The 2007 Five Star Vital Registration Award

County Clerk Receives Five Star Vital Registration Award for Tenth Consecutive Year

During the 53rd Annual Conference on Vital Statistics in Austin on Dec. 9-11th, the Williamson County Clerk's office was presented for the tenth consecutive year the Five Star Vital Registration Award by the Texas Department of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics. This award is presented annually for exemplary work in the area of Vital Registration. The criteria for qualifications of this award include timeliness of filing with the BVS, oath of confidentiality statements from employees, annual training conferences, issuing all certificates on security paper, and maintaining certification by the Attorney General's office on paternity matters. This year's competition included over 490 local registrars, out of which there were only 30 local registrars who are County Clerk’s offices across the state that met the five specific criteria needed to achieve this prestigious award. Williamson County Clerk Nancy E. Rister took two of her employees in the Vital Statistics area, Shirley Merkord and Susie Napier. Mrs. Rister attributed the tenth consecutive win to her staff who have strived to maintain the high standards. The annual three day conference included topics on BVS Forms for Local Registrars, Identity Theft, Texas Marriage Statutes, Statutes Governing Local Registration, U.S. Passport Fraud, Implementing House Bill 2685:Marriage Changes in 2008, Marriage Panel, Paternity Certification and others. Her office became one of the local registrars to begin receiving electronic birth certificates from the State. Her office has been involved in the pilot program for electronic death certificates provided by the State Bureau of Vital Statistics.

Shirley Merkord receives her Master Registrar Certification at the 2006 Conference in Austin
 

Williamson County Clerk

Nancy E. Rister was appointed County Clerk on June 5, 1998 and won election to the office with 81.7% of the vote in the general election of November, 1998. She received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a major in Accountancy and Information Systems from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in Odessa. Her management career in several businesses has given her extensive experience in the supervision of employees, preparation of operational and capital budgets and financial statements, formulation of policies and procedures, and hands-on experience in running an office efficiently.

A resident of Georgetown since 1989, Nancy is active in many community organizations including the Taylor, Cedar Park and Georgetown Chambers of Commerce, and the Georgetown Lions and Kiwanis.

Nancy E. Rister
Williamson County Clerk