Even when she’s in bed, Jan Adams might be thinking about accounting
“I wake up in the middle of the night and I’ll do the family budget,” the new financial director/treasurer of the Village of Lake Orion said.
Adams, an Orion Township resident, was named to the position in July to replace Cathy Thorlakson who resigned. Adams had worked part-time in the treasurer’s department for two years.
She grew up in Sterling Heights (it was Utica back then).
And no, she wasn’t obsessed with numbers and money then. Adams started out as a tourism major when she headed to Michigan State University upon graduating from high school.
“Then I took an accounting course and loved it,’ she added.
Adams went to work at General Motors as a financial analyst at various plants. When her husband Craig was transferred to Wisconsin, GM accommodated Adams and also transferred her. They lived there for five years.
When Adams’ daughter Jackie was born 13 years ago, she decided to be a stay-at-home mom except for working part-time at H & R Block in Lake Orion and then at the village hall.
Now that her daughter’s older and more self sufficient, Adams decided to apply for the full-time treasurer’s position.
“I do all of the family financing; I enjoy it. I love doing the taxes too,” she said. “I don’t do that professionally, except for my mother. You have to take classes every year and it takes a lot of energy to keep up.”
Adams said she loves working at the village hall. “The people are great to work with. It’s a team effort.
“The job is challenging, especially taxes. There’s a lot to the collection of property taxes. There’s still a lot to learn. Cathy was a great help. It was sad she had to leave.”
Adams likes to travel even though she hasn’t had much time to do that since she accepted the new position.
She volunteers at her church and at her daughter’s school. “I like keeping up my house and taking care of our new puppy.”