Promoting and Developing the Educational and Professional Status of Florida City Clerks
Professional Education Committee
It shall be the duty of the Professional Education Committee to make known existing programs of continuing education for Municipal Clerks who are members of the association.
For more information on committee responsibilities and chair responsibilities, scroll down this page.
2025-2026 Committee Chair
Julie A. Hennessy, MMC City Clerk, City of DeLand
2025-2026 Committee Members:
Co-Chair: Patricia J. Burke, MPA, MMC, RLO, FCPC, Town Clerk-Manager, Town of Palm Shores
Reneé R. Basel,MMC,Town Clerk, Town ofGulf Stream
Elizabeth Garcia-Beckford, MMC, MBA, City Clerk, City of Wilton Manors
Donna G. Gardner, CMC, FCPC, City Clerk, City of Casselberry
Maryanne Girard, MMC, MA, City Clerk, City of Crestview
Scotty Lynn Kelly, MMC, CGSP, FCPC, City Clerk, City of Sanibel
Marne McGrath, MMC, Village Clerk, Islamorada, Village of Islands
Lisa Morris, BA, MMC, CRM, FCPC, Deputy City Clerk, City of Brooksville
Sara Welch, CMC, City Clerk, City of Punta Gorda
Erin West, MMC, MPA, FCPC, City Clerk, City of Green Cove Springs
Committee Responsibilities
The purpose of the Professional Education Committee (PEC) is to assist the FACC Board of Directors, the John Scott Dailey Florida Institute of Government and the IIMC in the formation of the curriculum for the Fall Academy, the FACC Summer Conference and Academy and the various FACC webinars.
In conjunction with the Institute of Government (IOG), formulate ideas for professional education.
Coordinate with district directors regarding District Trainings to ensure there is no duplication of sessions offered.
Work with the IOG to find and arrange for speakers on educational topics for academies and webinars.
Draft the Summer Conference and Academy and Fall Academy programs.
Obtain moderators; draft introductions, etc. for each speaker.
Write thank you letters to each speaker after Summer Conference and Academy and after Fall Academy.
Review Summer Conference and Academy and Fall Academy evaluations submitted by the attendees and submit evaluation computation to the Board of Directors.
Review Ideas to Action forms to ensure the transfer of curriculum knowledge has been received by participant.
Submit list of names to IOG of participants who correctly completed the Ideas to Action forms.
Prepare articles for the Friday Emails, if needed.
Prepare quarterly reports to be submitted to the Board of Directors.
Members The Professional Education Committee members are appointed by the president from the general membership and are appointed to three-year staggered terms, shall have the CMC designation and, if possible, shall be representative of each of the districts. Members shall be required to attend at least 75 percent of scheduled meetings. Before accepting a position on the PEC, the member shall provide a letter of support from his or her city to the FACC president. The president-elect will attend these meetings, be a non-voting member, and act as a liaison between the committee and the Board of Directors.
Sub-Committees Established as needed.
Meeting Frequency The PEC will meet at least four times a year. Communication in between is accomplished via email and conference calls.
Expenses In-kind time, travel and correspondence of chair and members should be incorporated into the respective city budgets. For information on expenses covered by FACC for the PEC Chair, please see the Travel Policy listed in the Policies Section on the FACC website.
Chair Responsibilities
Letter of Support Before accepting the position of Committee Chair, the member shall provide a letter of support from his or her city to the FACC President.
Committee Coordination The chair serves as a coordinator and oversees the committee, acting as a liaison between the committee and the Board of Directors. The chair should make sure that all committee members understand their duties and the role they play in accomplishing their goals. Shortly after appointment, the chair should begin to organize the members and establish a meeting calendar including proposed timeframes. The chair should be available to answer questions from committee and board members during their term.
FACC Board Meetings The chair should plan on attending all of the FACC Board meetings. When a required report is due, the committee chair will prepare an agenda item for inclusion in the Board agenda packets; if there has not been any committee activity and a report is not warranted, the chair shall send an email to FACC staff notifying them an agenda item is not being submitted.
Committee Appointments The president of FACC will send the list of appointees to the committee chair each year. The committee chair will contact the members of the committee. The chair must document those committee members that remained active and sufficiently participated during the year. This information needs to be sent to FACC staff at the end of the year. FACC staff will then forward the Certificate of Committee Accomplishment to those members who actively served.
Statement of Accessibility
The Florida Association of City Clerks (FACC) is committed to ensuring accessibility of its website. To report an accessibility issue, request accessibility assistance regarding our website content, or to request a specific electronic format, please complete our Accessibility Feedback Form. We will make reasonable efforts to accommodate all needs.
