McVay named Certified Municipal Clerk
In recognition of her contributions to El Dorado city government and to the community, City Clerk Heather McVay has been designated as a Certified Municipal Clerk.
The certification is granted by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, Inc.
The IIMC conferred the CMC title to McVay last month and the moved was endorsed by IIMC president Stephanie Carouthers Kelly.
“(El Dorado) can take immense pride in Heather’s educational accomplishments and achievement of this milestone,” Kelly wrote in an email.
“We share your pride in this achievement and we applaud your support in the role Heather plays in your city,” she continued.
Mayor Frank Hash followed suit by announcing McVay’s new title during an El Dorado City Council meeting Nov. 20 and presenting her with a plaque.
“She has been not only an outstanding clerk ever since she’s been here, but she has also played a tremendous role, a supportive role in the Arkansas (City Clerks, Recorders and Treasurers) Association,” Hash said.
McVay has served as city clerk since 2013, having been appointed to fill the unexpired term of her predecessor, the late Tony McKinnon, who had resigned.
Hash noted that McVay came to the city clerk’s office after serving as deputy clerk in what is now 35th Judicial District Court.
In his previous position as court administrator, Hash worked alongside McVay in the district court office.
The CMC title is granted to municipal clerks who complete rigorous education requirements to keep pace with the growing demands and changing needs of the communities they serve.
McVay has attended continuing education courses in Arkansas and in California.
During her tenure in City Hall, McVay has overseen several changes in the city clerk’s office — all of which are designed to positively represent the city; execute state and local laws accordingly; and make City Hall more accessible and userfriendly for citizens.
When the city clerk’s office was moved from the first floor of City Hall to the second floor in 2015, McVay used the additional office space to properly store city ordinance, resolution and minute books that were previously kept in a city vault.
“It’s all supposed to be kept in the office with the city clerk … Now they can be kept upstairs in the city clerk’s office, which is where they’re supposed to be,” she said at the time.
As the official custodian of city records, some dating back to the 1800s, McVay has taken steps to make sure those records will be preserved long after she leaves City Hall.
“I developed a record retention plan by digitizing our records to expedite document search and retrieval with instant, digital access, and most importantly, to keep our city’s history safe from disasters such as fire, flood or tornadoes,” she explained.
The project is still under way for the records to go live online.
Though not a statemandated responsibility for city clerk, McVay also maintains current listings of city boards, commissions and committees and accepts applications and advertises for vacancies on the groups.
Municipal clerks who earn the CMC title are not only recognized for their service to local government, but also for their contributions to the local communities and states in which they work.
McVay’s work as city clerk has reached beyond the walls of City Hall.
She has helped new residents relocate to El Dorado by providing pertinent information about the city and even physically helping a newly relocated couple settle into their new house in El Dorado.
In 2015, McVay organized and directed the University of Arkansas Municipal Clerks Institute District 2 Spring Workshop, which was held in El Dorado for the first time.
The workshop drew nearly 50 participants from dozens of Arkansas cities and was later named Workshop of the Year by the Arkansas Municipal League.
With the CMC designation, Hash said McVay is now eligible to be nominated for the Municipal Clerk of Year Award, which is presented annually by the Arkansas Municipal League.
The award goes to a member of the Arkansas City Clerks, Recorders and Treasurers Association who has made “significant contributions to the objective of the municipal clerk’s profession, to the improvement of municipal government and to the clerk’s own community,” much like the Certified Municipal Clerk designation.
“So keep this in mind in the coming months, and lets get her come recognition from the state of Arkansas,” Hash told city council members.
“She’s done this city wonderful, not only here doing the job, but also when at the municipal league and the (Arkansas City Clerks, Recorders and Treasurers Association),” the mayor said.
Hash’s comments drew applause and complimentary remarks from council members and the audience.
“And she takes care of everybody up here on these front desks. She does a good job,” Council Member Willie McGhee said.
McVay declined McGhee’s call to make a speech about her new certification.
She previously summed up her feelings about her time in the city clerk’s office.
“I have learned the inner workings of our city well, and I care very much for El Dorado and the people within it,” McVay has said.
“Like the mayor, the city clerk works for and answers to the citizens of El Dorado. I am extremely excited to see all of the wonderful things we can accomplish in the coming years if we all work together for the greater good of El Dorado,” she said.