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Queen Creek Town Clerk Gonzalez is ‘history in the making’

Posted 12/12/19

While being an integral part of the Town of Queen Creek history, Maria Gonzalez, the new town clerk, is making history of her own.

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Queen Creek Town Clerk Gonzalez is ‘history in the making’

Posted

While being an integral part of the Town of Queen Creek history, Maria Gonzalez, the new town clerk, is making history of her own.

In September 2019, she not only succeeded the “longest-tenured employee” who retired, but returned to work in Queen Creek where she served as the executive assistant for the Town Manager’s Office for six years before joining the airport in 2012 as the Clerk of the Board of the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport.

Ms. Gonzalez, 44, who often can be found fulfilling her important role of Town Clerk during Town Council meetings, formerly introduced herself recently to the Independent through a question and answer forum.

Are you an Arizona native; and if not, where are you originally from?
I consider myself a native, but I was born in Nicaragua (Central America) and came to the U.S. as a young child. I grew up in Scottsdale/Phoenix and made Queen Creek my home nearly six years go.

What does your family consist of, ie: spouse, kids, pets, etc.?
Just celebrated 14 years of marriage to my husband J.D., and we have two kids and two black labs.

What interested you in public service?
I stumbled into it and haven’t looked back since; I truly enjoy creating solutions and helping my internal and external customers.

What is your experience and have you served any other municipalities?
I have worked with elected officials for 13 years, served as the Clerk of the Board for the Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport Authority for the past 7.5 years, and previously worked for the Town of Queen Creek.

What was involved in getting certified in your specialties?
I immersed myself in extensive educational programs to meet the challenges for such a complex role and earned my designation as a certified municipal clerk from the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC).

I am also a certified municipal elections official through the Arizona Municipal Clerks’ Association (AMCA) and a State of Arizona Certified Election Officer through the Secretary of State. As a member of these two organizations, I continue to strengthen my skill set, network across the world and continuously learn from my peers.

What does being a town clerk entail?
As the Town Clerk, it’s my responsibility to be the historian for the community. Not only do I orchestrate the Council and Public Safety Retirement Board meetings, but also local elections, and the business license program. Above all, I must ensure there is transparency for the community.

Will you be doing anything different to enhance or improve the position?
I very much appreciate the strong foundation that my predecessor has built and am excited to build upon it. With the Town’s paperless initiative, I tend to seize the opportunity to streamline certain areas to better support my internal and external customers.

What do you like most about the job?

As a resident, I am beyond excited to work for and be a part of the Town’s history and future.

What is the most challenging part of the job?
Managing my first election with the Town of Queen Creek.

Anything interesting about yourself that you would also like to share with readers?
Don’t let my petite stature fool you, I am a retired roller derby jammer with the Arizona Rollergirls and briefly skated with the Arizona Skate Club that bouts locally.