To make sure you receive future emails, please add ExecDirector@wisclerks.org to your address book or safe list. March 2023 WMCA E-Newsletter Issue 3-2023 In This Issue: President’s Message What is WCEF? Upcoming District Meetings WMCA Board of Review Training Scholarship Applications Blood Drive UW-GB Clerks Institute U.S Election Assitance Commission Final Announcements Links: Career Ads WMCA Mission: To be the premier source for the personal empowerment of municipal clerks in Wisconsin through education, professional development, and the promotion of excellence. President's Message Greetings, Thank you everyone for your interest in serving on WEC’s Advisory Committee regarding Election Observers.  WMCA could only forward the names of three (3) Municipal Clerks to serve on this committee and the clerks selected were Diane Coenen, Caroline Fochs, and Toya Harrell.  The Committee meetings are open to the public; check WEC’s website for meeting information. Watch the calendar on the website for district meetings.  District 4 met in February and District 7 has a meeting scheduled in April.  It is good to see the all-important training and networking we all need beginning.   Keep aware of proposed legislation that impacts municipalities, and let your State Representatives how potential legislation could impact your municipality. After over 34 years of serving as the City Clerk for the City of Portage, I am retiring on April 26.  Being a Municipal Clerk has been a rewarding profession. Best wishes on the Spring Election. Marie A. Moe, WCPC/MMC 2022-23 WMCA President What is WCEF? WCEF is the Wisconsin Clerks Education Fund. This branch of the WMCA promotes training and education for municipal clerks in Wisconsin. Our purpose is to raise funds to provide scholarships for clerks to attend WMCA approved educational sessions (WMCA annual conference).  In 2022 WCEF awarded over $8,000 in scholarships for the 2022 WMCA conference and Northern Training. WCEF also gave out $3,224 in cash and other raffle prizes. Thank you to everyone that donated and congratulations to everyone that was awarded a scholarship or won a raffle prize.  If you would like to make a contribution to WCEF, please visit here. If you have any questions about WCEF or problems registering for iGive, please contact Racquel at gieser@combinedlocks.org. Watch for information on our upcoming fundraisers and deadlines for scholarship applications.  Cindi Gamb, WCEF Committee   Upcoming District Meetings District IV - April 13th Time: 8:30 AM - 2:30 PM Location: Waunakee Village Center - 333 S. Madison St, Waunakee, WI 53597 Cost: Members - $20 | Non Members - $30 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- District VII- April 13th Time: 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM Location: Village of Denmark - 100 Wisconsin Ave Denmark, WI 54208 Cost: Members - $20 | Non Members - $30 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Regisration deadline for both meetings is April 6th by 4 PM CDT WMCA Board of Review Training Spring is almost here and that means it’s almost time for Board of Review. WMCA will again be offering Board of Review training. Your WMCA District Directors will be offering training sessions at your district meetings. So, watch for upcoming meetings. The cost will be $15 for each municipality. When attending training, each municipality will be given a packet of materials. These materials cannot be copied! WMCA has permission to provide copies but these materials are the property of LGE.  If you want to hold a training session in your area, contact me and we can work on getting a session scheduled.  We need trainers. On March 23rd and 24th the Department of Revenue will be conducting Train the Trainer sessions. This training will be held in person, in Madison on the 23rd and the northern area of Wisconsin on the 24th (location to be determined). Once you have taken the training you are qualified to train people on Board of Review. If you are interested in being a trainer, please contact me so I can get you the materials. If you have any questions about being a trainer or to schedule a session, please contact me. Cindi Gamb, MMC, WCPC, CMTW WMCA BOR Coordinator WMCA 1st VP 920-459-3873 cgamb@kohlervillage.org Scholarship Applications Now Available for UW-Green Bay Institute The UW-GB Clerks and Treasurers Institute in Green Bay is remaining virtual for 2023! Now is the time to learn at your own pace in the comfort of your own home or office. The Institute is truly the premiere place to learn the skills you need to be the best Professional Clerk you can be. Aside from saving your municipality money for travel expenses, the WMCA has scholarships available for any Clerk planning to attend the Clerks Institute. Applications must be postmarked by April 15. All members are encouraged to apply for a scholarship no matter which year of the institute you are in – Year 1, 2 or 3 or Clerks Completion. In 2022, we awarded over 35 scholarships totaling nearly $10,000! Please ensure that you are an active member and include a letter of support, as over 15% applications were rejected due to lack of membership or letters of support! Additionally, the Committee often makes their decisions based on narratives in each category. We’d ask that you are putting thought into your answers, demonstrative both the financial need of a scholarship, as well as what it would mean to advance your education. Click here for the online 2023 Scholarship Application. Giving Blood, Sweat, & Tears As part of a Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association ‘Blood, Sweat, & Tears Campaign’, clerks are encouraged to fill up their local blood drives. Blood banks count on drives to continually replace their supply. Being professionals who support our communities with our blood, sweat, and tears every day, let’s show up literally! Let us know when you give blood January-March by using the link provided by the City of Brookfield HERE. Show your dedication by even uploading a photo of you donating blood! Thank you for your support, clerks are truly the life-blood of local government. Aja Taylor, Promotions Committee Best Clerk Education in the Country! July 17-21, 2023 Clerk & Treasurers Virtual Institute 2023 Tuition $499 | **Note: Courses will NO be recorded. The UW-Green Bay online Institute is a series of interactive, live online sessions via Zoom. Pros of Virtual Learning Learn from the comfort of your own home or office There's no lodging or travel costs Easy digital access to learning materials Less time away from the office Click here for more details. U.S. Election Assistance Commission In 2021, WMCA appointed me (Diane Coenen, City of Oconomowoc Professional Clerk) as the Wisconsin member to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Local Leadership Council.  The EAC was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) and is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration. As part of my duties to the EAC, I attend Zoom meetings, participate in surveys, review documents and vote on such things as EAC By Laws.  We discuss elections, how laws affect election administrators, election security, available resources, and types of resources that could be helpful to the majority. One of those resources I am pleased to announce is the release of the second edition of the Election Management Guidelines (EMG) to assist local and state election officials in administering elections.  This document can by found by clicking here. There are 19 Chapters in the guidelines which cover a variety of topics such as Contingency Planning, Accessibility, Communicating with the Public, etc.  They are general in nature because they were developed on the national level, however many of the topics have subsections such as the importance of an Election Calendar, recruiting & managing staff, contingency plan template, and so much more.   This resource would be helpful information for all, but especially new Clerks, Deputies and Election staff.  The EAC also offers on their website https://www.eac.gov/ resources for Voters and Election Officials, Chain of Custody Best Practices, Security, Audits and more.  So what are you waiting for, visit the EAC website and print out the guidelines.  Best of Luck to All on April 4th. -Diane Coenen, Professional Clerk for the City of Oconomowoc and EAC Local Leadership Council Member   CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING ASSOCIATE MEMBER ADS.  Click on the ad for a direct link to their website.   Final Announcements TO THE WMCA ASSOCIATES: Please contact the WMCA at info@wisclerks.org if your contact information and/or email address has changed or if you would like to know how to advertise in the WMCA E-Newsletter.   www.wisclerks.org Copyright © WMCA, All rights reserved. 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