A new Town Clerk for Hanna

Leslie Birge has spent the majority of her life in Carbon County, mostly in the town of Hanna.

"I might have been born in Texas, but I was raised here in Hanna," Birge said. "My father worked for a gas company and I went to Hanna Elementary and finished at Hanna High School."

After graduating, Birge went to work for the Hanna Housing Board and then the Hanna Senior Center. She married before she was 21, and she started a family. Birge has two daughters, Audrianna and Andraya.

Now that they are grown, one lives in Hanna and the other lives in Cheyenne.

When Birge left the Hanna Senior Center, she went to work at the Hanna branch of Rawlins National Bank, now known as RNB State Bank.

She worked at the bank as she raised her daughters. After she gained experience in this financial institution, Birge made a job move to the nearby wind farms outside of Hanna.

"I was an administrative assistant during that time," Birge said.

It was during her time at the wind farm she met her boyfriend who also worked in the wind industry.

"I started traveling to different projects all over," Birge said. "I went to states like Nebraska, Iowa and Texas."

She said that, over time, she got tired of the moving around and wanted to get back to Hanna where she still owns a home.

Birge came back about a year ago.

She took a job with the Census Bureau and did work for the government. When the job of Hanna Town Clerk became available due to Ann Calvert moving into the treasurer job, Birge applied for the position.

She finds it interesting. Back when she was employed at the bank, Calvert and Birge worked together.

In the middle of September she found out she was hired.

The transition had challenges that came unexpectiedly.

A personal situation caused her to take a little time off about three weeks into the job. Once she was past that tough time period, Birge found herself immersed in the job of town clerk.

"It does get easier each week," Birge said. "The biggest challenge is understanding municipal court and all the legal documentation that comes with it."

Her favorite part of the job is working with the public.

"I get to interact with the townspeople and I have great co-workers," Birge said. "Being raised here probably makes it more enjoyable than if I was a stranger in the town."

Birge is pleased to be working in a job where she feels she is helping the community.

"It is great to be back home here in Hanna and in a job where I can really feel like I am helping people in the community," Birge said. "I just have to ask the residents to bear with me as learn all the things I need to."