The Quill Award is a prestigious award established to recognize Municipal Clerks who have distinguished themselves by making a significant and exemplary contribution to their community, their state, principality or province and, in particular, IIMC and their peers.
Lana McPherson, city clerk, City of De Soto was awarded the prestigious IIMC Quill Award at the recent IIMC Annual Conference in Omaha. Lana is the quintessential city clerk advocate. She has totally and utterly devoted her professional career to unselfishly supporting other clerks, as well as to serving the residents of De Soto, a City in which she also spent her childhood. Lana’s leadership skills, as well as her own high ethical standards, set her apart as a well-respected leader in her community, her church, and with the City Clerks and Municipal Finance Officers Association of Kansas. Lana is passionate about IIMC. I don’t believe Kansas has another clerk who promotes the organization like she does. Rarely does she miss an opportunity to encourage membership, attendance of an international conference, or points that could be earned.
Lana has received the endearing title “clerk mom” due to her encouragement of new clerks, as well as those who continue to need assistance or simply reinforcement in the importance of their position. All Kansas clerks know they can count on her for answers as well as support. In 2010, Lana received our distinguished Mildred Vance Clerk of the Year award.
Several years ago, Lana recognized the importance of the support of other clerks in one’s spiritual walk, and initiated the “Clerks for Christ” program, which has grown to include members from all over the country. She designed and distributed member pins. Several times a week, when a clerk asks for prayer for a specific issue, a mass email is sent out to all the members. Many have been touched by this small but mighty group of clerks.
Lana serves her community, her profession, the State organization, and IIMC with distinction. It gives me great pride to make the nomination of Lana McPherson for this amazing award.
Three Quill awards are announced each year. Lana is the 7th Kansas clerk to achieve this designation along with Jerry Sperling, Tom Roberts, Connie Schmidt, Bill Goering, Marguerite Strange, and Mildred Vance (who won the first year it started in 1987).