By Holly South
The 2017 legislative session has been a significant one for several members of the American Society of Legislative Clerks and Secretaries.
While many are long-standing legislative staffers and ASLCS members, they’ve recently been named as chief clerk or secretary.
And it’s the second go-round for the two “new” Senate secretaries, Charlie Smithson and Cal Ludeman, who each served in the same role earlier this decade.
Congratulations to the newest clerks and secretaries!
- Frederick Jortner (Clerk, Connecticut House of Representatives).
- Portia Palmer (Clerk, Florida House of Representatives).
- Charlie Smithson (Secretary, Iowa Senate).
- Brad Metcalf (Chief Clerk, Kentucky House of Representatives).
- Cal Ludeman (Secretary, Minnesota Senate).
- Lisa Ortiz McCutcheon (Chief Clerk, New Mexico House of Representatives).
- Mary-Anne Dandles (Clerk, New York Assembly).
- James White (Principal Clerk, North Carolina House of Representatives).
- Tammy Letzler (Chief Clerk, Tennessee House of Representatives).
- Bernard Dean (Chief Clerk, Washington House of Representatives).
- Wendy Harding (Clerk, Wyoming House of Representatives).
Tammy Letzler is the first woman to hold the office in either chamber in Tennessee. Her assistant chief clerk, Kim Cox, is the first African-American female to serve in that role.
Both have been with the chief clerk's office since the mid-1990s and were appointed to their new positions by Speaker Beth Harwell, herself the first woman to serve in that role in Tennessee. Letzler and Cox were subsequently recognized by the House chamber with a joint resolution stating that “strong women ensure the strength of our government, and the future of Tennessee is in good hands with Tammy Letzler and Kim Cox providing leadership and expertise.”
Read the full text of HJR34 here.
Holly South is a policy associate with NCSL's Legislative Staff Services program.
Email Holly.