Menu
Long recently certified as master county clerk
Bourbon County Clerk Joanne Long earned certification as a master county clerk during the Kansas County Clerks' and Election Officials' Association 2007 Spring Conference May 1-4 at the Clarion Hotel in Manhattan.
Long received certification from the Sandborn Institute at the Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs at Wichita State University.
Long, who has worked at the Bourbon County Courthouse since 1992, ran and was elected to the Bourbon County Clerk position in 2000. To receive certification as a county clerk, she completed 100 clock hours of instruction divided into 50 hours of public administration, 30 hours of social and interpersonal issues and 20 hours of technical skills, according to the WSU Web site. Then, to receive certification as master county clerk, she had to complete 12 clock hours of instruction on an annual basis for four years, for a total of 48 instruction hours. Long said she is proud to receive her certification.
"It's very satisfying to complete the certification process," Long said. "The first 100 hours (for certified county clerk) were very difficult because it takes an entire week for three years in Wichita away from the office. The Master Academy is 48 additional hours and took several years, also."
At last week's conference, the 2007 Sanborn Institute graduates were honored. At the May 3 ceremony, 21 attendees were declared certified county clerks and 18 others, including Long, achieved master county clerk certification.
"We were a diverse class from rural and urban counties, male and female, younger and older," Long said, "but we all share at least one thing in common -- the desire to be the best county clerk we can be for our constituents."
The history of the Sanborn Institute goes back to 1992, according to the WSU Web site. It was in 1992 that the Kansas County Clerks' and Election Officers' Association (KCC&EOA) invited the Center for Urban Studies to collaborate in the design and development of a certification institute for county clerks in Kansas. The result was the Sanborn Institute, a three-year institute covering professional development in public management, interpersonal skills, and technical skills. In 1995, the Sanborn Master Academy was added to offer continuing education for certified county clerks.
The Web site added that "The KCC&EOA and the Center for Urban Studies are pleased to provide professional development programs for county clerks in Kansas. The Sanborn Institute and Academy offer continuing education credit hours that can be counted toward certification by the Sanborn Institute or for the Master County Clerks Academy. These sessions offer theoretical and practical guidance in three areas: Public administration, technical skills, communication and interpersonal skills."
The KCC&EOA conference is conducted each year to provide clerks and election officials an opportunity to meet and discuss issues with colleagues from across the state.