Dana Chastain selected Clerk of the Year
Fannin County’s Clerk of Superior Court, Dana Chastain, was recently awarded the Stetson F. Bennett Clerk of the Year award for 2019.
The award, which is given by the Superior Court Clerks Association of Georgia, is awarded to one of 159 clerks across the state in recognition of outstanding leadership and dedication.
While Chastain knew she had been nominated, the award was kept a secret until the night of the ceremony. Letters written in her honor were read during the presentation before her daughter, Morgan; husband, Eric; and father, Travis Couch presented the award to her.
She described the process as exciting and shocking, stating, “Everything is secret. They read letters from other elected officials, your family, your friends, but they don’t have names on them or anything, and so its just total secret. It’s an honor to get all of those letters. You really don’t know until there’s something a little personal in it.”
Receiving the award at the time she did was extra special for her, because the ceremony coincided with her mother, Betty Couch’s, birthday this year. Her mother typically accompanied her on work trips, however, she passed away last year.
“It was humbling being one of 159 clerks, but what made it so special to me that night was that my mom would always travel with me on my trips just to have someone with you, but she passed away last year,” she said. “We always have our conferences in April, so what are the odds of it being July because of this COVID-19. It was truly a blessing to me from God that I received that honor on her birthday. That’s what made it special to me in a personal sense.”
Georgia’s Speaker of the House, David Ralston, spoke to Chastain’s ability and passions as a clerk, stating, “With 159 outstanding clerks to choose from, this award could have gone to others, but it could have gone to no one who works harder, who is more respected, who cares more about clerks of court, and who would appreciate what this award means more than Dana. I know of no one who takes more pride, not just in being a clerk, but in her profession as a whole. She wants clerks to be the best, have the best and serve the best.”
Chastain explained that she was humbled by the award. “I truly enjoy being a clerk and serving the citizens of Fannin County,” Chastain said. “This is the most prestigious award a clerk can receive, and it carries a special meaning because it comes from my peers.
“This award would not be possible without the dedication and hard work of my outstanding staff in the clerk’s office. They work very hard, and they are dedicated each day in assisting the community and the public.”
Chastain has served in her position since first being elected in 2000, and is known for “her hard work, dedication and technological innovations in the office.”
Some of these innovations include “bringing the clerk’s office into the future by electronic storage of real estate documents, civil and criminal records, updating the management of juries, implementing electronic search of civil and criminal records within the office and introducing e-filing of real estate and civil documents into the office.”