Week highlights work of town clerks

Municipal role touches many facets of citizens’ lives

BY CHANCY J. GATLIN-ANDERSON SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

A proclamation issued by the Town of Elizabeth on April 25 designates the week of April 30-May 6, 2023 as “Professional Municipal Clerks Week.”

Unanimously adopted by the Town of Elizabeth Board of Trustees, the proclamation extends appreciation to all municipal and deputy clerks for the services they provide their communities. Speci cally, the proclamation cites that the clerk “serves as the professional link between the citizens, the local governing bodies and agencies of government at other levels.” e proclamation was presented to Municipal Clerk Michelle Oeser and signed by Mayor Nick Snively. It also honors Municipal and Deputy Clerk Harmony Malakowski for “continually striving to improve the administration of their duties through participation in education programs, seminars, workshops

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“Being a town clerk is a job like no other. ere are so many di erent aspects to being a clerk. ere are municipal, state and federal laws that need to be adhered to which are not always fun or popular,” commented Oeser in an email correspondence from Apr. 21. “Keeping up with changes in laws is challenging and has you learning all the time.” e International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC), a professional association of city, town, township, village, borough, deputy, and county clerks, sponsors Municipal Clerks Week. IIMC has 14,700 members throughout the United States, Canada and 15 other countries.

IIMC President Pamela Smith, MMC, the legislative administrator for Lee County, Florida, urges municipal and deputy clerks to highlight the importance of their roles and functions and the impact the Municipal Clerk’s o ce has on the public.

“In a smaller Town like Elizabeth a clerk wears so many hats I have stopped counting. One minute you are processing licenses or working on a board packet, the next minute you are working with a student liaison, planning a town event, or coming up with new and innovative ideas,” explained Oeser. “All the hats are part of what makes this job so worthwhile, fun, and ful lling. I thrive on multitasking and changing directions at the drop of a hat. e most ful lling part of my job is being a part of all the Town of Elizabeth’s teams striving and working together to provide excellence services and opportunities to the community.”

Quoting professor William Bennett Munro — author of one of the rst textbooks written on the topic of municipal administration — Pierce shares, “No other o ce in municipal service has so many contacts. It serves the mayor, the city council, the city manager, and all administrative departments, without exception. All of them call upon it, almost daily, for some service or information.”

Tasha Chevarria, the Town of Kiowa clerk, also weighed in with her thoughts on the job.

“ e clerk position in Kiowa is important because the clerk is generally the rst person anyone sees or talks to when they call or come in the o ce,” explained Chevarria.

“ e variety of work is what I love most about being the town clerk. Every day is a little di erent and I’m constantly learning new things.”

“ ere are many things I love about my job,” Oeser said. “First, I love the people I work with. We share the same passion and goals which makes coming to work enjoyable. As my duties have grown, I have been given the opportunity to do more town events/projects and to work more closely with my board and the local business owners. Hearing citizens say that they like the changes we are making is very satisfying. e citizens are our customers, improving things a little at a time to make them proud to live in Elizabeth and to enjoy what it has to o er is a delightful perk to my job. I can’t say there is just one thing I love about my job; I like the opportunity to learn and grow while helping others do the same. I like when I make a di erence, even if it is just a little difference for citizens, employees, and our public in general. I am appreciative that people have trust in me to take on projects both big and small. I love that I am a part of creating positive things for Elizabeth.”

Oeser has served as the Town of Elizabeth’s municipal clerk since August 28, 2018. She started her career as deputy clerk in April 2006, and has been a member of IIMC since 2006. Oeser is also very active in the Colorado Municipal Clerks Association, Colorado Association for Municipal Court Administration, and Society for Human Resource Management.

Malakowski has served as the Town of Elizabeth’s deputy municipal clerk since May 11, 2019, and has been a member of IIMC since 2019. Malakowski is also very active in Colorado Municipal Clerks Association, Colorado Association for Municipal Court Administration and specializes in records management.

Chevarria has worked at the Town of Kiowa clerk for one year and seven months. She is an active competitor in cowboy mounted shooting. She competes both locally and around the United States.

“My job wouldn’t be possible without all the people around me that work hard who are incredibly knowledgeable and dedicated,” said Oeser. “ is is the team I have the privilege to work with and am very proud of.”

For more information on Professional Municipal Clerks Week, visit iimc.com/156/Municipal-ClerksWeek.