Commission names Leader acting clerk

TONY BROWN/DAILY FORUM
Karen Leader, who served as deputy under former County Clerk Beth Walker, has been appointed acting clerk by the Nodaway County Commission. Walker resigned unexpectedly on Sept. 9, less than a year into her fourth four-year term in office.

The Nodaway County Commission has named Deputy County Clerk Karen Leader to the position of acting county clerk following the sudden resignation of Beth Walker on Sept. 9, less than a year into Walker’s fourth term in office.

Leader was named to fill the vacant elective position on an interim basis under Section 49.101 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, which states that the commission shall appoint a county official to discharge the duties of the office until Gov. Jay Nixon appoints a successor.

Leader was assigned all of the protections and bonding requirements pertaining to the office, and the order was witnessed by Prosecuting Attorney Robert Rice.

Leader, 52, is a Maryville native and a 1981 graduate of Maryville High School. She joined the county staff 12 years ago as on office worker assigned to both the clerk’s and assessor’s offices and was later promoted to deputy county clerk.

In her role as Walker’s deputy, Leader was responsible for processing bills submitted by other county offices, overseeing payroll operations, and assisting the clerk in the administration of elections.

As acting clerk, Leader, a Democrat, now serves as the county’s chief elections officer and is also charged with drafting the county budget and recording minutes during twice-weekly county commission meetings.

With Walker’s departure and Leader’s appointment, the clerk’s office staff now includes a single deputy, Lorraine O’Donnell.

Leader said Wednesday she is in the midst of “a learning process” in terms of performing her expanded duties, and has “big shoes to fill.”

“Beth was amazing at her job,” she said.

Leader, who has been conferring with clerks in other counties about the job’s ins and outs, said she has received pledges of support and cooperation from her fellow office holders, along with their best wishes.

“It’s a lot to take on,” she said, “but my family is behind me, and I have a lot of support here (from other county office holders and staff). They’ve all said, ‘We stand behind you, we think you can do it, and we’ll do anything we can to help.’”

Nodaway County officials reacted with surprise earlier this month after Walker, without warning, submitted her resignation to Presiding County Commissioner Bill Walker (no relation) and North District Commissioner Robert Westfall around 3 p.m. on a Wednesday afternoon.

She left the County Administration Center immediately thereafter, reportedly departing for a vacation in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she has family.

South District Commissioner Robert Stiens was out of the office, participating in a road inspection when Walker announced she was leaving office, but the governing board was in session with a two-member quorum present.

Walker handed the commissioners a brief letter addressed to Gov. Jay Nixon, whose job it will be to appoint her replacement.

The letter stated that Walker and her husband were anticipating the birth of their first grandchild later this year, and that she wished to spend more time with her family.

Walker also told Nixon she had informed representatives of the local Democratic and Republican parties of her departure.

Since Walker is a Democrat, it would be usual for the governor, also a Democrat, to select her replacement based on recommendations submitted by the county Democratic committee. However, local Republicans may choose to submit a list of possible appointees as well.

According to former presiding commissioner Joe Baumli, an active local Democrat, party members are expected to gather at the County Administration Center at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 23, to discuss the matter.

Channing Ansley of the governor’s office told the Daily Forum last week that the appointed clerk would fill the remaining three-plus years of Walker’s unexpired term.

However, Nixon spokesman Scott Holste has since clarified that the appointee will serve until an elected clerk, to serve the remainder of the unexpired term, is sworn in following the November 2016 general election.

Walker became Nodaway county clerk in January 2003 after being elected to succeed the retiring John Zimmerman.

At the time of her resignation, she was about four months shy of completing the first year of a regular four-year term that would have ended in 2018.

Zimmerman served as Nodaway county clerk for more than three decades with Walker working in the office as a deputy during his final four years.