and what they are going through is so serious. Things are a lot different than when I was in high school.”
Since she is so new in this job, Turner hasn’t given any thought to what she would like to do in the future. She is adamant that she didn’t take this job as a stepping stone.
She likes experience and wants to immerse herself in every segment of life experience that she takes on, knowing it will help her grow. She also believes wherever she is, God may have put her there to help people.
“I really love helping people,” she stated. “Doing my campaign, and being in this job will make me a better person, getting me out of my comfort zone and putting me in touch with people I might not have met otherwise. I do know I like the executive branch. I haven’t given much thought to if I will stay in this job 4 years, and do something else, or run again. I think whatever job I am in, I will give it my all, and when the road opens before me, I will pray about it, and think about it, and see what direction would be best for me and my family.”
