Northborough names new assistant town clerk
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Northborough - Perfect timing: that's what led Town Administrator Barry Brenner to appoint Theresa Kelly assistant town clerk late last month, an appointment that went into eff ect earlier this month.

Kelly, 46, has worked in Town Hall for 12 years in a variety of capacities. During that time - as a part-time employee - she has seen many full-time employment opportunities come and go. Some interested her, some didn't. The one common thread was that she didn't apply for any of them.

"It's all about timing," Kelly said. "When those other jobs opened up, for the most part, I had two children who needed rides to various school and extra-curricular activities. When this job became available I knew by the time it was filled my youngest, Kate, would have her license and she wouldn't need mom to drive her places."

Kelly replaces Hilary Hamilton, who retired earlier this year, although that personnel action didn't become official until the end of June. Kelly has served as temporary assistant town clerk since Hamilton's departure, a position she also held in 2006 when Hamilton was out on extended sick leave.

In 2004 Kelly served the town as temporary town clerk when Town Clerk Tara Ward resigned to become town clerk in Ashland.

Kelly began her career in town government in 1996 as a part-time administrative assistant in the selectmen's office. It was the position she held until applying for the assistant town clerk position.

She has also served for many years as a town election worker, and from 1999 to 2006 was the voting warden in precincts 1 and 2.

"As a precinct voting warden you oversee the entire voting process on Election Day at that site," Kelly said. "The count, the ballots, the making sure the proper peo- ple are voting at the proper place. Everything."

Kelly said she is beginning to settle in as assistant town clerk, learning a new responsibility or two every day.

"Every day is something different," Kelly said. "It's a great job in that respect - you're not doing the same old mundane thing every day. One day it's one thing, the next day it's something else"

Kelly said a large part of the job is assisting with the processing of every vital statistic and record the town keeps, including birth, marriage and death certificates. Another big part of the job is assisting with all aspects of the voting process, including absentee ballots, candidate's papers, candidate's finance reports and registering residents to vote.

In addition there are Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals filings to keep track of as well as issuing passports.

"You stay busy, that's for sure," Kelly said.

Kelly and her family moved to Northborough from Guilderland, N.Y., a town a few miles northwest of Albany, in February of 1996. She went to work in the selectmen's office a few months later. Before relocating to Northborough, Kelly worked as an assistant to the reference librarian at the Guilderland Public Library.

Kelly graduated from Siena College with a bachelor's degree in marketing/management.