Blog Archive for Author : 3

Profiles of Arizona Municipal Clerks: Susan Stein, City of Bullhead City

Susan Stein, MMC, CPM, Current President of the Arizona Municipal Clerks Association (AMCA)
City of Bullhead City

How many years have you served as a clerk?  11 years as clerk, total of 20  years in government

Where are you originally from? Rochester, New York

What is the craziest question you have been asked by a resident?  A woman who claimed she was Elvis Presley’s daughter came into City Hall and demanded that I provide her with the necessary records as proof.

What is your favorite memory as a city/town clerk?  Receiving a visit from 90-year old Alona, the first city clerk for Bullhead City, and learning the city named a street after her called “Alona’s Way,” because everyone had to do things her way- which was the “Right Way.”

Profiles of Arizona Municipal Clerks: Diane Russell, Prescott Valley

Diane Russell, MMC
Town of Prescott Valley

How many years have you served as a clerk?  Deputy town clerk for nine years and town clerk 13 years.

Where are you originally from?  Born in St. Louis and grew up in Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada.

What is the strangest/most unique task you have had to perform as part of your duties?  Snake catcher!  When a little red racer snake was slinking across the floor in our records center everyone deserted me, leaving me to catch it and take it outside.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?  Mentoring those who will follow me in the municipal clerk profession is something I enjoy doing.  Nothing is more rewarding than helping a ‘new recruit’ discover that continuing education leads to success.

Profiles of Arizona Municipal Clerks: Cris Meyer, City of Phoenix

Cris Meyer
City of Phoenix

How many years have you served as a clerk?  24 years in the city clerk department with five years as city clerk.

Where are you originally from?  Indianapolis, Indiana

What is the craziest question you have been asked by a resident?  A voter asking about the procedure to change their vote the day after the election.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?  Working with other clerks and staff who are so dedicated to serving the public, and being able to assist people who are uncertain about where to go or are intimidated about interacting with government when they need information or records.

Profiles of Arizona Municipal Clerks: Kim Larson, City of Page

 Kim L. Larson, CMC
City of Page

 

How many years have you served as a clerk?  Eight years in department and three and a half years as clerk.

Where are you originally from?  Boulder City, Nevada

What is the most rewarding part of your job?  Being able to serve the citizens of our city, working with city council, preserving the records for the city’s history, and initiating new ideas and programs to streamline the workload.

What is your favorite memory as a city/town clerk?  One of my most favorite memories was the second grade class coming to city hall to learn about elections.  The mayor was present and talked to the students about an election, and when he asked if there were any questions, they all wanted to know about the large key on the wall and what it opened!

 

 

 

Profiles of Arizona Municipal Clerks: Brigitta Kuiper, City of Tempe

Brigitta Kuiper, MMC
City of Tempe

How many years have you served as a clerk?  Six and a half years in Tempe. Prior to that, 12 years as city clerk in Yuma. 

Where are you originally from?  Charlotte, North Carolina

What is the most rewarding part of your job?  Working with community members to increase their knowledge of city government, programs and services, and seeing them become actively involved in their city.

What is your favorite memory as a city/town clerk?  My favorite memories are working with city staff and various election officials to coordinate election activities and working late into the night on election night to count ballots and distribute results.

Profiles of Arizona Municipal Clerks: Sonia Cornelio, City of San Luis

Sonia Cornelio, MMC
City of San Luis

How many years have you served as a clerk? 11 years

Where are you originally from?  Salinas, California

What is the craziest question you have been asked by a resident?  I was asked if the city clerk’s office could send someone to sweep a street that contained gravel.

What is the most rewarding part of your job? The ability to be a helpful resource and provide service to internal and external customers in an ethical, impartial professional and excelling manner.

Profiles of Arizona Municipal Clerks: Elizabeth Burke, City of Flagstaff

Elizabeth A. Burke, MMC
City of Flagstaff

 Elizabeth Burke, Flagstaff

How many years have you served as a clerk?  32 years

Where are you originally from?  Born in Illinois, raised in Phoenix

What is the strangest/most unique task you have had to perform as part of your duties? Prepared for a game of “show low” in Show Low years ago when we had a tie election and it was settled by the two candidates playing “show low.”

What is your favorite memory as a city/town clerk?  Developing the Kids ROCK (Reach Out for Community Knowledge) in Show Low, where we taught third graders about city government. We had various city staff members speak to the class monthly where they talked about what they did and had activities related to such a job. Started with a tour of city hall and ended the year with a swimming party at the aquatic center.

Profiles of Arizona Municipal Clerks: Sherry Ann Aguilar, City of Surprise

Sherry Ann Aguilar, MMC
City of Surprise

 Sherry Ann Aguilar, Surprise

How many years have you served as a clerk? 20 years as clerk and with Surprise for 26 years.

Where are you originally from?  Born and raised in Surprise, Arizona

What is the craziest question you have been asked by a resident?  “I am in the Witness Protection Program and I want to vote, but I do not want to give you my physical address, or show you my ID!”

What is the most rewarding part of your job?   The city clerk’s position in any city or town no matter what size, is a central hub that touches every single department in our organization as well as a customer service resource for our residents providing election services, records and passports.  I would have to say that providing these services is the most important and rewarding part of my job.

Profiles of Arizona Municipal Clerks: Brenda Aguilar, City of Douglas

Brenda Aguilar, Douglas

Brenda Aguilar, CMC
City of Douglas

How many years have you served as a clerk? 27 years with the city and the last 10 years serving as city clerk.

Where are you originally from?  Mexico

What is the strangest/most unique task you have had to perform as part of your duties?  The strangest task has been that in response to a challenge: I played kickball against elementary students and had a great time doing so!

What is the most rewarding part of your job?  One of the most difficult, but rewarding responsibilities of this job is directing and coordinating the elections for the City of Douglas in order to ensure a fair, accurate and convenient voting experience for its citizens.

Nancy Jackson

Facility Manager
Chandler Senior Center

NancyJackson

Until five years ago, City of Chandler employee Nancy Jackson spent most of her time working with young people as a Recreation Coordinator at Snedigar Sportsplex in south Chandler. Today, she manages the Chandler’s Senior Center and works with the young at heart.

“I’ve always loved to be around seniors; this is where my heart is,” Jackson says smiling. A graduate of the University of Washington with a degree in Therapeutic Recreation, Jackson, her staff and groups of volunteers spend each weekday making people feel welcome, appreciated and loved.

For many who come here, this is not their ‘second home’, this is their first home,” Jackson explained. “This is where they come to meet up with their friends, who they also call their ‘family’. They socialize. They talk in the morning over coffee. They read the newspaper and play games. Most will have lunch, and for some, this is their only hot meal of the day.”

Located in downtown near the Chandler Public Library, the Senior Center was built in 1986 and provides a broad range of recreational and social activities for seniors – including an onsite weekday meal – that enhances the social, emotional and recreational needs of participants.

“What we like to focus on is making meaningful connections,” says Jackson. “That’s what life is about; meaningful relationships. We help stimulate those relationships by offering games and activities and excursions so they can interact with each other and with staff. It’s all about living and experiencing life and being surrounded by people you love and care about.”

Jackson says most of the activities at the Center require no fee, and field trips and excursions can cost as little as $5. Outside agencies supplement some of the Center’s activities with services such as legal consultations, blood pressure screenings, peer counseling and wheelchair and walker repair.

A number of seniors volunteer their time to work at the Center, serving meals, wiping down tables, setting up rooms or taking out the trash and recyclables. Jackson’s two sons, 18-year-old D.J. and 15-year-old Brody, have even joined the volunteer staff and helped out at events.

“When we go out in the community to promote the Senior Center, we say ‘come one time and you’ll want to come back’,” Jackson exclaimed. “Once they get here and see the hustle and bustle and energy that’s in this building, they’ll want to come back.”