“I was surprised and shocked. It's a real honor to receive this award,” said Samantha Gordon, clerk for the Village of Sterling, who was chosen as the 2026 Clerk of the Year and received her award during the Nebraska Municipal Clerk's Institute and Academy held in LaVista on March 19. Gordon is a member of the Southeast Nebraska Area Clerks Association and attends quarterly meetings.
Members of the Sterling Village Board in attendance were Chairman John Keizer, Ralph Wusk, Tom Nieveen, Samantha's mother, Shari Grof-Topp, and Samantha’s friend, Doug Schmidt.
Gordon started as a part-time village clerk in September 2015. She became full-time clerk in June 2021. She takes care of the day-to-day operations for the Village of Sterling; handles the utilities billing, village meeting preparations, and ordering of supplies; keeps track of the calendar for renting the Sterling fire hall; and sets up interviews for hiring new employees.
