The City’s Executive Secretary: Keeping Elkins Moving

“Secretary” doesn’t say it all. Neither does “executive.”

The City of Elkins’ executive secretary officially supports the mayor and city clerk, but defining a typical day is impossible—because there’s no such thing.

She’s a font of information. As the seat of Randolph County, Elkins City Hall is often the first stop for residents seeking answers, usually through the website. If they can’t find what they are looking for, they call. To that end, during the day she fields calls about matters outside the City’s domain: death certificates (county), stray cats (county), post office hours (federal), highway closures (state), and even how to pay a bill for the town of Elkins—sometimes as in Arkansas, not West Virginia.

Of course, many calls are related to the City’s business. The phone rings constantly, with questions and comments about permits, zoning, code enforcement issues, event permits, which streets are closed for events (Fourth of July!), if a water main breaks, when a water main break is going to be resolved, boil water advisories . . . the list goes on.

She’s there, at her desk, when neighbors are calling to report neighbors, and she’ll take the call from those neighbors who are upset because their neighbors reported them. Unflinching, she’s available to make sure that residents who need help with their questions are linked to the correct personnel so that they get the answers they seek.

But her role extends far beyond calls. Week after week, she helps keep the City’s government running smoothly. During council, committee, and advisory board meetings—whether for the Personnel Committee, the “Elfkins” Committee, or the Addiction & Homelessness Task Force—she’s with the rest of the City officials, notepad and laptop in hand, meticulously recording details that often become public minutes in the City’s Agenda Center—or quite frankly, the she may share such details at afollowing meeting when a volunteer board member asks, “What were we talking about again last time?”

She’s often at the mayor’s side as he drafts proclamations, signs commemorations, or celebrates staff milestones. If he needs a community contact, she’s the one who finds it. When he attends a groundbreaking, she’s there too—often as his unofficial photographer. The photos on Facebook, the City’s website, or within an article about City news in the Inter-Mountain? There’s a good chance that she’s the one that took them.

She’s also a content manager and copy editor. When the communications manager drafts press releases or updates for the City’s website (as AI can make a mess of things instead of saving time), she reviews them with eagle eyes, suggesting refinements and adding more details. If there’s a question about how things work—or the City’s relationship with state agencies or Randolph County—she most likely has an answer. A lifelong Elkins resident and Fairmont State graduate, she’s already become a wellspring of institutional knowledge since joining the City in March, thereby assisting the city clerk and communications manager. And when the communications manager is tied up, she steps in, posting updates to keep residents informed.

Scribe, organizer, webmaster, social media specialist, and 21st-century switchboard operator: The City’s executive secretary works behind the scenes yet stands at the forefront, ensuring Elkins residents know what’s happening—and how to get the help they need.