The City of Bridgeport has another first to its name and is part of an exclusive club statewide. And they have City Clerk Donna Krivosky to thank for it.

 

Recently, Krivosky received here CMC (Certified Municipal Clerk) Certification. She is now one of just 13 to hold that designation across West Virginia and the first in city history.

 

“Earning the certification was not easy, but I’m thankful that I completed the process,” said Krivosky.

 

The process is not an easy one. The fastest individuals can complete the process, Krivosky was told, was two years, which she said was rarely met. She was able to meet that time frame.

 

“I’m really proud of that part,” said Krivosky.

 

Krivosky said the process through the International Institute of Municipal Clerks required experience as well. Thanks to her many years of work with the Bridgeport Finance Department (she also worked in various roles in city government in Fairmont beginning back in 1981), some of the required hours were already taken care of. She still needed 60 hours of classes.

 

Along the way, there was a whole lot of learning, a whole lot of the aforementioned classes, and a whole lot of COVID-19 challenges. Krivosky even partially funded her path toward certification.

 

“I did a lot of the classes on weekends and at nights. During COVID, they offered online classes; sometimes they would be six-hour classes on Sunday,” said Krivosky, who said all conferences for the that were part of the process were canceled due to the pandemic.

 

Krivosky handles multiple tasks in her position from attending City Council meeting and taking official minutes as well as heading up municipal elections, handling issues with the police and fire civil service meetings and business related to those commissions and a multitude of other responsibilities that come with the job.

 

“I have always been like a sponge when it comes to learning. I’ve never just wanted to do a job; I want to know everything there is to know about it,” she said.

 

Krivosky began her role as Bridgeport City Clerk in December of 2018. She began her job with Bridgeport for then Director Finance Keith Boggs in 1997. She stayed there until 2018 when she accepted the position under former City Manager Kim Haws.

 

As for the start in city government, it came with the Fairmont Water Commission in 1981. In 1983, that organization dissolved, and she worked payroll/accounts payable for the City of Fairmont and its finance department until arriving in Bridgeport.

 

"My position is very important to me, and I take it very seriously; just as I always have in all my jobs ... I have a responsibility to the citizens of Bridgeport for information and knowledge, and I will continue to learn as much as possible to do the best job I can for as long as I work for the City of Bridgeport,” she said.