Terence Farrell began his term as Commissioner on January 7, 2008 and was elected chairman of the Board of Commissioners on January 6, 2009.  Under his leadership, the board initiated a strategic plan to increase efficiency in the county operations and installed online streaming video of the Commissioners’ public meetings to increase government transparency.  He previously served two terms as Chester County’s Recorder of Deeds where his leadership is credited with bringing the Recorder’s Office into the 21st Century. Under Terence’s guidance, a modern recording and imaging system was put into place in the Recorder’s Office.

 

As the Recorder of Deeds, Terence created advantages for businesses and taxpayers. His commitment to bringing technology and government together—making the Recorder of Deeds office more user-friendly and, at the same time, more efficient had positive results for Chester County citizens. By putting significant efforts into placing recorded documents online, Terence created an opportunity for searchers to work from their offices or homes, with access to most records 24 hours a day. This new system allows more than one user to look at the same document, or group of documents, simultaneously. As more businesses use the online services, less direct services will be needed from the Recorder of Deeds office and staff. This created a tangible savings in office equipment needs, computer needs, and staff time, as well as lessening wear on indexes and fragile record books.

 

Terence has strong Chester County roots, having grown up on the campus of Lincoln University, where his parents were both professors. He has two adult sons and a granddaughter.

 

Terence believes in the power of an education. His parents emphasized the importance of education and instilled in him the concept of being a life-long learner. As a result, Terence has achieved many educational goals: he is a licensed Realtor, received a Bachelors degree in English from Carleton College, and holds Graduate Certificates in both Public Administration and Public Personnel Administration from Indiana State University. He also served as a board member for the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School.

 

In 2005, Terence was selected by the White House to serve on the prestigious Presidential Rank Awards Panel. The panel is convened annually to review a select group of distinguished Federal executives, who have been nominated by a Cabinet Secretary or Agency Head to receive the award. The evaluation completed by the Awards Panel results in nominations that are sent to the President for final review.

 

Terence takes an active interest in his local community serving on numerous boards and councils, including the YMCA of the Brandywine Valley and the Chester County Economic Development Council.