The McComb office of the Social Security Administration is in new digs.
Officials moved into the new offices at 116 Business Center Drive off Parklane Road on Oct. 22. The office is accessed by taking the South McComb exit off Interstate 55 and turning left onto Parklane Road.
McComb Social Security Administration office manager Kathy Waycaster said the old office on Gay Street was outdated. Notices on the door of the old building inform the public of the new location.
“Our lease was up on the old building. We had been in that building since the 1970s. It was in need of repairs,” she said.
The new office has a barrier wall that separates employees from the public.
“Under a federal mandate, we had to have a more secure building,” operations supervisor Lisa Retcho said. “The old building didn’t have that barrier wall.”
Waycaster said the move was in the works for about a year. Office space and land were then leased.
“We love the new location,” Waycaster said. “There is not a lot around here.”
Despite the recent move, Waycaster said the public has found the new office.
“We have 100 people who come through every day,” she said. “We put notices in letters and posted notices. They have found us.”
Waycaster has 35 years with the Social Security Administration, including the last two as McComb office manager. Retcho has 30 years with the agency, including stints in California, Florida and New York.
The local office oversees Amite, Pike and Walthall counties. Along with Waycaster and Retcho, the local office employs six claims representatives, two service representatives and a technical expert.
Waycaster said she doesn’t envision any expansion of services for the new local office.
“The government is on a hiring freeze and will be for the next two years,” Waycaster said.
Office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily except for national holidays.
The office can be reached by calling (866) 253-5609. The address is 116 Business Center Drive. The office fax is 684-6372.
