May 17–23 is National Public Works Week, a time to recognize and celebrate the people who keep our community running. Each day this week, we share the story of an employee from General Services Administration. Their work often happens behind the scenes, but it’s essential, from fleet operations to building maintenance. These are the individuals who make sure everything runs smoothly, supporting the services our community depends on every day.
Most people, when they think about what to do on their days off, do not put skydiving on the list.
Sebrena English is not most people.
That willingness to jump into something new carries into how she works. Sebrena is the administrative manager for parking and fuel at Wake County General Services Administration, and although she has been in the role for less than a year, she already has a list of ideas for making things better.
Her job is bigger than the title suggests. She oversees the Wake County Public Deck, a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week parking facility that serves everyone from jurors and employees to contractors, retailers and everyday visitors. She works with vendors to keep county fuel pumps running and stocked. She onboards employees, analyzes data, resolves fuel card issues and steps in when something breaks; a gate arm fails, a parking access or a pump needs attention. No two days look the same, which suits her perfectly.
“What I enjoy most about my job is helping people, the variety in my work responsibilities, and the opportunity to learn something new almost every day,” she said. That mindset has followed her throughout her career.
Sebrena grew up in Virginia. A North Carolina native, she eventually made her way back. Her first job in high school was as a part-time bookkeeper at an industrial controls company. After graduation, she moved into a full-time role, then spent years working across a range of accounting and bookkeeping positions. She graduated with honors from Johnston Community College with dual degrees in business administration and accounting. In high school, she had already been named Most Outstanding Female Student of the Year and earned an Outstanding Student Award in data processing.
She joined Wake County in 2008 as a part-time office assistant, and what followed was a steady climb: executive assistant, accountant, senior accounting technician, senior accountant and now administrative manager.
One thing she wants people to know: getting access to drive a county vehicle or use the motor pool is not something she personally manages. There is a specific form and process for that, handled through a different channel. It is a small detail, but in a busy operation, it comes up more often than you would expect.
“While I would love to accommodate everyone’s parking preferences, it is not always possible. Every division within GSA plays an important role in keeping the Wake County Public Deck operating efficiently from maintaining cleanliness throughout the facility to testing, maintaining, and repairing equipment when needed,” she said.
Outside of work, she keeps busy in a different way: family vacations, reading, puzzles, building furniture and music across just about every genre she can find. She likes putting things together, in every sense of the phrase.
