July 2020 WMCA E-Newsletter
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Wisconsin Municipal Clerks Association Monthly Newsletter
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President's
Message
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July 4, 2020 was America’s 244th Independence Day where we celebrate our Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. We first celebrated Independence Day July 4, 1776 even though it wasn’t the day the Continental Congress decided to declare independence (July 2, 1776), or the day we started the American Revolution (that happened in April 1775), or the date on which the Declaration was delivered to Great Britain (November 1776), or the date it was signed (August 2, 1776). It wasn’t until almost 100 years after the Declaration was written that Congress declared July 4 to be a national holiday. The original Declaration was only signed by John Hancock, President, in the presence of Charles Thomson, secretary of Congress on July 4, 1776 and the other signatures were done later. The 56 signers of the Declaration did not sign on July 4, 1776, nor were they in the same room at the same time on the original Independence Day. The official signing event took place on August 2, 1776 when 50 men signed the document. Several months passed before all 56 signatures were in place. The last man to sign, Thomas McKean, did so in January 1777, seven months after the document was approved by Congress. Robert R. Livingston, one of the five original drafters, never signed it at all since he believed it was too soon to declare independence. Does this sound like Government hasn’t changed in 244 years?????
But the meaning for me is not about how Government operates but about families and friends coming together to celebrate our Independence and freedom as Americans. It is America's birthday and I love Fireworks. It's also a time to reflect on all those who paved the way to make our country the great country that it is – Land of the Free and Home of the Brave! I hope you were able to spend time with family in celebration.
District Directors are still needed for Districts 1, 2 & 8. Please contact Faith Elford.
WMCA’s Executive Director - Our very own Faith Elford has volunteered to be a moderator for some of the Clerk’s & Treasurer’s Institute classes held via Zoom during the week of July 12 – 17. The institute, as directed by the phenomenal Kassie Van Remortel, provides vital education and it is important that WMCA plays a key role in working with Kassie to do whatever we can to help her facilitate the education opportunities that Professionals all across the state need. This is nothing new for Faith as she has been volunteering her time and talents for many years both professionally and personally. What we can be assured of is that during the week Faith is working with UW-Green Bay, we have nothing to worry about because Faith has WMCA running like a well-oiled machine. Thank You Faith for keeping us running while your away, for all the extra work you do for WMCA, always being ready, willing and able to volunteer where needed and for being the constant, dependable and reliable Professional you are for us. It is evident how much you love the Clerkworld, care about doing the best you can for your fellow Professionals and have genuine concern for the organization and the members.
I want to give a HUGE Shout Out to Faith to let her know how much she is appreciated because she truly deserves to be recognized!!! Can I get an AMEN 😊
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Introducing
2nd Vice President
Marie Moe
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I am pleased to announce we have a 2nd VP for 2020-2021– Marie Moe: Marie is the Professional Clerk for the City of Portage since 1988 and has been a member of both the IIMC and WMCA for 31 years serving terms as WMCA Co-Director for District 4 and IIMC Director for Region 6. In addition, Marie was inducted as a Fellow in the Athenian Leadership Society and has numerous other accomplishments.
The City of Portage fully supports her desire to serve on the WMCA Board and knows that her experience, knowledge
and commitment as their Professional Clerk equals her dedication to our
profession and her desire to mentor and assist her fellow Professionals. Thank You Marie for stepping up to serve WMCA and your desire to share your knowledge and experience with the membership.
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VISION: In
the last newsletter I thanked the 2020 Conference Committee for their
work and vision, and I left out two important members – Kelly Meyers and
Linda Kuhlman. Please accept my heartfelt thanks and gratitude for your excitement and willingness to serve.
As part of my Presidential initiatives, I formed the Ad-Hoc Multi-Media Committee to rock the Clerkworld with Red Hot Alerts. Well,
they have done it again by adding three more offerings (#4 –
Affidavits; #5 – Certifications; & #6 - Annexations) that are
available in the Member Log-In area of the WMCA website. More Red Hot Alerts will be coming your way very soon. Thank you to the Chairs, Jeanne O’Brien and Kelly Meyer, and all the Committee members: Jilline
Dobratz, Daniel Green, Donna Hann, Melissa Hongisto, Jill
Kenda-Lubetski, Pamela Ann Little, Holly Priske, Georgia Stanford,
Cairie Virrueta, James Wendt, Anne Uecker, Kelly Michaels, and Sara
Bruckman for working so hard to help meet the needs of your fellow Professionals. The offerings you have put together will be used for years to come and are a very valuable resource for all.
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| VICTORY: I love the email I received recently from Faith so much that I decided to copy it to the Membership: “I have just opened Saturday’s mail and I have never seen us receive such a wonderful gift in all my years!! The MPIC – Municipal Property Insurance Company-one of our vendors, has just given us two $5,000 checks!! The first check for $5,000 is for the Wisconsin Clerks Education Fund! Yea! And the second is for the WMCA itself. Their
letter reads that recently the MPIC was able to take advantage of a
sponsored grant program through one of their investment and banking
partners, the Federal Home Loan Bank. These funds are intended to be
applied to small business and association partners to relieve some of
the financial impact from the COVID-19 business restrictions. They go
on to ask that we please accept this money as part of our long-standing partnership and support for our organization. The letters were signed by our Associate member – Blair Rogacki, the CEO of Municipal Property Insurance Co., brogacki@mpicwi.com” |
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WMCA is incredibly blessed to receive these two checks and to have a partnership with such a wonderful agency that supports us and all we do. This could not have come at a better time for the membership. We are seeing a lot of changeover in the Clerkworld since the beginning of the year, which means there are many new Professionals that need education and support. And without our annual Conference and the tireless work of our WCEF Committee to raise funds during the Conference for education/scholarships, WMCA would have a hard time meeting the needs of those that most need it. What a huge Victory for WMCA!
The importance of our partnerships with our vendors is evident not only by this unexpected gift, but by what they do for us throughout the year and at our Conferences. Remember to visit our website to see a list of Associate partners at: https://www.wisclerks.org/municipalvendors, take some time to look at the vendors who are listed in our newsletter and other materials, and remember to thank our vendors the next time you connect with them. They are truly an important part of WMCA and a tremendous lifeline of support for the members. As we support each other in the Clerkworld, our vendors are right beside us providing additional support. Grateful and Thankful for them.
August Election: I have been contacted by fellow Clerks about staffing their polls and safety measures. Some communities are struggling to find pollworkers. If you are one of the communities fortunate enough to have more workers than you will be using, please reach out to the workers and see if they would be willing to go to a neighboring community within your County. Then call or email your neighbors or put a message out on the Clerklist that you have pollworkers and anyone needing help in your County should contact you. I know we are all stretched to the limit on time, and my request takes time, but imagine how stressed you would be if you could not get enough help at your polls. So please consider finding some time to do this task to help your neighbors.
Another big concern I am hearing about is pollworker safety and whether or not to make it mandatory that they wear face masks. Some workers will be supportive of this and others not. So all I can advise is that you look at the measures you will be putting in place. If you feel confident that all measures you are taking will help minimize risk, then you are doing your best to prevent exposure and if a pollworker is not comfortable and fears for their health, then no amount of protective measures you take will make them feel safe. It is a decision only they can make for themselves.
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Have You Herd?
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Have you Herd - July has a National Cow Appreciation Day: Things go udderly awry in the middle of July each year during Cow Appreciation Day. People
dress like bovines for free food and it’s a moo-ving experience to
witness because it was designed to save the lives of cows everywhere for
just one day. How? By eating chicken.
So come on WMCA, on July 14, 2020 lets show our support by wearing one of your fabulous Cow Pins.
Best of Luck on August 11th. Wishing you safe summer travels and happy days, Diane
Diane Coenen WCMC/CMC
2019-2020 WMCA President
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Meet the Rest of Your Newly Elected Officers
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Director-At-Large
Kelly Hurst
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My name is Kelly Hurst and I have been working for the City of Black River Falls as Deputy Clerk/Treasurer since 2011. Municipal government is exciting and I'm thankful for my amazing coworkers because we work together as a great team.
In 2010 I received an Associate Degree in Accounting where I gravitated towards fund accounting. After that I knew government work was the path for me. Now I'm working on a bachelor’s degree from UW-GB majoring in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in Public Administration and will be graduating Spring of 2022.
I joined WMCA in 2017 after my first year at the Clerk/Treasurer Institute and since have found my job a little easier. Having a network of people to reach out to and see a few times a year is so beneficial for this kind of work. I wish I had joined right away after starting in municipal government. Since 2018 I have been serving on the WMCA Finance Committee and Legislative Communications & Advocacy Committee. It's very rewarding to help something I feel very passionately about, and this is why I think I would be great as the next WMCA Director-at-Large.
When I'm not working, I stay pretty busy at home with my husband and our three children. My husband and middle child drive ab-mod race car so on the weekends you'll find us at the racetrack pitting and cheering them on. When there isn't racing or extra-curriculars to run the kids to, I enjoy reading.
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Secretary
Angie Cain
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My name is Angie Cain and I have been the Town Clerk for the Town of Grand Chute since August 2018 and have previously been a Deputy Clerk for almost 12 years. Throughout the years, I have learned that attending educational opportunities are very important as the laws are always changing.
I want to continue to grow with WMCA, from previously being a District 7 Co-Director for one term to currently running for Secretary for my third term. I believe in networking with other clerks to share ideas and experiences. I also believe in all of the educational opportunities that WMCA brings its members. I have served on several committees such as the Promotions Committee, Conference Committee, Certification Committee, and the Professional Education Committee. I would like to encourage those who haven’t participated to get involved with this great organization.
During the summer, I love to go camping with my family at our permanent site in Farmer Gene’s Campground in Marion, WI. I am looking forward to when I can travel again, hopefully sooner than later.
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Treasurer
Brenda Ayers
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My name is Brenda Ayers and I am seeking the office of WMCA Treasurer for a fourth term. Prior to becoming Treasurer I served as a Director-at-Large in 2015-2016. On July 7, 2020 I became the City Clerk for the City of Lodi. Prior to that; I was the Administrator/Clerk/Treasurer for the Town of Burke for eleven years. I have served as a municipal Clerk/Treasurer for nineteen years total. My Associate’s Degree in Accounting and six years of experience on the WMCA Finance Committee give me a solid foundation to serve as Treasurer. During my first term as Treasurer, I worked with Faith and the Finance Committee to establish the WMCA Accounting Policies and Procedure Manual. Over the years the WMCA has made a lot of progress in the handling of the finances of the organization and I would like to continue to play a role in that effort.
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WMCA Associate Members are great partners with the WMCA. The next time you need to purchase a service or software, or other items, check out the vendors ads on the WMCA website on the Municipal Vendor page.
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Check Out the
Vendor Demos
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The 2020 WMCA 40th Annual Conference cancellation due to coronavirus not only denied our clerk members great educational opportunities, it also prevented our loyal WMCA Associate members the chance to show you the products and services they have to make your work life easier.
Since you cannot attend the vendor demonstrations at the conference this year, the Associates are bringing their demonstrations to you. Go to the WMCA website and run your mouse over Municipal Vendors in the dropdown menu and you will see 2020 Virtual Vendor Demonstrations. Click on a vendor name to bring up a recorded demo at your convenience. The demonstrations will be available through August.
Click here to see the virtual vendor demos now.
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Announcing!
New Salary Surveys
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The new 2020 salary surveys of our membership are now available in the Member Log In section of the WMCA website.
If you have any problems getting into the Member Log In area, contact the Executive Director at ExecDirector@wisclerks.org.
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Grant Management Workshop
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We are excited to finally move forward with a two day Grant Management Workshop in partnership with Brown County Sheriff's Office in Green Bay, August 31 - September 1, 2020. This program is appropriate for any offices that receive state or federal grant funds.
In this class we will review key concepts associated with accepting and managing grant awards; including reporting and record keeping, audit requirements, and program evaluation. Please find learning objectives at: http://grantwritingusa.com/syllabusmgwusa.html
Tuition includes Grant Writing USA's 500-page grant management workbook and reference guide. Seating is limited, online reservations are necessary.
Complete event details including learning objectives, class location, graduate testimonials and online registration are available here.
Contacts:
Tammy Pitts
Grant Writing USA
888.435.7281 toll free
tammyp@grantwritingusa.com
Lt. Michael Jansen
Brown County Sheriff's Office - Training Section
920.448.6450
mike.jansen@browncountywi.gov
More than 10,000 agencies across North America have turned to Grant Writing USA for grant writing and grant management training.
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Have You Checked Out the Career Ads Lately? Have you been thinking of making a change or possibly moving up to a bigger position? Don’t forget to check out the “Career Ads” section of the WMCA website. Go to: https://www.wisclerks.org/ and click on the blue button on the right side of the website to check out all of the openings around the state.
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THE 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.
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