Primary ballots include three for county treasurer

Three candidates for Jefferson County Treasurer will appear on the Republican ballot during the June 8 primary.

Renota Chambers, Susan K. Griffin and Terri Davis Kness are each seeking their party?s nomination. Connie Hedger, the county?s treasurer since 1994, is not seeking re-election.

Chambers, a native of Niota, Ill., moved to Fairfield in 1985. She holds a bachelor?s degree in finance from Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill. Chambers has worked at Hardee?s restaurant as assistant manager and spent five years in the Jefferson County Auditor?s Office. She has been the office manager for Regional Utility Service Systems the last 2.5 years.

In 1995, Chambers and her husband Ray moved to Packwood, where Chambers has served as city clerk since 2002. The couple has two sons, Alex, 22, and Evan, 17, and they adopted biological sisters, elementary students Brenna and Nellie, in 2008.

Griffin is a graduate of Van Buren High School and Indian Hills Community College. She worked in The Fairfield Ledger business office and circulation department for 10 years, and she has worked in the treasurer?s office in the driver?s license and automotive departments for the past 10 years.

Griffin and her husband Larry of 20 years have five children and four grandchildren.

Kness graduated from Fairfield High School and University of Iowa with a degree in communication studies. She has managed two bank branches in Cedar Rapids, having started as a teller, then becoming a personal banker and finally branch manager at Community Federal Bank.

?I have five years of experience in real estate, but was raised in a family of realtors, including my grandfather who founded the oldest real estate company in Fairfield ? Davis and Palmer Real Estate over 30 years ago,? Kness said.

Kness cited 13 years of experience in customer service.

She and her husband Aaron have one son, Rowan, 1.

?I am running for Jefferson County Treasurer because it is a perfect position to blend my banking, manager and customer service experience into one position,? Kness said. ?Ultimately, I want to provide the best possible customer service to the citizens of Jefferson County while maintaining a pleasant, upbeat, accurate and efficient office.?

Chambers said, ?My desire to serve as Jefferson County Treasurer has evolved from working in the Jefferson County Auditor?s Office and our family?s link to history in Jefferson County.?

Chambers? husband is a descendant of William Coop, the first settler born in Jefferson County.

?I liked being in the courthouse when I was there,? Chambers said. ?I thought of it as an honor.?

She believes her experience and education are a good fit for the treasurer?s office.

Chambers said the treasurer?s office probably gets the most traffic of any office in the courthouse because of its involvement with vehicles, driver?s licenses and property taxes.

?I really do enjoy working and meeting with the public,? Chambers said. ?I think having a good working relationship with the public is important. People should feel comfortable visiting [the office], and I ?

For the complete article, see the Friday, May 28, 2010, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.