Two Rivers Correctional Institution said goodbye to one superintendent this month and welcomed another.

Former Superintendent Jeri Taylor is now superintendent at Eastern Oregon Correctional Institution in Pendleton. Taylor was replaced by John Myrick, who was promoted to superintendent after serving as the assistant superintendent of security at TRCI since March 2014.

Myrick is a 25-year Department of Corrections employee. He began his career as a correctional officer at EOCI after serving five years in the U.S. Air Force. He worked his way up through the DOC ranks to his current position at TRCI.

Myrick said he never imagined when he started his career in corrections he would ever become superintendent. He remembers his first day as an officer on Aug. 21, 1989, at EOCI, stating he was both excited and worried about what the career would hold for him and his family. He said he never pursued a promotion in the field until coming to TRCI.

When I transferred to TRCI, that is when it really sunk in that I wanted to move forward with my career, he said. Staff is what made me want to promote, and I honestly owe it to them and my family for all the support they have given me.

Myrick said he has been very lucky to have served in the various positions through the years because he has learned from every one of them and other staff members.

Myrick said what he looks forward to most about his new position is honoring the people who have worked hard to help get him there.

It would not have happened otherwise, he said. Other than that, coming to work every day, I want to be a resource for the departments, staff and our community.

Myrick will start Monday, and he hopes to continue the great work being done at the institution.

We have a team here that is committed to public safety and reintegration of adults in custody with their families, so that the state of Oregon can continue to lead the nation in the lowest recidivism rate, he said. We have several new programs ready to come online and continue to develop others for the future.

Taylor said she pursued the job at EOCI because Pendleton is a better location for her and her family.

I worked at EOCI for 26 years prior to my promotion and transfer to TRCI, she said. I still call Pendleton home, and when the opportunity presented itself for a transfer back to EOCI, it was the right decision for me and my family.

Taylor said she has valued her experience at TRCI, from the time she was named the assistant superintendent of security in June 2010 to when she began as interim superintendent in Feb. 2013 and then later superintendent of the facility.

It gave me a different perspective on how institutions are managed, based on architecture and population, she said. The staff at TRCI are fabulous. They care about one another and are invested in maintaining a safe and secure facility.

Taylor said working in both institutions has helped broaden her understanding of best security practices and has allowed her to develop different ideas for opportunities for inmates to better prepare them for re-entry into the community.

It also allowed me to foster professional and personal relationships that will assist me at EOCI as well, she said.