Kendrick touts six years’ experience

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Melica Kendrick

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July 26, 2012

Kendrick touts six years’ experience

Rachel Brown rachelbrown@daltoncitizen.com The Dalton Daily Citizen Thu Jul 26, 2012, 07:17 AM EDT

Melica Kendrick has been Whitfield County’s Superior Court clerk for the past six years and she said her experience is why voters should elect her for another four.

Also seeking the position during the July 31 primary are fellow Republicans manager/accountant Susan Miller, school teacher Jodi Stuckey and escrow closer Jessica Swinford. If no one gets at least 50 percent of the vote plus one, there will be a runoff. No Democrats qualified. The job pays about $72,000, according to the Whitfield County elections office. Kendrick said she also receives a supplement for other jury-related services, bringing her salary closer to $80,000.

Kendrick graduated from what was then Eastbrook High School in Whitfield County and married Rodney Kendrick. She has two grown children, Lacey Hammontree and Whit Kendrick, both of whom live in Whitfield County. The 57-year-old is a member of The Church on the Hill off of Abutment Road.

Kendrick said she worked in the clerk’s office for 15 years before she took over the constitutional officer post. She filled the unexpired term of then-clerk Betty Nelson when Nelson retired after 21 years in the position. Kendrick then won the next election. She said she has also worked in a few other areas, such as in local banks and the tax commissioner’s office, but has spent her longest tenure in the clerk’s office.

“I have enjoyed the time that I have served as clerk, and I feel like with my knowledge of the office that I would be the best candidate,” she said. “I guess you could say I’m a people person. I do have a very strong compassion for the office because it’s the citizens’ office. We keep records for the courts and for the citizens. We keep real estate and child support, divorces and much, much more.”

Kendrick said her office is up to date and she continues to look for new ways to update technology and become more efficient. Regardless of which candidate wins, she added, the office will likely change over to an electronic filing system in the next four years as many government offices are shifting toward online access.

“When I took office in ‘07 we updated the computer system, and it’s more user friendly than the one we had prior to that, and as far as the updates on the software they’re up to date,” Kendrick said. “Anybody that has any questions about the office can call me.”

Her email address is mkendrick@whitfieldcountyga.com, and her phone number at the court clerk’s office is (706) 275-7450.

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