Your Monthly News & Updates |
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Happy Municipal Clerks Week! I’ve enjoyed seeing TMCA’s Facebook posts of our clerk friends around the state celebrating with their proclamations, flowers, and notes of appreciation. Municipal Clerks Week was initiated in 1969 by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC) as a time of celebration and reflection on the importance of the Clerk’s office.
With election season in full swing, municipal clerks are in the spotlight. It’s a great time to celebrate your contributions and achievements to your community and the profession. Get started by reading this article, Top Five Things to Know About the Municipal Clerk Position written for ICMA by TMCA/TMCCP Education Director Dr. Amy Holt and UNT College of Health and Public Service Associate Professor Dr. Abraham Benavides.
I’ll also use this special week to remind you of the importance of having a peer group like NTMCA - to ask questions, share resources, and provide support to each other. Take advantage of the benefits that NTMCA membership offers - the listserv, monthly meetings (in-person and virtual), networking, and educational scholarships.
Our programming takes a break in May for the election and will resume in June. Keep reading for other upcoming events and opportunities with NTMCA!
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Thank you to Flower Mound Town Secretary Theresa Scott for hosting the March 24 luncheon in the newly-renovated Flower Mound Public Library. Mayor Derek France welcomed our group. Dylan Welch and Cristina Murray with the City of Southlake gave a great presentation, "Laserfiche Process Improvements." They described how, using Laserfiche, Southlake has improved its records management program and demonstrated the process, security, response time, and reporting of all the city departments. Our group had a good question and answer session, too. |
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Above: Theresa Scott (Flower Mound) and Lisandra Leal (Grapevine); Below: Art Camacho (Haltom City) and Kim Sutter (Euless) |
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Above: Crystal Dozier (Willow Park) and Alicia Richardson (North Richland Hills) Below: Lisandra Leal (Grapevine) and Traci Henderson (North Richland Hils); |
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Thanks to City of Euless IT Director Scott Joyce for his presentation on Network Security at our April 20 virtual meeting. Scott emphasized that municipal government employees must be participants in securing their workplace network. He said that most hacking is politically-motivated, nation-led, and money-driven. Hackers often demand a ransom to unlock software and stolen data from governments and corporations.
Scott said the “Golden Rule” is to never use the same password on more than one account, and passwords should be longer and more complex – almost a full phrase. To keep up with passwords, he recommended a password manager app like Last Pass or ManageEngine.
He also strongly recommended two-factor authentication to access networks and accounts, whereby users receive a code via email or text to confirm their identity. He said that users may feel inconvenienced by the added step, but this is one of the best ways to add security to a network or account.
When asked, "What do I do when I don't know what to do?" about a suspicious email or link, Scott said "stop", then call your IT department. He said that as IT Director, he will gladly deal with lots of questions instead of a security breach.
Attendees followed up with a good Q&A session.
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2022-23 NTMCA Officer Nominations
NTMCA is accepting officer applications to serve on the 2022-23 board. The positions are President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Historian, and the duties of each are listed in the NTMCA Bylaws here. Serving on the board is a great way to work closely with other clerks, make lasting friendships, learn more about the profession, and get more leadership experience. Please consider contributing your time and expertise to continuing the excellence of NTMCA! Applications should be emailed to Nominating Committee Chair Traci
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2022 Municipal Clerk of the Year Nominations |
It's time to recognize your peers who have served NTMCA and the clerk community with distinction. Please consider nominating a fellow clerk who has been active with the organization and served municipal clerks on a local level.
Click here for a list of previous recipients.
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2022 Alyce Deering Scholarship - apply now! |
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NTMCA has a scholarship fund just waiting for you! Please consider applying for a 2022 Alyce Deering (AD) Scholarship. The AD Scholarship can fund your travel and seminar registration for a TMCCP/TMCA sponsored certification program and may be used for in-person or virtual events. The full summary of the program is available here. To apply, submit a completed application along with a copy of your TMCCP transcript and a letter of commitment to the Scholarship Committee c/o lcabrera@cityofkrum.com
The application deadline is June 3.
Lisa Cabrera, City Secretary, City of Krum
Alyce Deering Scholarship Committee Chair
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JOIN THE NTMCA LISTSERV!
The chapter listserv is available to NTMCA members to assist with research, questions, example documents and general help.
HOW THE LIST WORKS
When you send an email to ntmca@gaggle.email, every member of the list will get the email. That's all there is to it.
CHANGE YOUR SETTINGS
You can change the email address where you receive these messages. You can also opt to receive messages immediately or a daily digest. You may also unsubscribe at any time.
Archived messages remain on Gaggle if you want to review previous topics or conversations.
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VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
NTMCA still needs you! Here's a list of the committees needing your help and expertise:
Alyce Deering Scholarship Committee
Audit / Budget Committee
Membership / Communications Committee
Municipal Clerk of the Year Committee
Nominating Committee
Click here for a description of the committees and the application form.
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HAVE YOU RENEWED YOUR 2021-22 MEMBERSHIP?
Renew your NTMCA membership today to continue networking with your local peers and enjoy educational opportunities. Not sure if you are current on your dues? Contact Membership Committee Chair Chloe Sawatsky. Submit your Membership Application today!
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Upcoming Dates & Events
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May 2022 - No Meeting (Elections)
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June 23 - Awards Luncheon - North Richland Hills
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North Texas Municipal Clerks Association | ntmca@ymail.com | www.ntmca.org
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