Town Clerk Graduates From Municipal Clerks Institute

For the last three summers, Westwood Town Clerk Dottie Powers has been beefing up on her skills as a municipal official.

Powers attended the New England Municipal Clerks' Institute at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, New Hampshire on a scholarship. The program focuses on helping municipal clerks to develop and maintain administrative expertise to help govern their communities. 

"It was a great experience," said Powers, who also took part in earlier this year. "It's not only educational, but it's also a good networking tool, and I was able to meet clerks from all over the United States."

The last year of the program focuses on public relations, decision making, personal development, management, computer literacy, public speaking and professionalism. This year ended with a banquet and graduation ceremony, during which clerks who completed the three-year program received their certificates. 

As part of the graduation, Powers is now able to apply for the International Institute of Municipal Clerks' coveted Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC) designation.

Powers was enrolled in a class of 24 clerks, most of them from the Northeast.

"You get some good ideas on how their municipalities run, what programs they institute for their communities," Powers said. "So just that aspect alone has been great."

Adding to that, Powers said it was helpful to speak with other clerks about how they deal with a constantly-changing environment. 

"We have to go by state and federal mandates and laws, and things change all the time," Powers said. "It's nice when you're able to talk to your work associates and get an idea of what they're doing, and how they weather all the changes."

The program, though not mandatory, was funded through a scholarship, meaning Westwood did not need to pay for Powers to go.

"I'm really proud of the fact that I was able to go through the three years," Powers said. "It's a vigorous program. You're there for three weeks, early morning to late at night. You're not only learning stuff about how the government runs, but also about how to be positive."

The final class allowed the clerks to face a certain fear, and feel empowered by learning how to punch through a board of wood. 

"The last class we had was awesome," Powers said. "You break an actual board. They showed you the technique on how to do it. And i just hit it with my hand. It was an awesome experience, it was really great. "

For more on the program, visit the New England Municipal Clerks' Institute & Academy.