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New town clerk takes office

Posted on October 7, 2010October 13, 2010 by Staff

By Dean Drescher
Courtesy of the
Carrboro Commons

CARRBORO – Carrboro swore in its first new town clerk in 38 years at Tuesday night’s board of aldermen meeting. Cathy Wilson, a North Carolina native, was appointed to the position by Carrboro town officials on Sept. 8 after Sarah Williamson, Carrboro’s town clerk since 1972, announced her retirement. Wilson was chosen from a pool of 105 applicants.

For the past three years, Wilson has served as town clerk for the Town of Kiawah Island, S.C., but she’s always remembered Carrboro.

“I remember Carrboro from when I was in middle school and I went to my first Chapel Hill football game,” Wilson said. “I just remember its personality from when I was 12 years old, so Carrboro’s a place that’s always stuck out in my head.”

Wilson grew up in Burnsville, about 35 miles northeast of Asheville, and received her bachelor’s degree in political science from Appalachian State University. She also holds a master’s degree in public administration from the College of Charleston. She is in the process of completing the requirements to be a certified municipal clerk.

Being a town clerk, she said, is a great opportunity.

“It’s a good spot to be in, to kind of be in the middle of all of it,” Wilson said. “It’s a really good spot as far as learning everything you want to know about municipal government, and so as far as just recently finishing my master’s to work in local government as a career, this is a good place to start.”

Carrboro residents are looking forward to that start, and some positive change.

Lydia Lavelle, a member of the board of aldermen, said that Wilson’s upcoming challenges would include learning how to balance her time.

“We have a very engaged citizenry, and she will be called upon frequently by the public for information and to answer questions,” Lavelle said. “Balancing her work time between her interactions with town staff, the board of aldermen and the public will be challenging at times, but she will learn how best to manage her time.”

Carrboro town officials said that Wilson is prepared for the job – even though she’s replacing Williamson, a 38-year veteran.

“I believe her experience working for the Town of Kiawah Island will help her as she transitions to a town clerk position in a larger town,” Lavelle said, adding that it would be “strange” to have someone else as the town clerk, but that Wilson would “bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the position.”
Wilson knows she has big shoes to fill.

“It’s always challenging when you start a new position, but this one is especially, not intimidating, but I respect the town clerk that’s retiring,” Wilson said. “It’s going to be a goal of mine to keep things smooth.”

Still, she’s says, she’s looking forward to her new job.

“I’m excited to get to know Carrboro and to be a part of it.”

Dean Drescher is a UNC student writing for the Carrboro Commons, a bi-weekly online lab newspaper for Jock Lauterer’s Community Journalism class at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

CLERK
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Carrboro town officials said that Wilson is prepared for the job – even though she’s replacing Williamson, a 38-year veteran.
“I believe her experience working for the Town of Kiawah Island will help her as she transitions to a town clerk position in a larger town,” Lavelle said, adding that it would be “strange” to have someone else as the town clerk, but that Wilson would “bring a lot of energy and enthusiasm to the position.”
Wilson knows she has big shoes to fill.
“It’s always challenging when you start a new position, but this one is especially, not intimidating, but I respect the town clerk that’s retiring,” Wilson said. “It’s going to be a goal of mine to keep things smooth.”
Still, she’s says, she’s looking forward to her new job.
“I’m excited to get to know Carrboro and to be a part of it.”
Dean Drescher is a UNC student writing for the Carrboro Commons, a bi-weekly online lab newspaper for Jock Lauterer’s Community Journalism class at the School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

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