your fiscal position to the Board and much more. As always, the true value of attending the annual conference comes in the form of networking with clerks from around the world. There is tremendous value in hearing about the challenges and opportunities others face on a daily basis. It reminds us we are not alone and we have much to learn from those around us.

Wednesday night brought the all-conference event at the Harley Davidson Museum. It was an incredible display of iconic and legendary motorcycles, including the one featured in Easy Rider. You did not have to be a motorcycle enthusiast to know you were visiting a piece of Americana.

As billed, the evening featured famous Wisconsin fare and live entertainment, which included plenty of crowd participation!

Check out photos taken at the annual conference by clicking here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/iimcconference/

The Region IX dinner was held at Ward’s House of Prime. The menu of heavy appetizers was absolutely delicious. Of the 57 Region IX conference attendees, 50 attended the dinner. Our event coordinator Julie and main servers Amanda and Franzi, kept the food and beverages coming while everyone mixed and mingled. A great time was had by all.

At the Annual Business Meeting held the morning of May 22, President Marc Lemoine presented certificates and resolutions of appreciation to outgoing committee chairs and region directors. The oath of office was administered to incoming board members/region directors. It was reported an election was not held as only one candidate for IIMC Vice President filed and with that incoming Vice President Vincent Buttiglieri took the oath of office. Oaths were then

IIMC Region IX ReportNews From The DirectorsA l a s k a ✽ C a l i f o r n i a ✽ H a w a i i ✽ O r e g o n ✽ Wa s h i n g t o n

Region IX Directors

Alice J. Attwood, CMC tonasket@nvinet.com

(509) 486 - 2132

Joann Tilton, MMC jtilton@ci.manteca.ca.us

(209) 456 - 8011continued on page 2

Conference News:by Joann Tilton

The Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association and the Conference Host Committee deserve a huge round of applause for a job well done with the 68th Annual IIMC Conference. The conference theme of “Quench Your Thirst for Education” was backed by a content-filled program starting with the Athenian Dialogues and the Advanced Academy Sessions. Clerks learned about cloud computing and virtualization in the public service environment, addressing the urgency of your overloaded leadership circuits, citizen engagement, open records requests, civility in the work place, evolving digital government, communicating

IIMC Headquarters phone (909) 944 - 4162 ✽ fax (909) 944 - 8545 ✽ www.iimc.com

IIMC Board of Director’s Board Developmentand Annual Meeting in Milwaukee:by Joann Tilton

The IIMC Board of Directors arrived in Milwaukee on Thursday, May 15 to prepare for a full day of Board Development and a Board meeting on May 16 and 17. Alice and I would like to share the highlights of our time in Board Development – which was a review and update of IIMC’s Strategic Plan, as well as what transpired at the Board meeting.

Strategic Plan

The Key Result Areas (KRA) for the existing Strategic Plan consist of KRA #1 Membership, KRA #2 Finance, KRA #3 Communications Technology, KRA #4 Board Development, and KRA #5 Education.

The Board walked through the objectives for each KRA noting those completed and those on-going and/or in process. Here are just a few of the reported accomplishments to date:

1. An increase in membership – we are approaching 10,000 members.

2. A healthy financial position for the organization. The Board, along with staff, has taken steps to implement and monitor sound financial practices. IIMC currently has

over $402,000 in restricted reserves which indicates the efforts of the Board and staff to monitor and control spending, as well as setting policy regarding sound investments, is achieving the desired outcome – a financially healthy organization.

3. A healthy budget has enabled appropriation of funds for the development of online education programs (in process) and weekly e-briefings, online forms and online payments, as part of KRA #3.

4. New Board Member Orientation and weekly Board updates provided by staff. These efforts have greatly improved the communication and connection between Board Members and staff.

5. Creation of 27 Ed2Go online courses and by year-end 2014 IIMC will have six (6) additional online courses through Captus Press.

The following captures the areas the Board would like to add to or continue on with in the Strategic Plan: member retention and buy-in; a marketing strategy for the organization and for the profession; updating of the website and its functionality; Board Member/Region Director orientation, recruitment and development; education structure; certification

administered to Immediate Past President Marc Lemoine and IIMC President Brenda Young. It was a toss-up as to who had the biggest smile, the incoming or the outgoing President!

On behalf of Region IX, we extend a sincere thank you to Immediate Past President Lemoine for his leadership, his sense of humor and his service to the IIMC membership. Region IX welcomes Vice President Buttiglieri to the Executive Committee and to President Young: we offer support and a commitment to professional excellence throughout the 2014-15 year.

The 2015 IIMC Annual Conference will be held in Hartford, Connecticut and plans are moving forward as we speak. Mark your calendar now – and we hope to see you in Hartford!

News From The Directors continued

UpcomiNg EvENTs

69th IIMC Annual Conference Hartford, Connecticut

May 17 - 20, 2015

70th IIMC Annual Conference Omaha, Nebraska May 22 - 25, 2016

71st IIMC Annual Conference Montreal, Quebec May 21 - 24, 2017

continued from page 1

continued on page 3

IIMC Headquarters phone (909) 944 - 4162 ✽ fax (909) 944 - 8545 ✽ www.iimc.com

promotion; staff needs assessment (under way by the Executive Director); and a member needs assessment.

Board Agenda

While the IIMC Board’s agenda was lengthy and the packet was thick (158 pages), the major items on the agenda were the financial updates, the report and recommended constitutional amendments from the Constitution Task Force (the amendments will come to the membership for a vote in 2015), and a discussion around the need for a Director of Education or similar position. A report from the Education Resource Group (ERG) was included in the agenda packet (page 155). The report highlighted the assistance provided to the Education Department over the course of the past year.

The Board clearly expressed appreciation for the efforts of the ERG and the Education Department staff on behalf of IIMC and its members. However, it was the consensus of the Board the position of Director of Education or a similar title (Director of Professional Development, Professional Development Coordinator, etc.) should be reviewed and proposed for the 2015 budget. It was felt the position is needed to continue the visioning of education and certification programs, following the trends in local government and within

the City Clerk profession, assisting those states without institute programs or that may have issues with existing institutes

The Executive Director will finalize the staff needs assessment, incorporating this position, and bring findings and recommendations forward to the Budget and Planning Committee in August. The Committee will review the recommendations for inclusion in the 2015 budget, which will be presented to the full Board at the mid-year meeting in November.

Once available, the Board meeting minutes will be made available to you. Until then, please feel free to ask questions of Alice or me related to any item listed on the Board’s agenda, which is posted on the IIMC Website under Board of Directors, Agendas and Minutes or by clicking here:http://www.iimc.com/ArchiveCenter/ViewFile/Item/346.

Directors Travel Report:by Alice Attwood

Joann Tilton and I have started 2014 out with gusto! In March we attended the WMCA Annual Conference in Pasco, Washington where President (now Past President) Scott Passey presided over the conference. Scott was very

much in sync with his theme of “Seek and Destroy”. Next was California in April, travelling to the CCAC Conference in beautiful Pasadena where President Nanci Lima was a wonderful hostess. We are having a little break in travel since returning home from the May 18th – 23rd IIMC Annual Conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The conference in Milwaukee was full of great sessions and we were represented well with 57 Region IX attendees. A few of the sessions included “Cutting through the Social Media Muck”, Robert’s Rules in the Clerk’s World” and “Conflict, Consensus and Solutions” which I found most interesting. De Hicks gave a General Session that was humorous and definitely made one think about the most important lessons of life.

In Milwaukee, Joann and I along with the other IIMC Board members, attended the VIP Dinner which was held in the Milwaukee Art Museum. The Museum was spectacular and the art work was from many different periods. I feel fortunate in my Region IX travels to be able to see many wonderful sights.

After our summer break, Joann and I will be traveling to the Riverhouse Hotel and Convention Center in Bend, Oregon for the OAMR Annual Conference, September 18th and 19th. I am sure that

continued from page 2

News From The Directors continued

continued on page 4

IIMC Headquarters phone (909) 944 - 4162 ✽ fax (909) 944 - 8545 ✽ www.iimc.com

President Norma Alley and the OAMR Committees have set up excellent classes for their conference. Joann and I have already been in contact with Peggy Hawker who is arranging a class designed for first time attendees to the OAMR Conference. Sign up now!

Joann and I will be attending the IIMC Board mid- year meeting which will be held in California this year. It is board policy that a mid-year board meeting is held near headquarters (Rancho Cucamonga) California once every 3 years. That meeting will be held November 14th to 16th, 2014 at the Mission Inn in Riverside, CA. Then directly after the meeting Joann and I will be flying to Anchorage, Alaska for the AAMC Annual Conference, which is November 17th and 18th, 2014. There we will be hosted by President Janey Hovendon.

Whew!!! Then it will be time to snuggle down for a long winter’s nap until March 2015, yes I said 2015!

Thank you to all of the State Associations and the Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association and Hosts of the IIMC Conference for their gracious hospitality and providing such important educational sessions for all of our City Clerks.

Have a fun and safe summer!

Congratulations to Tori Barnett, MMC, on her recent appointment as Ontario’s Interim City Manager. As city recorders, we fill many roles and typically do whatever it takes to get the job done. As an OAMR former President, Tori is a great example of an individual who is willing to go the extra mile. Ontario’s City Council recognized her experience and involvement with a multitude of projects which led them to appoint her to serve as Interim City Manager. As quoted in Ontario’s local paper, The Argus Observer, Ontario’s Mayor Cammack stated, “She has the confidence of the Council.”

In an interview with Tori, she said she has served as Ontario’s City Recorder for 20 years, with the first two years as the City’s Deputy City Recorder. Her appointment as Interim City Manager came as a surprise to her but she’ll embrace the challenge while continuing her duties as City Recorder. Go TORI!

continued from page 3 Tori Barnett, MMC – Appointed as Ontario’s Interim City Manager

Cindy Hughes, City Recorder/Executive Assistant, Eagle Point

Kristie Smithers was unanimously appointed to the Municipal Clerk Education Foundation Board of Directors at its meeting this past May. Colleen Nicol has taken on the role of Secretary which places her on the Executive Committee and our friend and IIMC Past President Mary Lynne Stratta joined the Board at the same meeting. Watch for new ideas and energy from these ladies!

The $30 for 30 years campaign is ongoing and the 2015 Hawaii raffle has been launched. The attached flyers detail how you can be a part of these two efforts. Please promote these in your States.

The Foundation combined endowments are resting at $1,992,890 - squeaky close to reaching the $2 million mark. This year’s efforts will boost us beyond that landmark number!

A huge thank you goes out to iCompass for creation of a new endowment. Take their survey and $1 will be added! The survey only takes a few minutes.

Your support of MCEF as associations and individuals has made a huge difference – Thank You. Last year fifteen scholarships were awarded in Region IX!

mcEF – Region iX Represents!

IIMC Headquarters phone (909) 944 - 4162 ✽ fax (909) 944 - 8545 ✽ www.iimc.com

Kathy Payne, CMC, City Recorder, St. Helens

On May 15, 2014, our Shady Cove colleague was promoted to City Administrator! Congratulations, Aaron Prunty!

The road to success is not always direct. Many times, there are stepping stones along the journey. Aaron’s story is that sort of journey. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. However, he didn’t work in the public sector right away. During his vacations, he would attend workshops through the League of Oregon Cities, working toward a Local Government Management Certificate. He also joined or volunteered with professional organizations relevant to municipal work. His goal was to get an education in all facets of local government.

After many years in the private sector, he decided to make a career change. In 2011, he decided to go into local government. In August 2012, he was hired as the Assistant to the City Administrator at the City of Shady Cove. As the Assistant, he was responsible for many of the city recorder duties. After just over a year, he accepted the position as Interim City Administrator. He worked as Interim until May of this year when he was appointed as the permanent City Administrator.

Since he began working for Shady Cove, he has continued to attend many workshops and trainings

so that he can stay current on relevant topics. He also reached out to the community, the Chamber of Commerce, and business owners, working hard to get to know them and for them to know who Aaron is. He believes that the Council recognized his commitment and dedication to

the City and the community and felt that he was the best candidate for the job.

Aaron will continue to strive to be a positive influence in his community and help to foster relationships between the community and local officials. He wants the City Council to have accurate and timely information so that they can make well-informed decisions for the residents they represent. His goal is to promote a sense of community through efficient and effective leadership. Sounds like they picked the right person for the job!

Aaron was asked what advice

he would give to other city recorders. He advises us to constantly challenge ourselves and not accept the status quo. He encourages us to keep up with what’s going on in the field and to maintain relationships with peers. And just as he did, look for ways to improve. It seems easier to sometimes just keep doing what you’re doing, but just because “that’s the way we’ve always done it” doesn’t mean it’s always the best way to do it. OAMR is a great resource. Between networking with other members and use of the list-serv, there is so much knowledge to be gained.

If there is any place Aaron would want to be, it’s with his family. No matter what they are doing, spending time with his wife and two children makes him the happiest. If they’re smiling, he is smiling. He also enjoys camping, fishing and riding motorcycles.

Please join me in congratulating Aaron on his promotion! You may send him an email at caassist@shadycove.net.

Rising to the Top with Commitment and Dedication

IIMC Headquarters phone (909) 944 - 4162 ✽ fax (909) 944 - 8545 ✽ www.iimc.com

Northwest Clerks Institute (NCI) Director Dema Harris, who serves the states of Alaska, Oregon and Washington, retired at the end of June following the 2014 Professional Development program in Tacoma, WA. Dema was hired as NCI Director in 2004 and has led the Institute for 11 years.

Dema’s dedication to the professional development of municipal clerks as well as her motherly attention to all will be truly missed. She has touched the professional lives of over 1,000 Clerks and Recorders during her tenure as Institute Director. In 2010, Dema received the IIMC Institute Director of the Year award. One of the testimonials submitted with the nomination stated, “Dema Harris is an incomparable, irreplaceable asset to NCI. She takes you in with open arms, nurtures your self esteem and brings you where only she knew you could go.” How fortunate we have been to have this inspirational woman by our side.

We contacted Dema to see if she wanted to share anything with

Region IX before she heads to the golf course this summer. She said, “As the last week of the 2014 Northwest Clerks Institute winds down, I have been reflecting on the purpose and goals of this program. The past eleven years has always been about the education and professional development of the Clerks served by the program. It has been much more than a job; one that has brought me great joy and many new friendships. While I may have been a positive influence in the lives of those attending, the same is true for their impact on my life. Working in local government is a challenge; I wish the best for all of you in this journey. Thank you all so much.”

Following an extensive RFQ process conducted earlier this year, the three states hired Peggy Flynn as the new NCI Director.

Peggy comes to the Northwest Clerks Institute with decades of experience as a leader of people, projects and organizations. Peggy’s work focuses on communication, training, project management and public affairs. Her career began in Washington, D.C. where she worked for a senior Member of Congress. After relocating to Seattle, she earned an MBA in general management at the University of Washington’s Executive MBA Program. She’s been involved in various start-up organizations, including the Washington State Convention Center. She was adjunct lecturer at WSU’s hotel and restaurant school in Seattle. As a self-employed consultant, Flynn’s work spans the business, non-profit and government sectors.

Peggy said she is grateful to Dema for mentoring her during all three weeks of this year’s Institute at the University of Puget Sound. “I’m thrilled to take the helm as incoming Director of NCI and, having been able to shadow Dema during Institute, feel better prepared for the job. Getting to know the Clerks has been the highlight. I have great passion for their work and am proud to join this highly professional organization. I intend to maintain the high standards and quality programs the Clerks have come to expect under Dema’s exceptional leadership.”

Thanks to Peggy for taking the ball and running with it. We trust she’ll do a great job and we appreciate all that she has to offer.

There are no words to thank Dema enough for her dedication to continued learning and professional development and helping to shape new leaders in the municipal clerk profession. She is a true and valued friend and mentor to many. We wish her a very happy and fulfilling retirement!

Northwest Clerks Institute Director Update

Dema Harris

Peggy Flynn

IIMC Headquarters phone (909) 944 - 4162 ✽ fax (909) 944 - 8545 ✽ www.iimc.com

Alaska Janey L. Hovenden, MMC City Clerk City of Fairbanks

California Cheryl Morse, MMC City Clerk City of El Cerrito Stephanie D. Smith, MMC City Clerk City of Lake Forest Jana R. Sousa, MMC Asst. City Clerk/HR Technician City of Los Banos

Washington Jan McBride, MMC Exec. Office Mgr./Clerk to the Board Everett Community Transit

members Earning master municipal clerk status

Alaska Brenda J. Ballou, CMC Deputy City Clerk City of Seward Thomas C. Moran, CMC City Clerk City of Nome Tani R.W. Schoneman, CMC Borough Clerk Bristol Bay Borough

California Jayne Anderson, CMC City Clerk City of Dinuba Kerry Bigelow, CMC Assistant City Clerk City of Chula Vista Brenda Cabrera, CMC Assistant City Clerk City of Cerritos Bridget Dory, CMC Deputy City Clerk City of Arcata Sarah P. Gorman, CMC City Clerk City of Santa Monica Peggy Kuo, CMC City Clerk City of Temple City Laura Maguire, CMC Records Management Analyst City of Thousand Oaks Lisa Natusch, CMC Deputy City Clerk City of Sunnyvale Donna Settles, CMC Deputy City Clerk City of Galt Leslie Terrell, CMC Assistant Analyst City of Thousand Oaks Sandi Bliss, CMC Administrative Secretary City of Santa Rosa

Oregon Jennifer L. Nelson, CMC Deputy City Recorder City of Newberg Kelly A. Richardson, CMC City Recorder City of Aurora

Washington Katie Bolam, CMC City Clerk/HR Generalist City of Milton Alyeen Carlson, CMC Deputy Clerk/Admin/Payroll Asst. Clallam Transit System Deniece Miller, CMC Deputy Clerk/Treasurer City of Tonasket Anja Mullin, CMC Deputy City Clerk City of Kirkland Heidi Napolitino, CMC Permit Tech/Deputy Clerk Town of Woodway Emilia M. Sanchez, CMC Deputy City Clerk City of Seattle

Members Receiving Certifications

IIMC has approved online courses through Ed2Go. Courses completed through Ed2Go will earn 1 CMC Experience point per 6 hours or 1 MMC Advanced Education point per 6 hours. Each course is approximately 24 hours long. The following courses are now offered:

The Ed2Go network consists of more than 1,800 top colleges, universities, and other organizations. Each Ed2Go course can be taken from home or the office, as they are taken completely online over a 6 week period. Each course will be led by a well- qualified instructor, and through an accredited college in your area. Once enrolled, students will be able to engage with their classmates, post questions and comments, and take quizzes that are automatically graded upon completion. Upon successful completion of the course assessment, a certificate will be awarded. The average course price is $99. However, price does vary by the college or university course provider. Go here for more information.

Ed2go

A-Z Grant Writing

Advanced Grant Proposal Writing

Accounting Fundamental (I and II)

Achieving Success with Difficult People

Advanced Effective Grant Writing

Building Teams That Work

Business and Marketing Writing

Effective Business Writing

Effective Communication

Fundamentals of Supervision and Management (I and II)

Fundamentals of Technical Writing

Get Assertive!

Get Grants

Going Green at the Workplace

High Speed Project Management

Interpersonal Communication

Keys to Effective Communication

Keys to Effective Editing

Leadership

Making Great Decisions

Mastering Public Speaking

Project Management Applications

Project Management Fundamentals

Success With Difficult People

Understanding the Human Resources Function

Writing Effective Grant Proposals

Region IX provides many opportunities for members to attend educational classes and accumulate points toward certification. Here is a list of the classes we know are scheduled to date. For further information on the classes listed below, please refer to the various association websites:

WMCA Washington Municipal Clerks Association www.wmcaclerks.org OAMR Oregon Association of Municipal Recorders www.oamr.org AAMC Alaska Association of Municipal Clerks www.alaskaclerks.org CCAC City Clerks Association of California www.californiacityclerks.org NCI Northwest Clerks Institute www.nwclerksinstitute.org IIMC International Institute of Municipal Clerks www.iimc.comPlease check the websites for more details; some classes may provide more points depending on the amount of out of class preparation time involved.

Jul. 24 - Jul. 25 Nuts and Bolts (CMC) CCAC Manteca, CA August 20-22 CEPO Prof. Development Series (CMC & MMC) CCAC Pomona, CA Sept. 9 - 12 Technical Training for Clerks (CMC) CCAC Riverside, CA Oct. 16 - 17 Nuts and Bolts (CMC) CCAC Brea, CA Dec. 3 - 5 New Law & Election Seminar CCAC Monterey, CA

On-Going Educational Opportunities:IIMC On-Line Learning Information at www.iimc.com

Region IX Educational Opportunities

Warm Greeting from Alaska

In Interior Alaska, we have finally thawed out; however I can’t remember a more mild winter than this last one!

Many Alaskan Clerks were able to venture to Milwaukee, WI for the 68th Annual IIMC Conference and I had the great honor of carrying the Alaska Flag during the opening ceremonies. It was great fun (even if I was stuck in the Gift Shoppe and missed the Harley Davidson Museum). Thank you Joann for planning such a great Region IX Dinner. The hors d’oeuvres were awesome and it was wonderful meeting Clerks from around our region.

We are really gearing up for the 49th Annual Conference being held in Anchorage, Alaska November 16 through 18. The Education and Conference committees have been hard at work planning for this conference, which I might add, is going to be great! Janice Corbin will be presenting “When the Role of Advisor and Decision-Make Intersect” at the

Advanced Academy on Sunday, November 16. Everyone is welcome to join us!

It has been wonderful traveling to the states of our Region. The WMCA Conference in Pasco was a lot of fun, both in learning and laughter and they sure know how to raise funds for education. The California Clerks really know how to showcase their vendors and sponsors who support their association. The trip to the Comedy Club was extraordinary; I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve laughed that hard and long. I am looking forward to going to Bend in September to attend OAMR and reconnect with Norma who has been my travel partner from Oregon this year.

Best wishes,

Janey Hovenden

AAMC President

Janey Hovenden, CMC

AAMC President

(907) 459 - 6774jjhovenden@ci.fairbanks.ak.us

Alaska Association of Municipal Clerks

Serving on the OAMR Board and especially as President has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my life! Since my last article I have conducted two Board meetings; traveled to the WMCA Conference, CCAC Conference, and IIMC Conference; attended two state league Board meetings; and attended two region gatherings. This keeps me on my toes.

The OAMR membership has been active as well. We have had three members receive their Certified Municipal Clerk certification since December 2013. Congratulations to Nicole Morris, Tualatin; Kelly Richardson, Aurora; and Jennifer Nelson, Newberg! Past President Tori Barnett, MMC, City of Ontario and Aaron Prunty, Shady Cove, have both been recognized by their Council for all their dedication and hard work to their City. Tori is currently serving as the interim city manager for her city and Aaron was hired as the permanent city administrator at Shady

Cove. This is a great show of respect and trust from their Councils. It’s moments when I see people accomplishing great things that makes me excited to be a part of OAMR.

My motto as President is “Turning Vision into Accomplishments” and OAMR is doing just that. A couple years ago a few members expressed interest in pursuing the centralizing of our conference locations. An Ad-hoc Committee has prepared findings for the membership to consider at our annual meeting in September. As a Board, we have the vision of records accessibility. We are going through our website freshening up pages and making records easier to locate. We are already seeing such good changes in the last couple months and know this on-going project will make such a difference in the end.

I wish everyone a year full of many blessings and lots of laughter!

Norma Alley, MMC

OAMR President

(503) 537 - 1283norma.alley@newbergoregon.gov

Oregon Association of Municipal Recorders

For the past few years, the Washington Municipal Clerks Association (WMCA) has taken a more proactive approach to professional development. Getting the attention of those who ultimately approve our training dollars – the elected officials – has been a key focus. For the fourth consecutive year, WMCA has participated as a vendor at the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) Annual Conference that many elected officials attend. The goal is to talk with the Mayors, Councilmembers and even City Managers about what our organization offers, our certification program, and how our programs can benefit their municipalities.

It’s interesting how many of these elected officials are not aware of our programs and how excited they are to learn about them first hand from the clerks themselves. We emphasize the importance of staying informed and up to date about new legislation, particularly public disclosure and records laws, and technology from a risk management perspective. We let them know that we can help keep their cities out of trouble and shine a positive light on their agencies.

Speaking of risk management, WMCA has also worked hard to form partnerships with our insurance liability pools to fund training opportunities for municipal clerks. The Cities Insurance Association of Washington (CIAW) offers scholarships to trainings including the Northwest Clerks Institute (NCI) and the Washington Cities Insurance Authority (WCIA) now recognizes our professional development program at NCI as a reimbursable certification program.

These two entities as well as the AWC Risk Management Service Agency also work with WMCA to sponsor speakers at conferences and academy sessions.

Our fundraising efforts have been strong to support our scholarship program for new municipal clerks. With our annual conference in March, we often find that these new clerks are not aware of the Northwest Clerks Institute and our certification program. We meet with these new clerks and let them know about scholarships and funding opportunities and frequently, they end up at NCI in June. Getting this training early on helps them to hit the ground running and gain confidence in their new role in the clerk’s office. They also meet other clerks and form a network that helps them when they return to work.

WMCA is working hard to stress professionalism with our membership and communicate that message to City Managers and Administrators, Mayors and City Councilmembers. Gone are the days of the shy clerk saying, “Shucks, I’m just the clerk.” Now we stand proudly with our CMC and MMC designations after our names and own it when our Mayor says, “This is our City Clerk. He/She runs the city.” We graciously accept the compliment and thank the Council for setting good policies and working in concert with us to fulfill the goals of the organization.

These are some of our efforts to emphasize professional development and we would love to hear what others states are doing as well.

Diana Quinn, CMC

WMCA President

(253) 833 - 2897dianaq@algonawa.gov

Washington Municipal Clerks Association

We have been very busy this year and as I look back I think we might have been a little crazy. As an organization we finally made our membership completely electronic. At a glance of a report you can easily see how many members we have and whether they are primary or associate members, lifetime, retired, or honorary. No more counting on a spreadsheet. We took on our own electronic conference registration and that worked beyond expectations, and very shortly we will be launching a new website. Most of this was done in the space of three months by dedicated volunteer Board Members. Now do you understand crazy?

Our structural study in nearing completion, we expect a report from our consultants within the next three-four months. This process has been enlightening and we are excitedly awaiting the results.

In April we held our 41st Annual Conference in Pasadena, CA. My theme this year has been Unity, while we have three divisions we

are one organization. We stand side by side with each other and extend our hand when assistance is needed by another clerk.

Mindy Cuppy, City Clerk of the City of Rancho Cordova, was awarded the 2014 Clerk of the Year. Her Mayor’s nomination included comments such as:

“Watching Mindy Cuppy come into her new role as our City Clerk in August 2008 is best described as watching “a duck take to water.”

Established a solid team of the three-member City Clerk’s Department by defining roles and responsibilities, cross-training, supporting continuing education for staff, and brokering collaborative approaches to meet Council and organizational needs.

Responded quickly and accurately to guide the Council and the public through a last minute special election ballot measure.

Extended Public Records Act request opportunities to the City’s website and created a staff role at Council meetings for “customer service ambassador,” showing that she really understood what it took to move beyond required duties and find ways to engage the public at their comfort level in transparent government

Created a brand new Continuity of Government Plan to be used in the event of an extreme emergency and

Nanci Lima, MMC

CCAC President

(559) 665 - 8615nlima@ci.chowchilla.ca.us

City Clerk Association of California

Mindy Cuppy

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an Administrative Process binder to ensure accuracy in core responsibilities—all very important to a new City

Completed almost all of her requirements for Certified Municipal Clerk (despite the fact that she needed to wait till she had been a member of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks for two years!)

Mindy successfully moved the City towards digital delivery of an electronic agenda packet, adding document management and agenda management systems that saved staff time, increased productivity and improved access.

She also interacts with regional leaders on our behalf, and has gained a reputation for Rancho Cordova that speaks of collaboration and savvy treatment of sometimes sensitive issues. This is especially true when dealing with election issues.

Our City places a high value on entrepreneurial thinking and Mindy has risen to that challenge both inside and outside our organization. She has energetically gone after grant funds to help offset system changes and brought in revenue.

Mindy’s creativity sparks positive outcomes, and I have never known her to say she couldn’t do something. She always figures a way and is never afraid to take on something that needs a champion when her many abilities can contribute to a positive outcome.

On the lighter side, when faced

with a common challenge of enlisting staff action on records retention and file clean-up, she started an annual tradition of clever and fun competition among staff and departments with visible rewards.

An excellent example of how Mindy’s contributions have been viewed by the staff was her invitation to serve on the City Manager’s closest leadership circle, the Advisory Team. ”

Also, at our conference we raised over $9,000 to fund full registration scholarships. I know everyone funds scholarships, but in the past CCAC had funded partial scholarships to our Institutes. Last October at our Board Goal Setting I challenged the fundraising committee to raise $12,000 for full registration scholarships. I set the bar very high and they came within $3,000 of reaching it. When I threw this challenge out, I’m pretty sure most of the Board thought I was crazy. But I had a very good reason, it started with meeting my roommates at my very first CEPO class (our leadership institute). One of those wonderful ladies has not been able to return to CEPO because her city couldn’t make up the difference in the traditional partial scholarship CCAC awards. While the full registration scholarship does not benefit her, it is because of her that I issued the challenge. The following people received full registration scholarships:

August MMCA:

-Adria Jimenez - City of Downey (CCAC Full Scholarship)

-Peggy Kuo - City of Temple City (CCAC Full Scholarship)

-Kristina Santana - City of Santa Cruz (CCAC Full Scholarship)

September (Series 100) TTC:

-Angela Bustamante - City of Cudahy (CCAC Full Scholarship)

-Elizabeth Soto - City of Salinas (CCAC Full Scholarship)

-Claudia Isbell - City of Ontario (CCAC Full Scholarship)

-Ricca Charlon - City of Ridgecrest (CCAC Full Scholarship)

We also had one more change at our Technical Training for Clerks Institute (TTC). We extended graduation to include all four series and we had our first graduating class this June. Attached is a picture of the graduating class, the bubbly lady in the middle in my deputy Joann McClendon. I am so proud of her and I would not have been able to fulfill my duties as President of CCAC without her support.

This has been a wonderful year for CCAC and me. I thank everyone who has assisted me and been there whether in the office or been a sounding board. No one can be President of any of our organizations alone.

continued from previous page

Hawaii Raffle Trip for Two, Airfare, &

Week’s Hotel on Waikiki Beach Proceeds benefit IIMC Education

Programs

2013 Winner Kim Meltzer

Clinton Township, MI Visiting Honolulu City Clerk Bernice Mau

$5 EACH OR 5 FOR $20

Name____________________________ $ _______________

Phone_______________ Email ________________________

City_________________ State/Province/Country_________ Return flier and check payable to MCEF to: MCEF Treasurer, 410 Washington Street, Iowa City, IA 52240

Winner drawn at IIMC Annual Conference in Hartford, CT, on May 20, 2015.

Winner need not be present to win.

SPONSORED BY AMERICAN LEGAL PUBLISHING For ticket numbers or stubs email

rbollhauer@amlegal.com

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Municipal Clerks Education Foundation  

CONTACT: Dale Barstow FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MCEF President 909/944-4162

Canadian Company Creates MCEF Endowment Fund For Municipal Clerk Education

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA – JUNE 3, 2014 – Canadian based iCompass Technologies has partnered with the

Municipal Clerks Education Foundation (MCEF) to create the iCompass Small Government Clerks Endowment

Fund to support education programs and funding for IIMC Municipal Clerks worldwide. MCEF’s Endowments

begin with a minimum donation of $5,000 with the interest generated from the fund to be dispersed to Municipal

Clerks attending IIMC Institutes, training and education programs.

“As MCEF nears the $2 million dollar mark in its fund, Endowments and contributions similar to iCompass’ will

only benefit our members,” said MCEF President Dale Barstow. “We appreciate the commitment iCompass is

making toward Clerk education.”

iCompass launched its Endowment at the IIMC Conference in Milwaukee in May by donating $1,000 to MCEF.

iCompass will provide MCEF with an additional dollar ($1) from every response it receives from its second annual

North American Clerks Survey: the survey will be distributed to more than 20,000 Municipal Clerks (need date)

with a focus on identifying key trends and challenges in the industry.

“As benefactor of the selfless and open nature of the Clerk community, iCompass is eager to contribute and

MCEF was a natural choice,” said iCompass CAO Paulin Laberge. “Our connection to one of the largest groups

of Clerks in the world provides the privilege of getting feedback across regions and local government types. We

plan this survey to be an annual contributor to forwarding better Clerking and better government.”

About MCEF Established in 1984, the Municipal Clerks Education Foundation (MCEF) is the fundraising arm for the International Institute of Municipal Clerks. IIMC uses these funds to promote, train and educate Municipal Clerks, making them proficient in the services they provide for the citizens of their community. About iCompass For over 15 years iCompass has designed industry leading Meeting and Records Management Software for local governments. We are known for saving small and medium local governments millions of dollars annually and saving hours every meeting cycle. The end result is cloud-based software that delivers big city style meeting and citizen engagement solutions in an affordable and easy to understand package.

About IIMC Founded in 1947, IIMC is a professional nonprofit association with more than 10,000 members throughout North America and 15 other countries. IIMC provides services and continuing educational development opportunities in 47 permanent college-and university-based learning centers. IIMC offers Municipal Clerks a Certified Municipal Clerk Program (CMC), a Master Municipal Clerk Academy (MMCA) Program and other opportunities to benefit members and the government entities they serve. # # #