Wilson settles in as RO city clerk

The City of Red Oak’s new city clerk is settling in.
At the regular Red Oak City Council meeting Oct. 7, the council approved the hire of Ashley Wilson as the new city clerk. Wilson said she grew up in Villisca, graduating from school there, and is pleased to return.
“After graduation I went to college, and I’ve been living in the Des Moines area for about 12 years. I decided to relocate, move back closer to family. It’s really nice being back home, being back in the smaller communities where everybody knows everybody and it’s really nice being back home,” Wilson said.
Wilson said she didn’t specifically move back for the open city clerk position in Red Oak, only becoming aware of it after retiring clerk Christie Vanderholm spoke on the radio.
“Christie had done an interview through KMA and I was listening to it, and the light bulb kind of went off. I knew I had to check out the position. It seemed like a really good fit and a great opportunity to not only learn new skills, but to also be a part of a great team and a great community as well,” stated Wilson.
Wilson said the experience of serving as Red Oak’s city clerk is both a familiar, and brand-new experience at the same time.
“I am new to the specific role of a city clerk. However, in my professional career, I do have a background that’s been in health care operations and then project management for global clients like Meta and Microsoft. So a lot of that involved working with multiple departments both on a national level and a global level,” explained Wilson. “I’ve worked with multiple departments, budget management, vendor contracts, timelines, deadlines, communication, marketing. So I’ve kind of done a little bit of everything, especially in the construction project management. So a lot of my skills and experience from that are definitely transferable into this role.”
Wilson found the interview process for the position to be a very exciting one, especially since there were multiple candidates.
“When you interview for something like this, you’re aware that there’s other candidates. And, of course, whoever gets the role, if it’s not you, you’re happy for them. But this was a position that I was really, really wanting. I felt like with my experience and opportunities that this offered, I felt that it was just a perfect match. So, of course, when I was notified that they were moving forward with me in the next step of the interview process I was excited to know I made it to the next step.”
Another thing making the interviews unique was that Wilson interviewed for the position in front of a number of people, getting to know them in the process.
“I really appreciated the interview process because it was an opportunity for them to get to know about me, but it’s also an opportunity for me to get to know the team and the council members, too. They were very much involved. I met with the department leaders as well and got to know them, and Mayor Shawnna Silvius as well. So it was a great learning opportunity, a great opportunity to meet individuals that I would be connecting with and working and serving on a daily basis. So it was good, and I appreciated that all of the departments were included in some way in the interview process,” Wilson advised.
Naturally, when she was notified she’d been tapped as the new clerk, Wilson said she was of course excited.
“Anytime you receive a new role, it’s very, very exciting and I’m ready to get started. I’m ready to work, and not only serve the team, but then also members of the community,” stated Wilson.
Wilson was sworn in as clerk at the Oct. 22 Red Oak City Council meeting. In the interim, Wilson has been learning about the different departments, how they work together, and how she can best serve them, among other things.
“It’s been a very general introduction into the office, I’m also determining what’s needed for the city council members, to keep those meetings organized, determining what information the council members need afterwards. Now that I’m sworn in, I can really start hitting the ground running.”
Wilson outlined a few of the goals she’s got in mind by the time she completes her first month on the job.
“My goals within the first month are just to get to know my bearings, get to know the different departments, and get to know how I can best support them. And then, of course, how I can best support the members of the community as well,” Wilson stated.
Wilson said she feels very fortunate, and very excited, to have this opportunity to work for the city of Red Oak.
“With my many years in health care operations and then working with global companies and project management, the experience that I’ve gained from that will definitely help me to exceed expectations in this role, I’m very proud of the work that everyone in the city hall does, and I’m looking forward to serving the community in the utmost best way possible,” Wilson said. “We all want the community to be healthy and safe and thriving, not only for us, but for the children that are being raised in the community. That’s always in the utmost forefront of everyone’s mind: how we can continue to keep this community thriving, safe, and healthy. I’m so excited to share that same motivation and same mantra, so to speak.”