The City of Chandler is starting the new year with a fresh face in a key municipal role, as Jennifer Ekblad steps in as the new City Clerk, taking the baton from Dana DeLong, who's poised to retire next month. Chandler's City Council green-lighted Ekblad's employment agreement on January 8, as reported by the city's news center, with her term effectively beginning on January 11.
With a robust 10-year background in clerk offices, Ekblad’s credentials seem to have impressed Chandler's leadership, including Mayor Kevin Hartke, who praised her accumulation of knowledge and experience, which he believes "will be a tremendous asset to the City Council and Chandler residents," a sentiment echoed in the city's announcement. Leading up to this role, Ekblad served as Deputy City Clerk in Chandler since March 2023, and before that, she fulfilled roles as City Clerk for Coronado and Assistant City Clerk for Escondido, but now she steps into a role that liaises information between the governance and the governed.
Ekblad, armed with a Master Municipal Clerk designation, Certified Records Manager recognition, and a Certified Public Manager designation from Arizona State University, also holds academic laurels, including a bachelor's degree from Point Loma Nazarene University and a master’s degree in public administration from San Diego State University. Her predecessor DeLong, is retiring on February 20 after a tenure that began in 2017.
The position of City Clerk is no ornamental title; it is the repository and conduit for knowledge on the City Charter and City Code, and it ensures that Chandler's citizens have a clear understanding of council meetings and actions, Ekblad's office will also be in charge of election coordination, managing legal publication duties, and overseeing public meeting notifications – not to mention she is now the custodian of the city's records, providing notary services, passport processing, and election assistance to Chandler's community.
