Four candidates have filed to run for the position of Jefferson County Clerk after Kathy Marston announced she was retiring from the job after 20 years.

Madras residents Brian Crow, Charity Dubisar, Yoonsun Reynolds and Kate Zemke filed for the May 15 primary election.

Crow, 48, of Madras, has worked to update the technology at Jefferson County Fairgrounds in his two years as event coordinator, he said. His work in technology makes him the most qualified candidate to be county clerk as the office will be transformed in the coming years, he said.

“The way (the office) operates now — when it comes to recording documents or voting — will be transformed in the next 10 years with the use of technology,” he said. “I am uniquely qualified for the future of how the clerks office will operate. I am a process-oriented person, and I look at challenges and identify where efficiencies can be created through tech or just new processes altogether.”

Crow previously worked as the production manager for LMG Concerts in Washington, the executive producer of Boots and Hearts Music Festival in Canada and was a small-business owner of Internet Marketing Service as well as Abel Computing.

Born in Portland and raised in Eugene, Crow graduated from Churchill High School and attended Northwest Christian University for two years in the early 1990s.

A member of the Jefferson County Rotary Club, Crow knows the importance of serving kids, customers and residents, he said.

“Customer service is one of the most important things to me,” he said. “I have owned businesses, and working at the fairgrounds, I know that customers are our community.”

Dubisar, 43, was born and raised in Madras and is looking forward to a better way to serve her community, she said.

“I have run my own business for over 15 years, and now I want to serve the community in another way,” Dubisar said. “The skills I have fit great with this position.”

Dubisar currently owns and operates Snap Shots — a one-hour photo store that also takes school photos in the community — and knows the value of hard work, she said.

“You have to be motivated,” Dubisar said. “I have never been in a public position, but this is very clerical (work), which is similar to what I do now. I am very organized, and I know customer service is important.”

An alum of Madras High School, Dubisar went on to study accounting and business at Central Oregon Community College and Chemeketa Community College. She became a real estate agent in 2016 and currently works at Signet Reality on SW Fourth Street.

Her experience in multiple fields of work has made her very versatile and hard-working — two qualities that she would take advantage of as county clerk, she said.

“I am very committed to serving my community,” Dubisar said. “That’s the forefront.”

Reynolds, 35, of Madras, works as a freelance translator. With a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Western Washington University and a master’s degree in international studies from Chung-Ang University in Seoul, Korea, Reynolds will be able to work well with a wide variety of people, she said.

Reynolds previously worked as an interpreter and executive assistant to the CEO at Luidia Inc. — a company in California that produces portable interactive technology for classrooms and conference rooms. Her experience working in the office of external affairs at Seoul St. Mary’s Hospital in Korea gave her insight on strict record-keeping, she said.

“For small towns, keeping (correct) and accurate records is the key to growth and prosperity,” she said. “I pay attention to details, but I am also quick to grasp the big picture and understand what’s going on. I learn quickly and I learn well.”

Reynolds was born in Korea and returned to the United States to be closer to family. Though she has only lived in Madras for three years, she is excited for the opportunity to be a part of the history of the town she loves, she said.

“I am able to offer experiences that some people may not have,” Reynolds said. “I have always enjoyed statistics and population studies has always interested me. It’s history and I really want to be a part of that.”

Zemke, 59, of Madras has worked in the clerk’s office for 17 years, serving as chief deputy clerk in Jefferson County. She brings direct experience in the office and familiarity with the work, she said.

“I have a very good idea about what the job entails, and I believe I am capable,” she said. “I have observed, and I am familiar with the job and the process.”

Zemke also works as the county’s recording specialist, which she would use to her advantage if elected as the new county clerk, she said.

“With how many elections I have experienced, I am a recording expert,” Zemke said. “Record keeping is a big part of the job, and I know historical documents better than anyone else. I am dedicated and I believe I have the tenacity, the will (and) the desire to serve the public to the very best of my ability. I am hoping and looking forward to (the possibility of) a smooth transition.”

The last day to register to vote or change party affiliations is April 24 and ballots will be mailed April 25. Ballots must be deposited in an official drop box or at the elections office by 8 p.m. on May 15 to be counted in the primary election.

— Reporter: 541-617-7829, acolosky@bendbulletin.com