A new City Clerk has been hired by the Wakefield City Council.
Pam Vander Veen has replaced Zach Dolen as the Wakefield City Clerk and will continue the position with the same diligence as Dolen, and the diligence necessary to hold the position.
"We had several people apply for the spot" Wakefield mayor, Paul Eaton said. "We interviewed three finalists and Pam Vander Veen was one of them."
Eaton was happy with the response for the City Clerk position.
"We had some great candidates," Eaton said. "It was tough to get it down to three and then it was tough to get it down to one and hire."
With the nature in the area tough to find candidates for any job, Eaton and the council were happy with the candidate and happy with the quality of candidates applying for the job.
"It seems as though it's hard to get people to apply for a job in any environment," Eaton said. "This was not the case here, we had several quality people applying for the position and turned away some very good people who could have done the job, Pam was a little ahead of them and appeared ready to take on the tasks necessary to complete what the council was looking for in a new clerk."
As excited as the council was to hire a new clerk, Vander Veen was happy to become the new clerk.
"I was ready for a new challenge," she said. "I have a lot to learn, but I'm ready to learn what I need to do the job."
Vander Veen has lived in Wakefield for quite some time and along with her husband Dwight and their son, Garret, they call Wakefield their home.
"I just started on Monday of this week," Vander Veen said. "But I already know I can do this with the help of everyone at the office here and the people who were formerly here."
The outgoing City Clerk, Zach Dolen, has been around evenings and at meetings to assist Vander Veen in the transition.
"Zach's help has been invaluable thus far," she said. "He is showing me what needs to be done on his own time, evenings and when he's not at his current job."
Although there are challenges on the horizon within the City of Wakefield, Vander Veen is set to assist in taking them on.
"We have a lot of things happening right now that will be taxing to a new clerk," Eaton said. "The council believes she can get her feet underneath her and hit them head on."
Finding help in these times is a bit of a problem, but finding good help is a blessing.
"I believe she will become an asset to the staff in the city office," Eaton said. "She has the right temperament and she cares."
"I want to make everyone feel welcome when they come into the office," Vander Veen said. "That has been happening, but I want to continue that - we do work for the people of Wakefield - I'm eager to get to work."