At least one top rank official in Berrien County government is bucking the trend of recent departure and retirement announcements there. Berrien County Clerk Sharon Tyler has announced that she will, in fact, be running for office again — seeking a third term as Berrien County Clerk.
Her decision runs counter to recently announced departures at the upper echelons of county government locally including the impending departure of County Administrator Bill Wolf, the return to the private sector by County Treasurer Bret Witkowski, the resignation of Corporate Counsel James McGovern, and the impending retirement of County Parks Director Brian Bailey.
Tyler was first elected in 2012, after serving as the State Representative for the 78th District. She is currently the 1st Vice President of the Michigan Association of County Clerks (MACC) and serves on the MACC Legislative Committee and the Council of Election Officials Board, which is a combination of Michigan County and Local Clerks. She is also a member of the United County Officers Association of Michigan and the Berrien County Clerks Association.
In the Clerk’s Office, she is governed by 596 statutes, which fall into four major divisions:
- Clerk to the Board of Commissioners…
- Clerk of the Circuit Court…
- Registrar of Vital Statistics…
- Chief Election Official for the County…
Tyler says her priority is “To provide quality customer service that is accurate, timely, professional, and respects the individual and their privacy.” Under her direction, the Clerk’s Office has been advancing its technology to meet the needs of the people of Berrien County, and she says she looks forward to continuing that commitment.
Over the years, Tyler served as a Lincoln Charter Township Trustee, Interim City Manager of the City of Niles and was elected to the Michigan State House of Representatives for the 78th District in 2009 and served until she was elected to the County Clerk position.
Tyler’s previous experience includes serving as the Executive Director of the Southwestern Michigan Economic Growth Alliance, Inc., Executive Director of the Berrien County Manufacturers Council, and as the Berrien County Economic Development Department’s Financial Services Manager. She has also served on the Buchanan City Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, Niles City Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, Lincoln Charter Township Planning Commission, and served on several local boards.
Her years of experience as an Economic Developer earned her the Michigan Economic Development Association Medalist Award in 2009 and the State of Michigan Economic Developer of the Year Award in 2004. She is a life-long resident of Berrien County.
