NDN Election Central Q&A: Democrat Denise Allan

Name: Denise Allan

City: Newton

Office sought: Jasper County Recorder

Occupation: Jasper County Recorder

Education:

Elected offices held: Jasper County Recorder, 2014-present

1. Reintroduce yourself to Jasper County voters.

Quite simply, I really enjoy my job and interacting with the citizens of Jasper County. Jasper County has been a big part of my life for nearly 28 years. The County has been good to me and I am looking forward to finding more ways to give back to the County.

2. Why are you seeking another term as Jasper County Recorder?

In my first term as the Jasper County Recorder, my staff and I have accomplished so much!  My term began with digitizing over 211,000 real estate documents and plats and adding them to the indexing that was in place. Next was the historical index project that entailed digitizing over 500,000 real estate index images and record book images dating back to 1847. Jasper County was the first county in the state to accomplish this. It was a huge undertaking but necessary for the preservation of historical records in the event of a natural disaster or a manmade disaster. In addition, all of these records were made accessible to the public online.

Credit card availability was added to the office, and our page on the Jasper County website was completely revamped and made much more informational and user-friendly. 
All of the above were campaign promises that were accomplished.

3. What makes you the most qualified person to run the Recorder's department?

I have streamlined a majority of office procedures as well as cross-trained my employees. Renewal notices for boats and OHVS are mailed out as well as the opportunity to renew online. We are now on Facebook and offer notifications by text or email of upcoming office related DNR events. A program to prevent fraud is also available to notify citizens when a document is recorded with their name on it.

I feel like my staff and I have accomplished a great deal in the last four years. 
I now have nearly four years under my belt as the County Recorder. I am currently the Iowa County Recorders District 1 secretary and secretary for the Iowa Recorder's Association. I am a hard worker and dedicated to making sure the public is treated with respect and has a good customer experience.

That is why I feel I am the most qualified for the Recorder’s position.

4. What would be your top two priorities, if re-elected?

One of the goals for the next four years is the digitization of the vital records in the Recorder’s office. It is just as important to preserve them against detrimental occurrences as any of the other records housed in the office. At this point, I am evaluating and prioritizing what projects will come after the aforementioned.

5. What else should voters know about you?

I would want the public to know I am very proud of my staff and the office. I would like to acknowledge Pam Keenan, Patti Van Zee and Alex Dunifer. I am very grateful for each one of them. I will continue to look for ways to improve customer service and keep up with the ever-changing needs and wants of the public. I am proud to be the Jasper County Recorder and I’m looking forward to the years to come!