Amy Jo Kinyon
The County Journal
The community feel of Olivet and its small-town atmosphere enticed Erin Bierly to apply to fill the clerk vacancy at the city. Bierly fills the position of Becky Palmer, who retired in March after 31 years of service.
“I am so excited to be able to move here,” commented Bierly with obvious joy. “I will get to walk to work, go home for lunch — to me, that’s the quality of life I was looking for.”
Originally from Portland, Bierly and her husband are looking to put down roots after traveling around the country due to her husband’s position in the operations department of minor league baseball. Her previous position in Ohio covered 20 precincts and 40,000 voters. The ability to be part of a smaller community and make a difference in Olivet appealed to Bierly.
“I really like the idea of getting back to a small town,” Bierly said. “It seems to be meant to be. I like being able to know everyone and it feels good to make a difference.”
Bierly holds both a bachelors and masters degree, and has experience working in a municipal setting. She is looking forward to helping continue Olivet’s tradition of community while adding new aspects to her position.
“I want to use my degrees and business background to help automate the office and streamline processes,” Bierly said.
During her tenure, Bierly hopes to focus on bringing relevant businesses into town to help residents and also wants to help the community realize the importance of voting. She hopes to work with Olivet High School to help educate students about the voting process. Another goal of Bierly’s is to strengthen the city’s ties with Olivet College and build that partnership and the unique opportunities it can bring.
Bierly’s optimism and positive outlook for the city is apparent and she is looking forward to decades of serving her new community and the opportunities she can create in her new position as city clerk.
“It seems to be meant to be, everything has just fallen into place,” Bierly said.
