PORT TOWNSEND — The Washington State Democratic Party has given Jefferson County’s court clerk a Maggie Award — named for the late U.S. senator, Warren G. Magnuson — as Elected Officer of the Year.
Ruth Gordon, who is finishing her first elected term in the office and is unopposed for re-election, re-ceived the award Saturday night at a banquet in Seattle.
Gordon, 57, was appointed to the position in 2005 to fill an unexpired term, then ran for the office in 2006.
As the clerk of the Superior Court, she oversees jury selection and exhibit control and oversees court record access and security among other duties.
Gordon did not seek a career in public service, although she said, “Everything that I have ever done has been service-oriented.”
That’s what earned her the Maggie Award, named after Magnuson, who was a U.S. senator in Washington state from 1944 until 1981.
Magnuson was noted for his public service before election to the House of Representatives and later, the Senate.
Prior to serving as clerk, Gordon worked as a counselor and ran a website where she worked with processes that evolved into bulletin boards and blogging.
Gordon has been able to draw on her training and experience to perform the clerk’s job.
She has a degree in art history, “which guaranteed that I would be doing something else,” but compares the curatorial aspect of museum work with the management of public records.
Her work as a counselor helps her to understand people, she said, and her experience with technology has allowed her to develop systems where records are more accessible to the public.
But there are some noticeable differences between working in the public sector.
“I have less money and a requirement to do more,” she said.
“I am not in control of many aspects of the office, since all of the functions are required by law.
“In a small business, you can hire new people when you get more business, or do something entrepreneurial to create revenue when income is down, but in the public sector your actions are very tightly regulated.”
Additionally, the most difficult part of public service can originate from the public itself.
“People are always very critical of what you do,” she said.
“Any public official takes a lot of hazing for things over which they have no control.”
After what she called a “contentious” election in 2006, she is one of five incumbent Jefferson County elected officials who face no opposition in the Nov. 2 election.
This is no surprise to Gordon.
“It’s hard to unseat an incumbent if they are doing a good job,” she said.
“If someone wants to change things, they will run for commissioner or a legislative position.
“The clerk, and other county offices are transactional where you don’t make the laws, you just enforce them.”
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
