Happy New Year CCAC! Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and much needed timeoff. As we enter the new year, I’m excited for all the initiatives that CCAC is undertaking this upcoming calendar year.
As many of you know, on September 28, 2022, the Education Institute Committee released a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the reimagining of our Education Institutes (Technical Training for Clerks Academy and the Master Municipal Clerks Academy). Part of CCAC’s strategic plan from 2020 through 2022 was to evaluate the contracts which provide education institutes for our members. Some of the requirements in the RFP included but were not limited to:
- Qualified organizations who can facilitate educational institutes to offer a variety of courses that adhere to the IIMC core curriculum that provides 60 education points for CMC accreditation, and 60 education points for MMC accreditation
- Proposals that include a structure to offer both CMC and MMC qualifying programs
- Proposals that include a blend of in-person and virtual training
- The selected programs shall be fully developed by the end of 2023
The deadline to respond to the RFP was on December 30, 2022. I’m excited to share that we received a total of 6 proposals in response to the RFP from the following organizations:
- Davenport Institute
- California State University of Fresno
- Los Angeles Pacific University
- California State University of San Marcos
- Miller Management & Consulting Group
- Maureen Kane & Associates, Inc.
Over the next few weeks, the committee will evaluate the proposals and make a recommendation to the CCAC Board of Directors. I’ll provide an update to the membership once the Board provides direction.
The Board conducted its bi-monthly meeting on January 17 and below are a few of the items included on the agenda:
- Updates to CCAC Policy 117 (Athenian Leadership Dialogue) and Policy 101 (Policy and Procedure Administration)
- Criteria for Lifetime Achievement Award and Innovative Program of the Year Award at the upcoming CCAC Annual Conference
- Modified list of benefits for CCAC members
- Adoption of the 2023-2026
Speaking of the strategic plan, in 2020, the Board of Directors adopted a strategic plan for the period of 2020 through 2022. Under that strategic plan, CCAC focused on the following areas:
1. Governance – Develop a strong sustainable governance and organizational structure
2. Education – Ensure CCAC’s educational model promotes the holistic municipal clerk
3. Branding and Communication – Create a professional brand that engages stakeholders through valuable, timely and effective communication.
Over the past three years, CCAC made great strides in the above-identified areas, including but not limited to modifying the current board structure, re-branding CCAC with a new logo, website, and official word, conducted an education survey and released an RFP for the reimagining of our education institutes, just to name a few.
Under the new proposed strategic plan, the Board of Directors will focus on the following areas:
1. Leadership – Provide strong and effective leadership to the Association by taking action on the recommendations approved by the Board of Directors
2. Collaboration – Gain a general understanding of the needs of our members and continue to build a rapport
3. Growth – Remain current and modern while focusing on growth and defining CCAC I’m also very excited to announce that the registration for the 2023 CCAC Conference will open up the week of January 16! Please keep a lookout for the announcement. Below is the preliminary conference schedule:
Tuesday, April 11
- Pre-Conference Advanced Academy
- Athenian Dialogue Wednesday, April 12
- Opening Ceremonies
- State of the Association Address
- Keynote, General and Concurrent Sessions
- All Conference Event at Oscars Palm Springs
Thursday, April 13
- General and Concurrent Sessions
- Annual Recognition Lunch
- Annual Banquet and Awards Dinner
- Silent and Live Auctions Friday, April 14
- Keynote Session
Looking forward to seeing everyone in Palm Springs!
As always, please feel free to reach out to me at mdonohue@eastvaleca.gov or (951) 703-4421.
JESSICA BLAIR, MMC, 1ST VICE PRESIDENT
Granicus provides technology and services that empower government organizations to create seamless digital experiences for the people they serve. By offering the industry’s leading cloud-based solutions to over 6,000 public sector organizations, Granicus helps turn government missions into quantifiable realities. By optimizing decision-making processes, Granicus strives to help government see better outcomes and a greater impact for the residents they serve.
Specializing in software custom built for clerks, Granicus offers solutions for meeting and agenda management, public records requests and Form 700 Disclosure Docs. With easy-to-use tools that simplify the most time-consuming tasks for clerks, Granicus solutions help get the job done by increasing transparency and creating efficiency.
Granicus is a proud sponsor of the City Clerks Association of California and continues to partner with the organization to improve the modern digital government experience for both residents and clerks in California.
SYLVIA M. BERMUDEZ, MPA, MMC, DIRECTOR OF SCHOLARSHIPS
The application period for Round II of scholarships closed on November 1, 2022. The CCAC Scholarship Committee (Kerry Bigelow of Chula Vista, Sandra Kandell of Pacific Grove, Holly Charléty of El Cerrito, and myself) reviewed over 100 applications, and awarded over $20,000 in scholarships, which included: fifteen $400 MMC scholarships, twenty-five $400 TTC scholarships, and twenty-five $100 Educational Scholarships. Additionally, the TTC class of September 2022, provided an additional $1875 in funds, which allowed us to award two recipients with $900 scholarships! CCAC scholarships were established to relieve some of the financial burden, support members in participating in education and training offerings, and help members achieve CMC and MMC accreditation through the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC). As Director of Scholarships, one of my primary goals is to update the existing scholarship policy. This includes revising the current process, updating the application, and scoring criteria, to ensure all members have a fair and equal opportunity of receiving a scholarship. If you have ideas, feedback, or general comments, I would love to hear from you. For more information on scholarship opportunities or volunteering on the Fundraising Committee, please contact Sylvia Bermudez, Director of Scholarships at sbermudez@cvwd.org
RICCA CHARLON, CMC, CCAC TREASURER
Happy January! CCAC is kicking off the new year fiscally sound and ready to tackle 2023 with the help of Smith Moore & Associates, our Management Firm. They, along with your CCAC Board work tirelessly to care for ‘your’ funds. That’s right, the money I speak of is yours, the membership. We use it to provide quality educational opportunities and improve ways in which we serve the membership. We ended December 2022 with a balance of $74,163.46 in the checking account and $309,828.82 invested with the Local Agency Investment Fund (LAIF). Fiscally strong and ready to serve! Plans are moving forward smoothly with the transition to our new financial institution, Chase Bank. I look forward to seeing each of you in April at the CCAC Annual Conference in Palm Springs, CA.
Together we can accomplish morecollaborate, build each other up, and support our members.
As part of the first step to building back better, one of our goals is to have a Regional Representative for each region. Your involvement with CCAC is greatly appreciated, and knowing you are making a difference to our members is invaluable.
Region Representatives are overseen and supported by the Director of Networking. They serve as liaisons between the Board and their regions to organize and communicate networking opportunities and/or educational sessions under the parameters set by the Professional Development Committee.
As part of the By-Law Amendment, Regional Representatives serve for a one-year term and serve as liaisons between the Board and their regions to organize and communicate networking opportunities and/or educational sessions under the parameters set by the Professional Development Committee.
Exciting things we are working on for CCAC:
City Clerk Handbook Updates | You get to work on such a valuable resource for the entire association. The handbook is now included for FREE as part of the membership. The last update was in 2012. Our goal is to update it every year. Meet on Mondays at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom. Regional Representatives work with their subcommittee to update the Chapter assigned, and our goal is to have the handbook updated by April 2023.
Official Word Articles | You get the opportunity to spotlight your region! Stories on member spotlights, celebrating success no matter how big or small, networking events, workshops, fun articles, etc. Our goal is to spotlight your region!
Regional Update | You provide a brief update on your current event or project to report.
Pop with the President | Provide updates to the association each quarter.
Regional Baskets | Work on a fun-themed basket like summer flamingoes, wine picnic basket, city theme, etc., for CCAC’s annual conference.
Endless Networking Opportunities | Meet your team! We all work together and what better way to work with others, network, and build a team of clerks to help you and them along your road to career success?
As the Networking Director, I am here to oversee and support you in providing engagement activities with members. This is a volunteer position, and we greatly appreciate your time giving back to the association and its members. If you need assistance, guidance, etc., please do not hesitate to reach out. It takes a village to get the work done, and I am here, and the committee members are here to assist you. It’s a new year, and if you have a spark of interest, reach out and let’s work on making you the next Region Representative! Check out the Region List to see where you land.
Shout out to the Regional Committee! Reach out if you are interested in volunteering within the region or if you see a vacancy for your region, email me at roxanneb@cityofbrea.net
INTERESTED IN REPRESENTING YOUR REGION? JOIN OUR REGIONAL COMMITTEE TEAM!ROXANNE BRECEDA
Vacant Region 1 Redwood Empire
Amy Lind Region 2 Sacramento Valley alind@auburn.ca.gov
Cassandra Candini-Tilton Region 3 Central Valley ccandini@ci.manteca.ca.us
Vacant Region 4 S. San Joaquin Valley
Christina Rudsell Region 5 Desert Mountain crudsell@barstowca.org
Genoveva Rocha Region 6 Inland Empire Rocha_Ge@sbcity.org
Ana Sauseda Region 7 Riverside County ASauseda@canyonlakeca.gov
Vacant Region 8 Imperial County
Kerry Bigelow Region 9 San Diego County Kbigelow@chulavistaca.gov
Theresa Bass Region 10 Orange County tbass@anaheim.net
Ericka Hernandez Region 11 Los Angeles County ehernandez@cityofrosemead.org
Michael Macdonald Region 12 Channel Counties mmacdonald@cityofventura.ca.gov
Nova Romero Region 13 Monterey Bay nromero@ci.carmel.ca.us
David Carnahan Region 14 Peninsula DCarnahan@sunnyvale.ca.gov
Danielle Navarro Region 15 East Bay dnavarro@pleasanthillca.org
Kendall Rose Region 16 North Bay krose@cityofpetaluma.org
Our Regional Committee needs your assistance updating the City Clerk Handbook. Each Chapter is assigned by Region; for example, Chapter 1 is assigned to Region 1, Chapter 2 is assigned to Region 2, and so forth.
If you would like to volunteer to update the City Clerk Handbook, please submit your modifications, samples, or updates by Thursday, January 27, 2023, here at the bottom of the webpage. Of course, comments are welcomed as well.
We celebrate our Regional Committee Member Danielle Navarro, CMC, City of Pleasant Hill, Principal Mgt. Analyst/City Clerk! Danielle is Region 15 - East Bay Representative and started last month as a Regional Representative. She has a subcommittee to assist with updating Chapter 15, Administrative and Legal Filings for the City Clerks Handbook soon to be available in April.
Roxane Stone, Deputy City Clerk, City of Pinole
Joanne Robbins, City Clerk & Municipal Information Officer, City of Lafayette
Suzie Martinez, City Clerk, City of Walnut Creek
Sarah Bunting, Assistant City Clerk, City of Berkeley
Vanessa Rosales, Administrative Analyst, City of Antioch
Amy Heavener, Deputy City Clerk, City of Walnut Creek
Welcome, subcommittee members, and thank you for your assistance! If you are interested in assisting with updating the City Clerks Handbook, please reach out to your Regional Representative.
As we enter a New Year, there are some new opportunities for members to get involved! Whether that be joining a committee or assisting at the upcoming 2023 Annual Conference in Palm Springs, CA!
If you are interested in volunteering to serve, please be sure to complete the volunteer interest form which can be found on the CCAC webpage
Contact information:
Ashton R. Arocho, MMC City of Fontana E: aarocho@fontana.org
We’re pleased to inform you that the following individuals have earned either the prestigious Master Municipal Clerk (MMC) or Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) designation from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC):
CMC:
April B.A. Quintanilla, CMC - District Secretary - San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District, CA
Eduardo Sarmiento, CMC - City Clerk - City of Huntington Park, CA
Ann Marie McKay, CMC - City Clerk - City of Laguna Beach, CA
Joan Snashall, CMC - Deputy City Clerk - City of San Ramon, CA
Arpi Yesayan, CMC - Administrative Clerk - City of La Canada Flintridge, CA
MJ Brown, CMC - Dir. of Admin/Clerk of the Board - Vallejo Flood and Wastewater District, CA
MMC:
Cecilia Vela, MMC - City Clerk - City of Arvin, CA
It’s such a great feeling knowing we are fulfilling our goal of having Regional Representatives for each region. While serving in a great capacity, being the bridge to the community, and having that transparency, taking the time to volunteer and helping our clerks team is a rewarding experience!
I met Ericka at the League of California Cities New Law and Elections Seminar in December. Right away, she was friendly and shared a great wealth of knowledge. When I asked about serving as a Regional Representative, Ericka immediately said yes. I thought it might be great to get to know our Regional Committee, and what better way other than to ask a few questions?
ERICKA HERNANDEZ, CMCCITY OF ROSEMEAD, CITY CLERK
REGION 11, LOS ANGELES
Briefly tell me about yourself and how you got to be in your current role.
I began my role in the City Clerk’s Office as a part-timer in 2007 and was hired full-time in 2008 as the Assistant to the City Clerk. I started my City Clerk journey from there on. I was given the opportunity to learn and take training at every opportunity and network with some amazing Clerks.
What responsibilities in your current position do you enjoy doing?
I enjoy working with the public and providing services that assist them in understanding how local government works. I come from a strong customer service background and enjoy explaining how some processes work. You know you’ve made an impact when someone leaves City Hall feeling they got the information, documents, or simply their questions answered. That’s my satisfaction of the day.
What is your favorite place to eat?
One can indulge in various cuisines in the City of Rosemead, from American, Mexican, and Asian fusion restaurants. One of my many favorite eateries has to be our local Italian restaurant, Di Pilla's Italian Restaurant, a staple in Rosemead. Delicious Dim Sum can be found at many restaurants, such as 888 Sea Food and Blooming VIP Restaurant. But if you are looking for some spice, you can’t go wrong with Dave’s Hot Chicken. Their chicken sandwiches are flavorful.
Do you have any unique responsibilities in your current role as City Clerk not traditional to the City Clerk’s Office?
Yes, my office began overseeing the city’s risk management program. Although I am familiar with some risk management, it’s been a learning curve from updating outdated policies and protocols, reporting obligations, overseeing insurance policies for city property, and ensuring proper signage and notices to protect both the public and employees. Another responsibility is overseeing our Beautification Commission in coordinating beautification and clean-up events throughout the year. I particularly enjoy overseeing the Commission because it provides the opportunity to talk to residents and members of the business community outside of the office.
Please contact Ericka Hernandez at ehernandez@cityofrosemead.org if you have any questions regarding your region. We are always looking for volunteers to serve within their region and also assist CCAC. If you are interested in serving as a Regional Representative, please email me at roxanneb@cityofbrea.net
"You know you’ve made an impact when someone leaves City Hall feeling they got the information, documents, or simply their questions answered. That’s my satisfaction of the day."
As your Region IX Directors on the IIMC Board of Directors, it is important that we keep our members informed of our activities and the actions taken by the Board. To that end, we are pleased to produce biannual newsletters (winter and summer) and submit other information through your state association leadership to keep you apprised of IIMC news, policy issues, and upcoming Region IX events.
We hope you find the information useful and that it provides a sense of camaraderie in uniting Region IX. As a member of Region IX, you are part of a coalition of colleagues with a strong voice in IIMC leadership and policymaking.
If there is anything that we can do to assist you, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Warmly, Ruth
Ruth
1 y e a r = 3 6 5 n e w o p p o r t u n i t i e s
L e t ' s l a y t h e g r o u n d w o r k f o r t h e y e a r ! T o p t h r e e g o a l s f o r t h e y e a r :
A f u n t h i n g I ' m g o i n g t o a c c o m p l i s h t h i s y e a r :
A n e w f o o d I ' m g o i n g t o t r y :
A g o o d d e e d I ' m g o i n g t o d o :
A n e w s k i l l I ' d l i k e t o l e a r n :
S e l f - c a r e r e m i n d e r I ' d l i k e t o s e t t h i s y e a r i n c l u d e s : R e s o l u t i o n I d e a s
A l i t t l e t h i n g I ' m g o i n g t o e n j o y a n d a p p r e c i a t e t h i s y e a r :
C o m p l i m e n t y o u r s e l f d a i l y _ G e t o r g a n i z e d U s e a p l a n n e r F o c u s o n b e i n g h e a l t h y _ L e a r n a n e w s k i l l T r y a n e w h o b b y C e l e b r a t e l i f e m o r e
M a k e t o d a y a m a z i n g , d a i l y a f f i r m a t i o n
L i s t e n t o m u s i c D a i l y a f f i r m a t i o n s D r i n k m o r e w a t e r S e t g o a l s _ S a v e m o n e y B e k i n d M a k e s o m e o n e ' s d a y
I a m g r o w i n g . I b e l i e v e i n m y s e l f . I h a v e t h e c o u r a g e t o t r y a g a i n . I a m c o n f i d e n t . I a m a w e s o m e . I d i d i t !
Official Word Articles: Interested in being spotlighted for the Official Word? Our goal is to spotlight YOU and all that you do. Introduce yourself, provide a professional or fun picture, and summarize yourself. Include a fun Q & A like your favorite sport, color, food, etc. We want to get to know you!
Regional Baskets: During the annual CCAC Conference, regional baskets are auctioned, and the association receives more funds to support our association. If you are interested in donating items, please contact your Regional Representative.
Silent Auction Items: CCAC is asking for your assistance with donation items for the Silent Auction. If you are interested in donating items (minimum value of $25), please contact Director of Scholarships Sylvia Bermudez at sbermudez@cvwd.org. Donations can also be dropped off at the CCAC Conference when you check-in.
CCAC Conference Store Volunteer Needed: Please let me know if you are attending the annual conference and would like to volunteer to run the merch store. You will work with a Board of Directors or Regional Representative and get the opportunity to meet clerks!
For any questions or the opportunity to volunteer for any of the items listed above, please contact me at roxanneb@cityofbrea.net Make it a great day!
