May 5-11 is Municipal Clerks Week

On Tuesday, May 7 the Marana Town Council official recognized May 5-11 as Municipal Clerks Week with an official proclamation.

The Municipal Clerk is the oldest of public servants in local government, along with the tax collector. The profession traces back before Biblical times. The origins of the Municipal Clerk stems from a time before widespread use of written language, and early keepers of archives were required to use their memory to serve as the public record .

In modern Hebrew, the term “Town Clerk” is Mazkir Ha'ir which literally translated, means “city or town reminder”.

This May, Municipal Clerks Week will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary, initiated in 1969 by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks and is endorsed by all of its members throughout the United States, Canada and 15 other countries. In 1984 and in 1994, Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, respectively, signed a Proclamation officially declaring Municipal Clerks Week the first full week of May and recognizing the essential role Municipal Clerks play in local government.

Although many of Marana’s clerks are not certified municipal clerks, they equally contribute to the organization by attending various educational opportunities, and are considered a municipal clerk.

Town of Marana Clerk Office

            Cherry Lawson, CMC, Town Clerk
            Hilary Hiser, CMC, Deputy Town Clerk
            Suzanne Sutherland, CMC, Executive Assistant
            Nolette Hernandez, Records Clerk (pending later this year)
            Emily Noeth, Records Clerk

Cherry Lawson appointed Marana Town Clerk

Town Manager Jamsheed Mehta has appointed Cherry Lawson as Marana Town Clerk effective Monday, January 14.

Lawson was educated in the Detroit Public School system. She received an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Human Service and Disabilities from Highland Park Community College. She received a BA in Psychology and a BS in Criminal Justice Science from Wayne State University in Detroit, later receiving her MS/MPA from Central Michigan University. 

Lawson is currently pursuing the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) designation of a professional manager, and is in the final application stages of receiving the International Institute of Municipal Clerk (IIMC) Master Municipal Clerk (MMC) designation. She is also pursuing credentialing as a Certified Records Manager through the Institute of Certified Records Managers (ICRM). 

Lawson has served as a City Clerk/Elections Administrator and Records Manager for 18 years. Her previous titles include City Clerk for the City of Bloomington, as well as the City Clerk, Elections Administrator, Records Manager, and Cemetery Administrator for the City of Mesquite, Nevada, and as City Clerk and Records Manager for the City of Sedona.

Lawson has had a career in community mental health as a youth counselor/advocate for over 15 years.  Being a public servant was the career path Cherry wanted to pursue, as she saw it as an extension of being able to continue to serve the public beyond the community mental health field. 

“The Town of Marana is very fortunate to welcome Cherry onboard as the new Town Clerk,” said Mehta. “Her extensive experience will greatly attribute to the Town’s success as she upholds the department’s mission to provide excellent customer service to the staff and citizens of the Town of Marana.”

Marana Town Talk Episode 4: Lock it or Lose it, Community engagement, Marana Film Office

Left to right: Tourism & Marketing Manager Laura Courtelyou, Police Sergeant Chriswell Scott, former Town Clerk Jocelyn Bronson

Town of Marana has released its fourth episode of "Marana Town Talk", a new government podcast that balances education and entertainment with thoughtful commentary on local current events. 

Communications Manager Vic Hathaway and Communications Specialist Brad Allis kick off the episode with a brief discussion on current events (0:50), followed by a discussion on safety tips with Marana Police Sergeant Chriswell Scott (5:36). Listeners can then learn more about the impacts former Town Clerk Jocelyn Bronson had on the community including details on the Marana Citizens Forum (14:53), before learning more about all the interesting ways Hollywood has used the Marana landscape in the past…and present (24:28). 

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AUDIO AND VIDEO