I was born in Champaign, IL adopted at three days old by Bob and
Mary Ann Rea. I was brought home to Lincoln to join my sister Hannah
and have lived in Lincoln since.
I attended Lincoln Community High School. Upon graduation I enrolled
at Lincoln Christian University where I earned both my Bachelor’s
Degree in Business Administration and my Master’s degree in
Organizational Leadership.
While going to college full time I was also working full time at the
Logan County Clerk and Recorder’s Office. Sally Litterly-Turner
hired me as a member of her staff and I will forever be grateful to
her because that experience provided me the opportunity to learn and
to love public service.
I was offered an opportunity by Dave Bender, then President of the
American Council of Engineering Companies of Illinois, where I have
been Director of Events and Accounts Payable for the last five
years. This job has given me exposure to the private sector business
world. At ACEC, I administer the annual budget of more than a
million dollars and coordinate all continuing educational
opportunities for the engineers and their staff who are members of
our association. We serve over 220 engineering firms with more
11,000 employees statewide.
I find great satisfaction and reward in public service. I am
involved in a number of service organizations, including: Board
Member of the Logan County Professionals Network, Board Member of
Lincoln Emblem Club, Media Director for Harvest of Talents for World
Hunger, Director of the Logan County Fair Queen Competition,
Volunteer for Relay for Life, Group Fitness Instructor in Lincoln
and in Mt. Pulaski, and Lifelong Member of Lincoln Christian Church,
where I volunteer for Vacation Bible School and Nursery.
Responses to posed questions:
What strengths would you bring to the office?
My biggest strengths flow from who I am; these are leadership,
dedication and experience. [to
top of second column] |
Leadership allows me to take
initiative—to humble myself, step back, assess internal and external
responsibilities and create a plan for the future.
Dedication is what I can always promise. I will always put my best
foot forward for the county and for the office. I will attend
continual education courses and I will implement rules of the
Illinois Supreme Court with the goal to better the office as a
whole.
Experience—I worked in a county office for five years and in the
private sector for another five years. In both jobs I worked in
administration by inputting data, maintaining records, collecting
monies owed, preparing and reviewing a budget of over a million
dollars annually.
How would you keep the Circuit Clerk's Office the same or what
changes would you make for greater efficiency, less costs, better
service?
I have great interest in the ongoing Electronic Filing Initiative
and the Electronic Access to Court Records project. These are two of
the most significant initiatives the Illinois Court system has
undertaken in decades. I find it energizing to have the opportunity
to be a part of the movement to enhance accessibility of court
records.
I will also conduct a strategic planning process in the Circuit
Clerk’s office to plan and to budget for the future and to prepare
the office for challenges to come. This will involve a threats and
weaknesses assessment, exploration of the current policies and
procedures, and evaluation of how we can better strategize for the
future.
I want to use my skills and experience to give back to the people of
this county who have been so good to my family and me. My husband,
Gary, and our two children Lillian (age 4) and Barrett (age 2), and
I love this community. We frequently participate in church, school
and local activities here. I am ready to serve!
A special thank you to the other candidates for their collaborative
spirit and friendship along this journey. [Text from file received] |