Get to know Sara Center, the Records Management Coordinator, Department Safety Representative for the Alpine County Clerk’s Office.  We asked Sara a series of questions to get to know her better…

Tell us about yourself:

I am in a fabulous phase of life! I have been working for more than forty years building my life and my career path and through it all cultivating the “me” I was meant to be. Through the years, I had many opportunities for stretching beyond my comfort zone and learning new skills and working with many wonderful people. Now I am content in what I have achieved, comfortable in who I am, and enjoy my life in my “country” home with my rescue pup, Daisy. I enjoy traveling. I appreciate experiencing the foods, music, history and scenery of the varied places I visit.

Where do you work? What is your role with the organization?

I am the Records Management Coordinator for Alpine County California. I assist the County Clerk with the countywide records management program; maintaining records in interim storage; converting records to microfilm and digital storage formats, developing and updating records retention policies and procedures, keeping retention schedules current and provide training and instruction to County departments.

What do you like most about records management/information governance?

I love the history and the structured nature of preserving it. I enjoy setting goals, listing tasks and seeing the success of bringing a project to completion.

What do you find the most challenging about records management/information governance?

I find that most people do not understand the historical significance of records management, nor do they like the mundane tasks involved in preservation.

What advice do you have for newcomers to our industry?

Learn the current program, where the records are and what governs their retention. Look for ways to improve the current process, while respecting the existing structure. Learn from all available sources to keep up on the every changing technology of the industry. ARMA webinars and networking have been vital to my success.

What are your hopes for our industry?

Changing the culture to ensure everyone understands the benefit of managing records and information in a defensible manner and that all positions are responsible for records management.

How do you define success?

Success for me is completing the tasks/achieving the goals I set to make something better.

What would people be surprised to know about you?

I don’t want to hem a skirt or sew on a button these days, so I think people would be surprised that in high school I made all my own clothes including my formals for proms.

What is your hidden talent?

I enjoy financial planning and budgeting. I think it goes back to my definition of success. I love to set a goal, put an action in motion and then enjoy the end accomplishment.

What is on your bucket list?

I have been checking things off my bucket list for almost 20 years. I even have photo boxes to remember them. I still want to tour New York City and take in a play on Broadway, and visit Paris to see the Eiffel Tower.

Do you have a favorite quote?

There are so many… but recently I read this and it really struck me at true; “Folks are usually about as happy as they make their minds up to be.” Abraham Lincoln

Which one would you want most – flying cars, robot housekeepers, or moon cities?

Without hesitation, I would pick the robot housekeeper. “Domestic Diva” is nowhere on my list of future endeavors.