I love the lazy days of summer – BBQ’s in the backyard, a dip in the pool, flowers and veggies providing color and flavor, and just si ng on the back porch on a warm evening… While we may be enjoying these days in smaller numbers, the memories are as big and as special as ever! Congratula ons to WMCA’s 2020 Clerk of the Year Alice A wood. Past President Paula Swisher surprised Alice at her home on July 25. Please see the ar cle on Page 2—congrats Alice, no one is more deserving!

Maybe it is just the transit industry, but our offices are very quiet these days— co‐workers are taking me off to enjoy family, and July and August just seem to take a deep breath and relax for a bit. I’m sure the quiet will not last but I am enjoying it while I can. I know there is disappointment with the lack of educa onal opportuni es this year, but if you are looking for online classes, IIMC has a web site with a variety of op ons: h ps://www.iimc.com/131/Online‐Learning‐Opportuni es. As we navigate through the next few months, some State Associa ons are exploring virtual conferences and educa on sessions. We are taking a “wait and see how they fair” approach before

commi ng valuable WMCA resources to offer the same. Please read the IIMC Execu ve Director Update included in this newsle er to read how IIMC is focusing on digital engagement with the membership and providing online professional development opportuni es. Personally, one of the greatest gi s I receive from our conferences is being in the same place with my peers. Nothing can ever take the place of the one‐on‐one interac ons. It is exci ng to see the progress by your Conference Planning and Educa on Commi ees preparing for the 2021 WMCA Conference in beau ful Ocean Shores WA. We will have so much to celebrate, including our 50th Annual Conference. Please feel free to reach out to any of your WMCA Execu ve Commi ee members at any

me—we are here for you. Enjoy your summer, and don’t forget to take

me to take care of YOU!!!

President Debbie Jermann

President Elect Susan Duncan

Vice President Shawn Campbell

Secretary Debby Barham

Treasurer Gina Anderson

Board Members Donald Ross Lisa Neissl

Elizabeth Adkisson Deborah Estrada

Terri Wright Melody Valiant

 

Past President Paula Swisher

Visit our Website: www.WMCAClerks.org 

Editor: Debbie Jermann, MMC C‐TRAN 

Execu ve Commi ee 

Founded in 1969,

WMCA is a non‐profit

associa on that pro‐

motes the professional

and educa on stand‐

ards of Municipal

Clerks, County Clerks,

and Transit Board

Clerks in various local

governments of the

State of Washington.

Debbie Jermann, MMC

President’s Message 

WMCA August 2020

O     ... WMCA 2020 Clerk of the Year

Page 2

Featured Clerk Page 3

IIMC Execu ve Director Update

Page 4

Legisla ve Update Page 5

Membership News Page 6 & 7

WMCA August 2020 Page 2

2020 WMCA CLERK OF THE YEAR Paula Swisher, WMCA Past President 

On July 25, 2020, I was thrilled to surprise the 2020 WMCA Clerk of the Year, Alice A ‐wood. Alice was nominated by Ali Spietz and Deb Estrada of Mercer Island, WA. As noted in the nomina on, no one deserves to be WMCA Clerk of the Year more than Alice. She has been working in the public sector for 40 years and is a dedicated member of WMCA. Alice A wood's career began in the mid‐1970s as a part‐ me employee of the City of Tonasket for 10 years. She eventually worked her way to full‐ me employment as Depu‐ty Clerk‐Treasurer in 1990 and in 1994 she was appointed to the posi on of Clerk‐Treasurer, which she has served in for 25 years! As the Clerk‐Treasurer of a small city of 1,100 people, Alice is responsible for every major administra ve func on of the City in‐cluding payroll, u lity billing, budget, records management, personnel, and support to the Mayor and City Council. She has her hand in the everyday workings of local govern‐ment as well as ini a ng and supervising special projects. Alice is supported by Deputy Clerk‐Treasurer Deniece Miller and U lity Clerk & Municipal Court Clerk Joël Pilkinton who think the world of her! She has been their mentor, colleague, and friend for many years crea ng an environment of trust, support, and dedica on for providing quality services to the residents of Tonasket. Clerks wear many "hats" in their posi on, but Alice gives everyone a run for their money, her virtual hat closet is full!

Alice has worked with numerous Mayors, Councils, residents, and businesses who have all benefi ed from her high level of professionalism, work ethic, and compassion. Working in a small municipality poses many challenges. Time away from the office is difficult to come by and funding is scarce. Her “local government” is truly local, and as a long me resident, Alice is known to all the people in the community. This makes public rela ons a one‐on one daily effort and does not stop with the end of the workday. She has been the constant city administra ve presence and keeper of the City's history through years of changing elected officials. Her diligence in responding to complex Public Records Act requests, her careful compliance with the Open Public Mee ngs Act, her confidence in relaying informa on to the public, and her sound financial prac ces have set her apart from others in her field. Alice is vital to the opera on of the City of Tonasket. As a long me member of WMCA, she served on the WMCA Board of Directors from 1997 to 2004 and held every office in the organiza on, except for President‐Elect. In fact, in 2002, Al‐ice stepped up to the presidency a year early skipping the usual term of President‐Elect be‐cause of an unexpected vacancy. She showed great leadership capabili es and steered WMCA through cri cal changes in the Northwest Clerks Ins tute program. She serves on numerous commi ees each year and has chaired several in the past as well. Some of her greatest accom‐plishments have come while co‐chairing the Scholarship and Conference Planning Com‐mi ees. For several years she, and Jackie (Moriarty) Gleason, provided con nuity to the Con‐ference Planning Commi ee, handling a mul tude of du es to make sure each conference went off without a hitch! Alice was my Conference Planning mentor and I had the pleasure of Alice as my Co‐Chair for many years. Her event planning experience and skills have been honed over the years to the benefit of WMCA. Alice has been serving as the WMCA Educa on Coordinator since June of 2018. She is respon‐sible for preparing the educa on programs for the spring and fall academies and Athenian Dialogues. She also serves on the Northwest Clerks Ins tute Educa on Commi ee, helping the Ins tute Director develop Professional Development I, II, III, and IV goals and educa onal offerings. She works extremely hard to procure speakers and iden fy educa on topics that are beneficial to WMCA mem‐bers in their professional and personal lives. Congratula ons Alice—I can’t think of anyone more deserving and we look forward to celebra ng with you again at the 2021 Conference!

WMCA August 2020 Page 3

FEATURED CLERK 

Please help us welcome this month’s Featured Clerk, Mandy Walters, Execu ve Assistant/Clerk of the Board for South Sound 911. Mandy has worked for South Sound 911 for about a year and a half. Six months a er her arrival, the agency went through a governance change to that of a public authority which Mandy said, made for an interes ng start to her clerk career.

When asked what her long term career plans are, Mandy said, “I plan on obtaining my MBA and CMC in the next 5 years and see myself con nuing to be a public servant to my community. I’m always ready to take on new challenges and am excited to see where that takes me.” Speaking of being a public servant, Mandy gives back and finds joy serving the members of the senior popula on any way she can. Prior to COVID‐19, she was going through the background process with an organiza on that matches volunteers with seniors looking for companionship and hopes to pick that up again as soon as she’s able. She finds that she really connects with seniors and enjoys hearing their stories. Mandy who can s ll do a back‐flip, was once a compe ve gymnast that traveled throughout the Northwest for meets. She described her experience as “pre y amazing.” Being able to travel with her coaches and teammates provided her with a lot of independence and self‐confidence during some really transforma ve years and came out of the en re experience much stronger than she could have ever imagined.

Some other fun facts about Mandy is: She has been the reigning champ 4 years in a row in her Fantasy Football league. She has watched every episode of The Office at least 8 mes and of course Dwight is her favorite character. “The guy is so mo vated and is not bound by any social norms. I’m always on the hunt for more workplace proximity acquaintances.” She loves to watch videos of birds chasing people—it cracks her up every me!

She knows 99% of the lyrics to any 90’s R&B song having over 50 in her current playlist. “My Way” by Usher being her all‐ me favorite. And with that, I think we all know who will be in charge of song selec on at the 2021 Annual WMCA Conference!

Welcome to WMCA Mandy!  We are so happy to have you with us &  we can’t wait to get to know you be er!

WMCA August 2020 Page 4

IIMC E  D ’  U  

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MUNICIPAL CLERKS 

  To:  IIMC Board of Directors  From:  Mary Johnston, MMC, IIMC Presi-

dent  

Chris Shalby Execu ve Di-rector 

 Date:  July 20, 2020 

 Subject:  Execu ve Director’s Update 

 

As we are midway through 2020 and working through the current environment, we con nue to operate efficiently, leveraging our online tools and management pla orm to sustain our connec on to our members.

And, with COVID‐19 pushing some members to stay home and all in‐person engagements such as Associa on conferences and Ins tutes are on indefinite pause, we are forging ahead to bring that same value to our members despite the possibility of membership a ri on rates.

Although not the IIMC norm, we have shi ed our focus to increasing digital engagements and online professional development opportuni es. By doing so, IIMC has been able to provide con nued value to its members. Here is what we’ve relied upon and what we will con nue to produce in terms of tac cs and strategies to ensure uninterrupted communica on with members.

Maintain Consistent Communica on With Members 

While this is a confusing and hec c me for our members, IIMC maintains consistent communica on since it’s crucial to ensure our mem‐bers don’t start lapsing, especially during these mes of instability. We con nue to deliver informa ve weekly E‐Briefings, a monthly online magazine, online educa on opportuni es through virtual Ins tutes and IIMC’ s own distance learning courses. All offer meaningful content.

Collaborate With IIMC Ins tutes Members con nue to benefit from IIMC‐Ins tute joint efforts to create online curricula, provide resources and market learning opportuni es. IIMC takes a team approach by working closely with Ins tutes to address all aspects of the Virtual Ins tutes from technological support for speakers, panelists and a endees; discussion facilita on; coordina on of interac ve elements and materials dissemina on. An unplanned, but encouraging and welcome result is the recurring request from Ins tutes for IIMC to assist and advise as they set up their own online programs. IIMC also assists in marke ng Ins tute programs, including Virtual Athenian Dialogues, via E‐ Briefings and coordinated social media campaigns.

Increase Virtual Engagement Opportuni es 

As we’ve already discussed, in‐person mee ngs and large events are out of the ques on for the me being. While this is disappoin ng to our members, staff has been proac ve from the beginning, offering virtual alterna ves to members seeking cer fica on and professional develop‐ment through virtual Ins tutes, Athenian Dialogues and webinars. These past months have also seen an increase in Zoom Mee ngs as the IIMC Board and Commi ees have met via this pla orm. We’re also finalizing an upcoming outreach opportunity for members to engage with IIMC President Mary Johnston, MMC, in an informal session to discuss IIMC and other related topics.

We are in the process of working with the Membership Department to incorporate digital pla orms to create addi onal methods of outreach to and communica on with IIMC membership. Soon, IIMC members will be able to schedule one‐on‐one, online mee ngs for consulta ons with a Membership Department staff member. The Membership Department will set specific hours on an electronic calendar which Members will be able to access and select days/ mes for appointments. The calendar will be integrated with the Join.me pla orm to create a dedicated video conference line for the Membership Department.

The Membership Department is also working to launch an “Ask Membership” event to reach out to new Members. The event will take place on Zoom and stream live on IIMC’ s YouTube channel.

Our data has provided us with a big clue to how popular and produc ve these types of engagement efforts are, at least for the

me being.

Data has also told us that as amenable as the online programs are, nothing compares to face‐to‐ face networking, conferences, mee ngs and learning opportuni es.

No one could have predicted what 2020 would bring and how the impact would affect IIMC and all areas of society. However, we are endeavoring to support our members and the value of IIMC membership.

Thank you.

WMCA August 2020 Page 5

Notariza on during COVID-19 

In the me of COVID‐19 many things are going electronic, including notariza on. Below is an overview of the remote notariza ons currently being allowed by the state due to the COVID‐19 emergency. Electronic Notariza ons Let’s start off with defini ons. Electronic notaries are notaries who have the electronic notary endorsement to their notary license through the Dept. of Licensing. The endorsement allows you to notarize electronic documents using an electronic notary stamp through a third party technology provider; however, you must s ll be in the same room, sharing the same computer as the individual signing the document. Essen ally, the only difference between an electronic notary and a regular notary is that the medium being used is electronic (a computer) instead of paper.

You can add your electronic notary endorsement online through the Dept. of Licensing for $15. As part of this process, you must specify the provider you will be using to conduct the electronic notary.

Remote Notariza ons A remote notariza on occurs when you use your electronic notary endorsement to electronically notarize a document for an individual who is signing the document in another loca on using audio‐visual so ware (a virtual mee ng pla orm). Remote notariza on has not been allowed in Washington State. In 2019, the state legislature passed SB 5641 adop ng the 2018 uniform law commission amendments to the Uniform Law on Notarial Acts, which allows for remote notariza on in Washington, but it is not effec ve un l Oct. 1, 2020. However, due to COVID‐19, the Governor has issued a proclama on (20‐27) temporarily allowing for remote notariza on in advance of Oct. 1. The proclama on is currently in effect un l Aug 1, 2020.

Below is an overview of some of the current requirements for remote notariza on: Electronic Notary Endorsement: You must have your electronic notary endorsement through the State Dept. of Licensing (DOL).

DOL  Remote  Notary  Approval: Email DOL at notaries@dol.wa.gov to get a “Temporary Remote Notariza on Cer fica on” to conduct remote notariza ons.

Electronic Notariza on  So ware:  You will need a so ware to facilitate and affix your electronic notary stamp. Providers include DocuSign, DocVerify, Notarize, NotaryCam, Pavaso, Safedocs and SIGNiX.

Meet  Virtually  &  Record  Session:  This process requires that both the notary and the person whose signature is being notarized simultaneously communicate using sight and sound by a ending a video mee ng together (for example, Zoom, Microso Teams, etc.). The mee ng must be recorded and the recording must be retained for 10 years.

Verify Iden ty: You must be able to verify the remote individual’s iden ty by: having personal knowledge under RCW 42.45.050(1) of the iden ty of the remotely located individual having sa sfactory evidence of the iden ty of the remotely located individual by a verifica on on oath or affirma on

of a credible witness appearing before and iden fied by the electronic records notary public under RCW 42.45.050(2); or

obtaining sa sfactory evidence of the iden ty of the remotely located individual by using at least two different types of iden ty proofing.

Confirm Record: You must also be able to reasonably confirm that the record you are notarizing is the same as the record being signed by the individual. For example, in DocuSign, the notary manages the single document, temporarily giving the signer access to review and affix their electronic signature before resuming control and affixing their notarial signature and electronic notary stamp.

To review the complete requirements for remote notariza ons, see SB 5641 or RCW 42.45.280. Also monitor the Dept. of Licensing website for remote notary approval processes.

L  C  

WMCA August 2020 Page 6

JOB MOVES AND RETIREMENTS! 

WMCA Members on the Move! 

Yolanda Orozco-Nunez—New Member  City of Quincy 

Erika Sullivan—New Member  City of Puyallup 

Terri Berry—Returning Member  City of South Prairie 

Stephanie Haug—Returning Member  City of West Richland 

Julie Richardson—Re red  City of West Richland 

Kathy Pugh—Re red  City of Lake Stevens 

Diana Robertson Soliday—Re red  City of Algona 

Published by Clerks for Clerks! If you have any great news to share or ideas for ar cles for the next edi on of the WMCA Newsle er, be sure to email them to Newsle er Commi ee Chair, Rachel Shaw at rshaw@ci.prosser.wa.us or Co‐Chair Cheryl Xanthos at cdxanthos@redmond.gov.

WMCA August 2020 Page 7

WMCA CERTIFICATION NEWS 

Congratulations to our Newest Certified Clerks! 

CMC’s Jennifer Marshall, Federal Way

Tami Jus ce, City of Rainier Liliana Pearson, City of Toppenish

Tisha Gieser, City of Issaquah Judy Brown, City of Bridgeport

Elisabeth Oakes, City of Bellingham Melani Pedroza, King County Kathryn McKee, City of Kent

Ka Diehl, City of Poulsbo Karin Milham, Franklin County

Patricia Adams, City of Snohomish Amy Dressler, Port of Sea le Loni Gores, Clallam County

MMC’s 

Paula Swisher, City of Brier Susan Duncan, City of Ferndale Kassi Mackie, City of Longview

Cheryl Xanthos, City of Redmond Jennifer Rogers, City of Richland