In the public eye: Raymond’s new Town Clerk ready for challenges of job

Editor’s note: This is another in an ongoing series of Windham and Raymond town employee profiles.

By Ed Pierce

Melanie Fernald takes her new role as Raymond Town Clerk and Registrar of Voters very seriously and it’s a job that not only requires meticulous attention to detail, but also being polite and cordial to everyone she meets.

Melanie Fernald began serving as the Raymond Town
Clerk and Registrar of Voters on April 1 and oversees
the maintenance of town records for births, deaths, and
marriages. She also prepares minutes and agendas for
town boards and committee meetings conducts state
and town elections and certifies ballot questions and
candidate petitions. SUBMITTED PHOTO 

In some ways, Fernald is the face of the town as she oversees the maintenance of town records for birth, death and marriages and prepares the minutes and agendas for town board and committee meetings as Town Clerk. As Registrar of Voters, she prepares the materials for state elections and town meetings, ensuring that all state and federal regulations are followed every step of the way, and certifying petitions for ballot questions and candidates.

If that wasn’t enough, she also manages the issuance of business, liquor, dog, hunting and fishing licenses and registers motor vehicles and processes tax payments.

She started her new job April 1, succeeding Susan Look, who was appointed Raymond Town Manager earlier this year.

“We tend to see people in the highest and lowest points in their lives,” Fernald said. “I love seeing new parents come in for their baby's birth certificate or happy couples come in for a marriage license. But we also issue death certificates when a loved one has died. I take pride in knowing I’ve done something small to help people navigate those moments.”

Originally from Westbrook, she went to Westbrook schools, then left to attend college at University of New Hampshire in Durham, New Hampshire where she studied psychology and earned a bachelor’s degree. Years later, she went back to school at Hesser College in Portsmouth and earned an associate degree in paralegal studies.

After serving as an Assistant City Clerk for two and a half years in Westbrook, she worked for three and a half years as Westbrook’s Deputy City Clerk. Before that, Fernald was a Legal Assistant for two County Attorney offices for criminal prosecutions in New Hampshire.

“I saw the ad for Town Clerk in Raymond and felt ready for the next challenge in my career,” she said. “I have known the former Town Clerk, Sue Look, for years through mutual networking groups, and jumped at the chance to come here, knowing she'd still be around for support. Her knowledge-sharing is invaluable as I adjust to the differences between working for a city government and a town government.”

According to Fernald, balancing all her duties is the most challenging aspect of her work.

“There are so many tasks to complete, so many people to assist and many interruptions due to the wide variety of tasks,” she said. “A small town’s clerk office staff handles an even wider range of responsibilities than larger communities, where there’s a bigger staff and more people to carry the load. I have some new things to learn here that I didn’t handle in Westbrook.”

Her family has been supportive of her accepting the job as Raymond Town Clerk and Registrar of Voters.

“We are most excited about how short my commute will be to and from the camp this summer,” she said. “My grandfather built a camp on Crescent Lake when my mom was a baby, and I always wish for more time there every summer. Working in Raymond will help make that dream come true.”

As she settles into her new job, Fernald is confident that everything she has learned to this point will lead to success.

“I’ve heard Municipal Clerks referred to as the ‘Swiss Army knives of their communities’ and that feels like an accurate description. “The amount of information we need to learn to be able to assist residents, property owners, business owners, and visitors is vast,” she said. “The clerk’s office tends to be the link between residents and government. If we don’t know the answers, we need to know the other resources to direct them to find their answers. I’m currently focusing on what makes the community of Raymond different and special. Every community has its own personality; spending more time here will help me learn more about Raymond’s residents and visitors.” <