Burgans becomes first sitting county clerk to receive election administrator certification

Douglas County Clerk-Treasurer Amy Burgans was recently designated as a certified elections-registration administrator, the highest professional achievement for election officials in the country.

“Douglas County is indeed fortunate to have Amy Burgans as one of the top designated professionals in America,” said Operations for Election Center CEO Joe Gloria, a 2015 graduate of the program. “Obtaining and maintaining CERA status means that she has committed to a career-long process of continuing education to improve the electoral process in Nevada and the nation.”

According to the program, Burgans participated in a multi-year course of study taught by the Auburn University’s master in public administration faculty in partnership with the National Association of Election Officials (commonly known as the Election Center). The intent is to professionalize the management of elections administration, and to promote and preserve public trust in the democratic process.

The Election Center is a nonprofit association of voter registrars, elections administrators, and providers of election services throughout America and the U.S Territories. Its membership is comprised of township, city, county, and state elections officials and other election related organizations. The Center’s primary purpose is to promote and support continuous improvement in the administration of elections and voter registration through research, professional education, conferences, networking, and consulting.

Burgans is a 17-year resident of Douglas County, where she has also raised her five children. In December 2020, she was appointed as the clerk-treasurer and won the election to keep her seat in 2022.

She is the only sitting elected clerk in Nevada to currently hold the election administrator certification. Nevada currently has eight graduates, two of whom are currently employed at the Douglas County Clerk-Treasurer’s office.

Assistant County Clerk Nicki Leeper, a Douglas County native, received the certification last year.

Burgans said she believes that this national certification program brings value to the citizens of Douglas County in providing fair and transparent elections.