Granicus is pleased to recognize Lucinda Williams, City of Fullerton’s City Clerk / Clerk Services Manager, as 2020 Clerk of the Year for her innovative and dedicated approach to sustaining public meeting transparency, growing community engagement, and responding to the challenging circumstances of 2020 with agility and dedication.
As the pandemic hit California, Lucinda describes the challenges that she faced as she responded to rapidly changing conditions and evolving executive orders from the governor. With government buildings closed to the public from March through May of this year, Lucinda had to determine the best way to allow ongoing public meeting participation for her community- and landed on some of the following keys to success:
Using Granicus’ Legistar product, Lucinda shifted her meeting prep 100% online to keep her fellow staff and community members safe and healthy. She built agendas, routed them to Council members who marked them up remotely, and published to the city’s ADA-compliant website. During the actual meetings, she was able to add to and change the agenda as circumstances shifted and emergency, add-in topics emerged.
Lucinda managed community member comments and input before, during, and after meetings with Granicus’ eComment tool. This capability allowed Fullerton to stay compliant with the Brown Act – where other communities could not – and as a result, she reported skyrocketing increases in meeting participation. In fact, many community members have shared that they may continue attending meetings virtually, even after the pandemic.
Lucinda has also worked with her team to ensure that meeting materials make their way to community members more quickly and easily before with Granicus’ Send Agenda capability. With the click of a button, she distributes meeting items via the govDelivery communications tool and reports an increase from about 4,000 community members to more than 20,000, who engage regularly with Fullerton’s communications and public meeting process.
Lucinda has spent over 20 years in public service. During that time, she has worked for the City of Brisbane, California Recreation Department, the City and County of San Francisco Jail Health Services, the County of San Mateo Workforce Investment Board, and the City of San Carlos Planning Commission.
She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration / Computer Information Systems from San Francisco State University and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Cal State University Dominguez Hills. Lucinda received the 2017 Granicus Digital Strategy Award for Modern Leadership and the 2019 Laserfiche Digital Transformation Award from ECS Imaging. In 2015, the President of the City Clerk’s Association of California awarded Lucinda with the City Clerk Award of Distinction – Special Projects Award.
Lucinda earned her Master Municipal Clerk designation in 2009. She keeps very active in the City Clerks Profession and with local government organizations.
Please join us in congratulating Lucinda on her 2020 Clerk of the Year award.
