IRVINE : City Clerk to Retire; Replacement Sought

A new city clerk is being sought to replace Nancy C. Lacey, who is retiring after 12 years, city officials said.

A temporary clerk will take Lacey’s place until the position is filled. Applicants are required to have a college degree and be certified by the Certified Municipal Clerks Assn. They do not have to be residents of Irvine, said Teri Beach, an administrative specialist.

The city clerk is responsible for city elections, recording City Council sessions and administration of the city government’s management systems, Beach said. The pay scale for the position is between $57,000 and $85,000, she said.

“We expect to fill the position for city clerk in three to six months, but the sooner the better,” Beach said.

Lacey, 61, who will retire at the end of this year, has served as the city clerk since May 5, 1980. “The population when I came aboard was around 34,000, and now it’s around 115,000,” Lacey said.

Lacey, originally from Sonora, Calif., has lived in Irvine since the city first incorporated in 1971. She said it has been exciting to see the city grow.

“I think my favorite experience was being a part of building the new city hall,” Lacey said.

Lacey said she is going to miss working as the city clerk, a job she likens to being secretary of state.

“It’s the greatest job in the world, but there are other things in my life I want to do,” Lacey said, adding that she plans to volunteer for a therapeutic writing program, tend to her horses and spend time with her husband, who is retired as city clerk of Manhattan Beach.

“The opportunity I had as city clerk has been great. I have loved every minute of it,” Lacey said.