by Mary Spiller
December 21, 2025
Petty was celebrated for greater than 5 many years of public service.
The Metropolis of Albany on Dec. 18 honored Mary Ann Petty, a pioneering public servant who made historical past as the town’s first Black feminine customer support document clerk and later rose to grow to be director of administrative providers, recognizing a profession formed by resilience, service, and lasting influence.
Petty started working for the town at simply 19 years previous, after Albany was legally required to combine its workforce underneath desegregation legal guidelines. Her hiring marked a turning level within the metropolis’s historical past, putting her on the middle of a court-mandated effort to open downtown places of work to Black staff.
On the time, Petty mentioned she didn’t absolutely grasp the importance of the position. “My first response was, I didn’t need the job, , as a result of I’m 19 years previous. I needed to remain dwelling,” she recalled. It was solely after officers defined the significance of the courtroom order that she accepted the place. “I didn’t know at the moment how important it was, however as time handed, I spotted the place I used to be,” she mentioned.
Her early years on the job have been marked by hostility and discrimination in Georgia. Petty mentioned she was compelled to eat lunch in a boiler room, endured merciless remarks, and was handled as an outsider. “I spotted my first day on the job I wasn’t a welcomed website, I used to be a sight that was unwelcome,” she mentioned. Regardless of these challenges, she remained with the town for greater than 5 many years. “By means of these years, it’s great and delightful, every part has modified, and I’ve had a powerful 53 years with the town of Albany,” Petty mentioned.
In response to WALB, greater than 53 years later, colleagues, metropolis leaders, relations, and buddies gathered on the Albany Civic Middle to have a good time her legacy. The occasion featured moments of reflection, emotional tributes, and music, marking the profound adjustments Petty helped witness and form.
Albany Metropolis Supervisor Terrell Jacobs praised Petty’s dedication to public service. “She’s a legend,” Jacobs mentioned. “It needs to be a ministry of yours to serve individuals, typically after they don’t need to be served.”
Petty famous the transformation of metropolis management over the many years, pointing to the variety now current in Albany’s authorities. “In 1972, you wouldn’t have seen,” lots of the Black leaders who now maintain positions of authority, she mentioned.
As she closed the ceremony, Petty provided phrases of encouragement to these persevering with the work she started. “Proceed to face,” she informed the viewers. “On the finish of the sprint… I’m taking my seat for you.”
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