ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
Alicia Hidalgo has been serving as Liberal’s city clerk since 2016 and in that time, she has received multiple recognitions and seen many projects happen in the community.
More recently, Hidalgo was nominated not only to be vice chair of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC) Conference, but was also selected to be a member of the IIMC Ideal Task Force.
As Hidalgo tells it, IIMC has a rather storied history.
“The International Institute of Municipal Clerks (IIMC) is the premier organization for Municipal Clerks. Founded in 1947, IIMC has 78 years of experience improving the professionalism of Municipal Clerks,” Hidalgo said. “IIMC has more than 15,000 members representing towns, small municipalities and large urban jurisdictions of more than several million people. IIMC is affiliated with 49 U.S. and nine Canadian associations. International affiliates are from England, Portugal, Belgium, Israel, South Africa, Bulgaria, Wales, Scotland, The Netherlands, and other European nations. I became a member of IIMC after I graduated from the State of Kansas CCMFOA’s Institute.”
Hidalgo said her recent news was very surprising and exciting.
“Lee Frazier, the vice president of the IIMC Executive Committee, emailed me and stated that the Executive Committee and the IIMC Board of Directors requested that I serve as the vice chair of the conference committee. I was surprised and super excited to work with the board and the clerks on the committee,” Hidalgo said. “IIMC’s president, Lisa Garcia, had created the IDEAL Committee in late 2024, and IIMC advertised for members. With Liberal being such a unique community, I felt I could help bring that perspective to the committee, so I applied. In September 2024, I received an email from IIMC Executive Director Chris Shalby and President Garcia congratulating me on being selected to the IIMC IDEAL Committee, now Task Force. They selected 13 people from the U.S. and other countries for the committee. I was honored to be chosen for this new Task Force. I’m excited to work with the 12 other Clerks and get new ideas to the Executive Board. I have actually been involved on the IIMC Conference Committee for the past three years. The conference committee’s purpose is to ensure that the IIMC Annual Conference is the premier local government educational experience for all potential conference delegates. The committee recommends conference education topics, speakers, sessions, and general speakers. It also works with staff in viewing the overall conference process and how to improve upon existing formats.”
Hidalgo added there has already been some work done by the task force.
“IDEAL embodies IIMC’s commitment to a culture that celebrates and respects the unique identities, backgrounds, and perspectives of all members of the IIMC community,” Hidalgo said. “In February, we had our first meeting virtually since we are all from different parts of the US and England. The first suggestion was changing the name from a committee to a task force, and we also dedicated three years for our first term. Right now, we are creating our goals as a group and will meet again to finalize those goals. I believe we will also try to meet in person at the IIMC annual conference.”
Hidalgo also looked back on her time working with the City of Liberal.
“I was hired by the City of Liberal in 2004 as the executive administrative assistant to the city manager/deputy city clerk, and I was promoted to city clerk in May 2016,” Hidalgo said. “In that time, I graduated from CCMFOA Institute in November 2018, became a Certified Municipal Clerk in February 2020, an Athenian Fellow in December 2020, and a Master Municipal Clerk in April 2024. I truly enjoy being a city clerk, and I will say it takes a certain personality to be a municipal clerk. I enjoy working with every department of the City of Liberal. I like how no one day is the same. A few things I am proud of is being awarded the 2022 City Clerk of the Year by CCMFOA. I feel that the community and City Staff won that award with me. I am lucky to work with so many different people. We started using a new software system, CivicClerk, for agendas and meetings. It has streamlined the process so that each Department is responsible for entering their items to the agenda, and we then generate the packet from there. It saved on paper waste and made it easier for the public to access. I am currently working with all the departments to update the City of Liberal Code book and hope to have that completed this year.”
Overall, Hidalgo said, she is excited for her work with the City of Liberal and her committees.
“With the IIMC Conference Committee, I look forward to selecting a safe and accessible location that fits within the budget for the conferences. We get to review and select speakers, so it’s important they are professional, have relevant knowledge, and are dynamic speakers. We look for speakers and teachers who provide value and teach about relevant topics for municipal clerks. Liberal has a great foundation I want to continue to be efficient and increase transparency in the clerk’s office. I want to digitize our old records, which will take some time. I want to streamline some of the licensing processes. We have already done that with business licenses, however, we can do more. Ultimately, I want to continue to contribute to the transparent and efficient government the citizens of Liberal deserve.”
